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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
GALATIANS 4:1-7
LESSON #08
TREATING A BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER LIKE A MATURE CHILD OF GOD
v MEMORY VERSE: GALATIANS 4:7
v WE HAVE DISCUSSED BRIEFLY SOME OF THE REPERCUSSIONSAS TO HOW PAULS TEACHINGS IN GALATIANS 3 TOUCH OUR LIVES TODAY.
Ø WE HAVE LEARNED THAT SYSTEMS OF LAW TAKEN TOTHE EXTENT OF LEGALISM DO NOT BRING OUT THE BEST IN MAN.
§ LAWS ARE NECESSARY TO ANORDERED SOCIETY, TO THE RAISING OF CHILDREN, AND TO GODS KINGDOM. HOWEVER, BECAUSEOF MANS REBELLIOUS NATURE, LAWS ONLY CAUSE MAN TO WANT TO BREAK THEM.
· WE CAN RELATE TO THAT WITH THERAISING OF OUR CHILDREN. AS SOON AS YOU TELL A CHILD THIS IS WHAT HE MUST DO, IT IS THEFIRST THING HE BREAKS TESTING THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR LAW.
Ø THE REASONS WHY THE LAW IS BONDAGE:
§ LIVING UNDER THE LAW ISLIVING UNDER THE FRUSTRATION OF OUR ON-GOING FAILURES.
§ LAW MAKES US LIVE UNDER THEGUILT OF PAST SINS.
§ LAW MAKES US TRY TO LIVE TOSOMEONE ELSES STANDARDS.
§ LAW MAKES US MEASUREOURSELVES BY THE LIVES OF OTHER BELIEVERS.
§ LAW MAKES US FEEL AS THOUGHWE NEVER QUITE MAKE THE GRADE.
v IN CHAPTER 4 PAUL WILL TALK ABOUT BEING A CHILD OFGOD, BEING AN HEIR, BEING A SERVANT, AND GROWING UP TO MATURITY. PAUL USES IDEAS FROM THEGREEK CULTURE, FROM THE JEWISH CULTURE, AND FROM THE ROMAN CULTURE.
Ø IN THE GREEK CULTURE, ONLY SONSCOULD INHERIT. IF HIS FATHER DIED WHEN HE WAS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 7 AND 18, HE WAS ACADET OF THE STATE.
Ø IN THE JEWISH CULTURE AFTER THE AGE OF 12, ASON WAS CALLED A SON OF THE LAW. HE WAS NOW RESPONSIBLE AND HE COULD NOWINHERIT.
Ø IN THE ROMAN CULTURE, THE SON WAS DELIVEREDTO PUBLIC LIFE AS A SON.
§ THERE WAS A PAGAN CEREMONY(liberalia) WHERE THE CHILDS TOYS WERE TAKEN THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO AND BURNED. HISCHILDS ROBE WAS REPLACED BY AN ADULTS ROBE.
v READ GAL 4:1-7 THE ADOPTION OF SONS
Ø THE WORD CHILD (1) IS A DIFFERENTGREEK WORD THAN CHILD IN GAL 3:26.
§ CHILD (huios) = A SON.(3:26)
§ CHILD (nepios) = AN INFANTNOT YET ABLE TO TALK. (4:1)
· THE TINY BABY, UNABLE TO SPEAK,IS NO DIFFERENT IN HIS POSITION THAN A SERVANT IN THE HOUSE.
¨ IN THE ROMAN FAMILY, THE SERVANTS CARED FORTHE MASTERS TINY BABY AND RAISED HIM ALONG WITH THEIR OWN CHILDREN. A STRANGER WOULDNOT BE ABLE TO OBSERVE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS CHILD AND THE SERVANTS CHILDREN.
¨ HOWEVER, WHEN THE FATHER OF THE CHILD NOTICEDHIS SON WAS ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS ON HIS OWN, HE APPOINTED A SPECIFIC TIME WHEN HEDECARED THE CHILD A MATURE SON.
Ø IN SOCIETY TODAY, WE HAVE LAWS THAT SAY ACHILD IS AN ADULT AT THE AGE OF 18 OR AT 21. THIS WAS NOT TRUE IN ROMAN SOCIETY. IT WASTHE FATHER WHO DECIDED WHEN THE CHILD WAS AN ADULT.
