How does Galatians 4:7 define our identity as "no longer a slave"? No Longer a Slave, but a Son “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:7) What Slavery Meant • Shackled to the Law’s demands (Galatians 4:3) • Powerless to free ourselves (Romans 3:20) • Living in fear of judgment (Hebrews 2:15) • Bound to sin’s mastery (John 8:34) What Sonship Means • Full family status—brought inside the house, not kept in the servant’s quarters (John 14:2) • Intimate access: “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ ” (Galatians 4:6) • Inheritance secured: “If children, then heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17) • Permanent standing: “A slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son belongs to it forever.” (John 8:35) How This Identity Shapes Daily Life 1. Freedom from condemnation ‑ “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) 2. Confidence in prayer ‑ “In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.” (Ephesians 3:12) 3. Security in love ‑ “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1) 4. Purposeful obedience ‑ We obey as loved sons, not as hired servants (1 John 5:3). 5. Hope-filled expectancy ‑ Inheritance kept in heaven (1 Peter 1:4) and tasted now through the Spirit’s witness (Romans 8:16). Living Out the Transition • Remember the cost: “God sent His Son… to redeem those under the Law.” (Galatians 4:4-5) • Reject the old chains: “Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) • Rest in the Father’s delight: “He has made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6) • Reflect the family likeness: “Be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Ephesians 5:1) Summary Snapshot Slavery said: “Do more, earn more, fear more.” Sonship says: “It is finished, you are loved, come home.” |
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