Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir." Galatians 4:7[NLT]
So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman. Galatians 4:31
For the past couple of weeks I've shared the promises of God given to Abraham, Sarah and Hagar from Genesis 15-18. This week is exciting because in Galatians 4, Paul declares that we are no longer slaves but children of God, and that God has made us His heir! That's AMAZING!!!
Symbolically, Paul uses Sarah and Hagar to explain two covenants. He says,
"...Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the Heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother." Galatians 4:24-26
When we receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives we enter into covenant with Him and we become children of God. In fact, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." Romans 8:16-17
Paul shared:
"...if a father dies and leaves an inheritance to His young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that's the way it is with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. Galatians 4:1-5[NLT]
In Galatians 4:23, The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. Paul uses this metaphorically to teach that when we try to keep the law in our own human efforts it is futile at best. When we try to live according to the law, we are slaves no matter how righteous we think we are. Jesus is our righteousness.1 Corinthians 1:30 and because of Him we've been declared righteous and set "free" from the penalty of sin and death. We are heirs of God. We are made children of promise, just like Isaac. Galatians 4:28
Sarah had a promise from God and no matter the difficulties from her own making, God had promised her a son(Isaac) and God fulfilled His Promise. Sarah's son(Isaac) represents God's own fulfillment of His Promise. In Matthew 1:21 Joseph and Mary also received the promise of a son(our Savior Jesus Christ), and He brought a more glorious covenant of Grace, Truth and Freedom and once again God's own fulfillment of His Promise.
Now Jesus(The Promised One), has come to save all who will believe on Him, He fulfilled the Law and He purchased our freedom. Paul declares in Galatians 4:26[NKJV} "but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all." God doesn't want us working trying to keep the law in our own human efforts, He wants us living out the law in our submission to Jesus Christ by Grace through Faith in Him. The children of promise are NOT a certain nationality, gender, or race of people. The children of promise are those who confess, believe and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. God's promises reach Jews and Gentiles, young and old, rich and poor, sinners and saints. His Promises reach to all who will surrender their lives to Jesus Christ.
Heirs of God are children of promise!!! There is an abundant harvest of souls that will choose Christ and enter the Kingdom of God. "Rejoice O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband." Galatians 4:27 The law is slavery, but The Holy Spirit of Grace and Truth is our promise. "So Christ has truly set you free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law." Galatians 5:1
Prayer
Father I thank You that You've made me free and that I'm an heir of God. Thank You for making a way for ALL to enter into Your Promises as we believe on You. Help me live everyday in the Truth of this, In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!
Let me hear from you - Please comment below! If you know you're an heir of God then type: "I'm an Heir of God!"