§ PAUL SAYS THE NATION OFISRAEL WAS LIKE THE TINY BABY RAISED BY SERVANTS. THEY WERE UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES (THEELEMENTS OF THE WORLD) (3).
· THE ELEMENTS OF THE WORLDARE THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF CHILDHOOD, LIKE LEARNING THE ABCS.
· AS LONG AS ISRAEL WAS UNDER THELAW, THEY COULD NOT INHERIT THE PROMISES OF ABRAHAM.
§ AT THE PROPER TIME, GODSENT JESUS CHRIST TO MAKE BELIEVERS MATURE SONS. (4-5)
· JESUS CHRIST REDEEMED THEBELIEVER. (5)
¨ THE WORD, REDEEMED, MEANS = TO BE BOUGHT WITHA PRICE IN THE SLAVE MARKET FOR THE PURPOSE OF SETTING THE PERSON FREE NEVER TO BE SOLD ASA SLAVE AGAIN.
Ø PAUL BRINGS UP REDEMPTION BECAUSE THEJUDAIZERS WERE PUTTING BELIEVERS BACK INTO SLAVERY BY INSISTING ON BONDAGE TO THE MOSAICLAW.
§ IN CONTRAST, THAT WAS NOTGODS INTENTION WHEN JESUS PURCHASED US TO SET US FREE FROM BONDAGE.
Ø THE WORD ADOPTION (5)
§ THE BIBLICAL WORD FORADOPTION IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE USUALLY THINK OF AS ADOPTION.
· IN TODAYS SOCIETY, THE WORDADOPTION REFERS TO AN ADULT WHO ASSUMES THE ROLE OF A PARENT FOR A CHILD NOT HIS OWN BUTBORN TO SOMEONE ELSE. THE CHILD ENTERS THE ADULTS FAMILY BY ADOPTION.
¨ BELIEVERS DO NOT ENTER GODS FAMILY BYADOPTION. WE MUST BE BORN INTO GODS FAMILY BY RECEIVING JESUS CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR.THEN WE ARE BORN AGAIN.
· IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE WORDADOPTION (huiothesia) REFERS TO THE ROMAN PRACTICE MEANING = THE PLACING OF AN ADULT SON.
¨ IT WAS A CEREMONY WHEN A ROMAN FATHER MADETHE DECISION THAT HIS OWN SON WAS NOW OLD ENOUGH TO MAKE HIS OWN DECISIONS AS AN ADULT. HEPLACED HIM AS A MATURE SON IN THE FAMILY. HE WAS NO LONGER A CHILD, BUT HE WASNOW CONSIDERED AN ADULT WITH ALL THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF A MATURE SON.
Ø THIS CEREMONY INVOLVED THE FATHER GIVING HISSON A ROBE AND A RING WITH THE FAMILY CREST ON IT.
§ READ LUK 15:18-24 THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON
· LIKE THE PRODIGAL SON, THEGALATIANS WANTED GOD TO ACCEPT THEM AS SERVANTS WHEN THEY REALLY WERE SONS. WHY IS THISIMPORTANT?
¨ THE SON HAS THE SAME NATURE AS HIS FATHER.(2PE 1:4)
¨ THE SON HAS A FATHER, BUT THE SERVANT HAS AMASTER. (GAL 4:6) THE WORD ABBA IS EQUIVALENT TO THE ENGLISH WORD, PAPA.
¨ THE SON OBEYS MOTIVATED BY LOVE WHILE THESERVANT OBEYS MOTIVATED BY FEAR.
¨ THE SON IS RICH WHILE THE SERVANT IS POOR.
¨ THE SON HAS AN ASSURANCE OF A FUTURE. THESERVANT HAD NO SUCH ASSURANCE.
· A PERSON RECEIVES JESUS CHRIST INHIS HEART, AND HE IS BORN AGAIN. HE IMMEDIATELY BECOMES A MATURE SON ABLE TOUNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL TRUTH, AND ABLE TO INHERIT ALL THINGS FROM HIS HEAVENLY FATHER. HEHAS BEEN PLACED AS AN ADULT SON IN THE FAMILY OF GOD.
· THE ADOPTION IN THEROMAN FAMILY HAD TWO STAGES:
¨ THE FIRST STAGE WAS A PRIVATE CEREMONY WITHINTHE FAMILY.
Ø FOR THE BELIEVER, THIS OCCURRED WHEN YOU WEREBORN AGAIN.
