Congratulations! You have an inheritance~Galatians 4.1-7
11/24/2009 11:59:57 PM
Galatians #13 in series


 

Today's Scripture:

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4.1-7, ESV

 

Good Day!

 At what age would you say a child is ‘grown up’?  In ancient cultures, there was a definite time when a child came of age, which is what Paul is referencing.  In the Jewish world, on the first Sabbath after a boy’s twelfth birthday, his father took him to the synagogue, where he became a “Son of the Law”. From then on, the boy was considered a man—almost over night.  Whereas in Greece, a boy was under his father’s care from age seven until he was eighteen.  Under Roman law, the year of manhood was not fixed, but was always between 14 and 17 years of age.  So, even though a child might be stepping into his inheritance at some point, until he was of age, he had no more rights or privilege than a slave.  This was an illustration the Galatians would have understood, and it worked well to show that before Christ came, people had been slaves to the law, or other religious observances. We see it yet today, don’t we?  Outside of relationship with Jesus, folks are striving in religious rigor, rather than thriving in a vital, living faith. 

This discussion of the age of accountability/adulthood prompts me to think about the life cycle of the soul.  What?  Well, when a person is born, his soul is shepherded, formed and taught by his primary caregiver—usually his mother.  At about age five or six, a youngster begins to decide whether or not he believes what he has been taught, and whether or not he will internalize the same.  There are other influences as a child matures—school, peers, other shaping forces—and at that time, a little girl begins forming her own feeling toward God, and is soon responsible for her own choice to follow God. . . or not. Have you ever thought about that?  If you are a parent, shepherd your child’s heart and soul well, (or any other young person you might influence).  Be sure to tell your children yourself how much God loves them!  Tell your son that God is concerned about everything he is, and tell your daughter that God will never leave her alone.

Jesus came, at just the right time in history, to offer life and freedom.  When you are a child of God, you are an heir of God, a joint-heir with Jesus Christ.  You have a rich inheritance through the grace of God. . . you won’t be able to fritter it away, it will last for eternity.  Amen.  So be it.

You've been adopted. . . you have a rich inheritance.

Christine