Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Sonship - a child of the living God
  • Quote from J. I. Packer
• Abba Father
• The Christian is a child of God
• We have the Spirit of God in our heart
• We cry out instinctively
• The Father God is a wonderful truth
• The Prodigal Son
• Overview:
• What is true about you? (3:26-29)
• Why is it true? (4:1-7)
• The assurance you can have

What is true? (3:26-29)

• A personal address - v26
• Paul changes form the pleural pronoun 'we' to 'you' - Paul is speaking personally to the Galatians
• They had been disturbed by false teachers
• Many are feeling inferior
• They can't trace their ancestry to Abraham
• They are being told that Jesus Christ is not sufficient
• Paul addresses them directly
• If you have believed, you are a son of God - you are a child of God
• You have all the rights and privileges of any child - whether Jew or Gentile
• Example
• Christ saves us
• Through faith in Christ Jesus
• The proof - v27
• Baptised into Christ
• Spiritual baptised
• Immersed into Christ
• When born again, born into Christ
• Put on Christ
• Not about taking off or cutting out
• It is about Christ
• Quote from Charles Spurgeon
• You belong to God
• The blood of Christ cleanses from every sin
• There is no inferiority - v28
• We are all one
• The Church comprises people of all different backgrounds
• We belong to God
• We belong to one another
• No distinctions in the eyes of God
• Heirs of the promise - v29
• The Jews were descended from Abraham
• The Gentiles are Abraham's seed
• You believe the promises
• Jesus Christ is the Seed
• Application
• All about Christ

Why is it true? (4:1-7)

• Paul wants the Gentiles to understand the importance of these issues - explanation
• Reading 4:1-7
• Example of a child who will inherit
• The Jews
• Before Christ came, the Jews were under the law
• As a nation they were under bondage
• Then Christ came
• He put Himself under the law
• He was the perfect Man
• He became a curse for us
• That we might have the adoption as sons
• A new relationship with God
• We are sons
• We can now enjoy the inheritance
• The Gentiles are sons - v6

The assurance you can have

• Do you struggle with assurance?
• We all go through times of doubt
• Wonderful truths - we are not slaves but sons
• We have the same nature as the Father
• We have intimacy with our Father
• We have the Spirit of adoption
• We have the love of the Father
• We have a future and an incorruptible inheritance
• Do you have assurance?
• Meditate on these truths
• Remember your freedom in Jesus Christ

Closing Remarks