¨ THE SECOND STAGE WAS A PUBLIC CEREMONY BEFORELOCAL OFFICIALS.
Ø FOR THE BELIEVER, THIS WILL OCCUR WHEN JESUSCHRIST RETURNS TO THIS EARTH AT THE RAPTURE AND YOU RECEIVE YOUR NEW BODY.
§ WHAT BENEFITS DOESBELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST BRING TO YOUR LIFE THAT DOING THE WORKS OF THE LAW COULD NEVERBRING?
· THE LAW COULD NEVER MAKE ANYONE AMATURE SON OF GOD. WHY?
¨ IN RAISING A CHILD YOU HAVE A SYSTEM OF RULES(LAW) THAT GUIDES THE CHILD. YOU WATCH OVER THE CHILD CONTINUALLY TO MAKE SURE HE ISOBEYING YOUR RULES. YOU PUNISH HIM WHEN HE BREAKS THESE RULES. HOWEVER, YOU DO NOT DO THATALL OF HIS LIFE. THERE COMES A TIME WHEN HE NEEDS TO MAKE HIS OWN DECISIONS WITHOUT YOUWATCHING HIM. HOPEFULLY, OVER THE YEARS HE HAS INTERNALIZED THE WISDOM OF RESTRAINT SOTHAT HE WILL MAKE WISE DECISIONS WHEN HE GROWS UP. HE WILL NEVER GROW UP TO MAKE WISEDECISIONS IF YOU AND THE LAW ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING OVER HIS SHOULDER.
¨ FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER, IT IS THEINDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT ENABLES THE BELIEVER TO UNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL TRUTH. (6)HE TEACHES THE BELIEVER ALL TRUTH. (JOH 14:26 JOH 16:13)
Ø PERHAPS YOU RECALL BEFORE YOU BECAME ACHRISTIAN, HOW THINGS IN THE BIBLE MADE NO SENSE TO YOU. THEN, AFTER YOU BECAME ACHRISTIAN HOW YOU BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS PRESENTED IN THE BIBLE.
Ø THE HOLY SPIRIT IS LIKE THAT INTERNALIZEDWISDOM OF RESTRAINT THAT ENABLES A MATURE ADULT TO MAKE WISE DECISIONS.
¨ KEEPING THE LAW NEVER BROUGHT THE HOLY SPIRITTO DWELL INSIDE OF A BELIEVER. ONLY AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION, THE RESURRECTION, AND THEASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST, DID THE HOLY SPIRIT COME TO LIVE PERMANENTLY INSIDE THEBELIEVER.
Ø BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES INSIDE THEBELIEVER, HE DOES A BETTER JOB THAN THE PARENT OR THE LAW LOOKING OVER THE CHILDSSHOULDER.
Ø READ ROM 8:11-16
§ THE HOLY SPIRIT INSIDE OFUS BEARS WITNESS WITH OUR OWN SPIRITS, SO THAT WE KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT WE ARE SONS OFGOD LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Ø THE CONTRAST BETWEEN BEING A CHILD OF GOD ANDBEING A SON OF GOD:
§ MANY OF THE NEWTRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE HAVE CONFUSED THESE TWO PHRASES. HOWEVER, THERE IS A DISTINCTDIFFERENCE. THIS DIFFERENCE IS IMPORTANT TO THE BOOK OF GALATIANS AND RELEVANT TO PAULSARGUMENT.
| THE CHILD: | THE SON: |
| BY BIRTH HE ENTERS THE FAMILY. | BY ADOPTION HE IS PLACED IN THE FAMILY. |
| HE IS UNDER SERVANTS AND TUTORS AND LIVES UNDER CONSTANT SUPERVISION. | HE IS DECLARED A MATURE SON AND LIVES IN FREEDOM. |
| HE CANNOT INHERIT (UNDER THE ROMAN LAW). | HE CAN INHERIT ALL HIS FATHERS BLESSINGS AND PROPERTY. |
v SUMMARY: (7)
Ø BELIEVERS WERE SERVANTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENTUNDER THE MOSAIC LAW. THEY BECAME SONS OF GOD WHEN JESUS CHRIST CAME BECAUSE THEY WEREPLACED IN GODS FAMILY BY NEW BIRTH. THEREFORE, BELIEVERS ARE CONSIDERED MATURE SONSABLE TO UNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL THINGS BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS THEM.
§ WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE OFTHIS TRUTH TO PAULS ARGUMENT AGAINST THE JUDAIZERS?
