Galatians 4:1-7
What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.†So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
When you look in the mirror, whom do you see? Do you see the person you once were, or do you see the person you are becoming? Do you fixate on your regrets from the past, or do you celebrate God’s grace and a new identity in Christ? Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14: One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
As Paul continues his passionate plea to the Galatians, he reminds them of the transforming power of Jesus. Notice:
- We once were enslaved, but now we are free.
- We once were condemned, but now we are redeemed.
- We once were servants, but now we are adopted as sons and daughters.
- We once had no standing, but now we are heirs.