· BECAUSE THE NEW BELIEVER ISCONSIDERED A MATURE SON ABLE TO UNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL TRUTH THE MINUTE HE IS BORN AGAIN,YOU DO NOT NEED TO TREAT HIM LIKE A SMALL CHILD.
¨ THAT IS WHAT LEGALISM DOES. IT TREATS THEBELIEVER LIKE A SMALL CHILD WHO NEEDS TO HAVE RULES TO RESTRICT HIS BEHAVIOR.
Ø WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TREAT A NEW BELIEVERLIKE A SMALL CHILD BY PUTTING HIM IN BONDAGE TO LEGALISM?
§ HE REBELS.
§ HE BECOMES RESENTFUL TRYINGTO LIVE UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
· HE GETS TIRED OF HEARING ABOUTALL THE THINGS HE SHOULD BE DOING AND ISNT.
§ HE BECOMES DISCOURAGEDTRYING TO LIVE UP TO RULES IN HIS OWN STRENGTH.
· DOING WORKS OF THE LAW ALWAYSLEADS TO FAILURE.
¨ PAUL SHOWS US A BETTER WAY THAT INSURESSUCCESS:
Ø TREAT NEW BELIEVERS AS MATURE SONS OF GODBECAUSE THEY NOW HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE THEM.
§ HOW SHOULD WE DO THIS?
· TEACH THEM THE WORD OF GOD.
¨ TEACH THEM GODS EXPECTATIONS CONCERNINGTHE CHRISTIAN LIFE THAT WILL RENEW THE MIND. (ROM 12:2)
¨ IN OTHER WORDS, YOU SHOW THEM HOW GODSKINGDOM IS SUPPOSED TO WORK.
· LET THE HOLY SPIRIT CAUSE THEM TOFEEL GUILTY WHEN THEIR LIFE DOES NOT MATCH THE WORD OF GOD.
¨ SOMETIMES THIS PROCESS TAKES LONGER THAN WEDESIRE, BUT GODS TIMING IS PERFECT BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A GENTLEMAN. HE DOESNOT FORCE THE BELIEVER TO CHANGE IN WAYS THAT HE IS NOT READY TO CHANGE.
¨ WHEN THE BELIEVER IS READY TO CHANGE, THEHOLY SPIRIT GIVES HIM THE INWARD MOTIVATION AND THE POWER TO CHANGE. THIS IS WHAT LAWCANNOT DO.
· ENCOURAGE THEM EVERY STEP OF THEWAY IN THEIR CHRISTIAN LIFE AND FAITH.
· LOVE AND ACCEPT THEM EVEN WHENTHEY DONT MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
· HAVE FAITH IN THE HOLY SPIRIT TODO HIS JOB IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
HOMEWORK
GALATIANS 4:8-31
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERSTO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.
v APPLICATIONOF GAL 4:1-7
Ø LISTANY AREAS OF YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU FEEL YOU ARE STILL IN BONDAGE.
§ CONSIDER THAT CHRIST HASREDEEMED YOU AS A BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST. THATMEANS HE HAS PURCHASED YOU AND SET YOU FREE FROM SLAVERY TO SIN. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE ASLAVE TO SIN ANY MORE.
§ CONSIDER THAT, AS ABORN-AGAIN BELIEVER, YOU HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVING INSIDE OF YOU TO GIVE YOU THESTRENGTH TO ACT ON THAT FREEDOM.
§ REMEMBER THAT EVERYTHING INGODS KINGDOM IS OBTAINED BY FAITH.
§ IN PRAYER DECLARE YOURFREEDOM IN JESUS CHRIST AND ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO MANIFEST GODS POWER IN YOU TO ACTON THAT FREEDOM.
§ NOW USE YOUR FAITH TO ACTON THAT FREEDOM EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT FEEL FREE. (FEELINGS ARE THE OPPOSITEOF FAITH.)
§ WRITE YOUR EXPERIENCESHERE.
v PREPARATIONFOR GAL 4:8-31
Ø READGAL 4:8-18
§ WHAT WAS THE GALATIANSRELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE BEFORE THEY BECAME CHRISTIANS?
Ø READGAL 4:19-31
§ WHAT DOES HAGAR REPRESENTIN PAULS ARGUMENT AGAINST LEGALISM?
v MEMORY VERSE: GALATIANS 4:31
