The Fullness of Time Has Come

Ben Trigsted

Stand Firm in Freedom • Sermon • Submitted 5 months ago • Presented 5 months ago

Galatians 4:1–7

0 ratings

· 1 view

Notes

Transcript

Introduction

Yesterday was the annual Castle Rock Festival of Lights. For those who haven’t attended before, the Festival of Lights has become a Castle Rock institution; one of the truly wonderful events here in town.

Yes, it was cold and very rainy, as is typical here in the great PNW. Yet, the event was still fairly well attended, particularly the highlight of the night, the parade and tree lighting.

As I helped out at the Festival of Lights, I thought about all the things we connect with Christmas as Americans:

The lights, the smells, the music, the goodies, are just some of the wonderful aspects of Christmas we’ve come to expect.

One of my personal favorite parts of Christmas is the movies and television shows that have become staples of the season.

In fact, they are so popular, that I’m guessing all I have to do is put up a picture and you’ll know the movie or show...

A few years back, after watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas for the 40th time, I had an idea of my own twist on the Grinch story that I’d like to share with you right now that focuses more on the real reason for the season than the original story did:

Modern-Day Grinch Poem...

Of course, we know what Christmas is really all about: it’s more than lights, music, smells, food, gifts, etc. It’s about our Lord, Jesus Christ; who at the perfect moment in history came to earth to begin God’s redemptive plan to save His people from their sins.

In our study of Galatians, Paul is going to conclude this first section of his letter by bringing all the focus on the only pathway to salvation; grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ the Savior alone.

Body: Galatians 4:1-7

Verses 1-3

Paul brings this sections of his theological treatise against the Judazier’s message of justification by works by drawing an important conclusion.

To be under the law for salvation is to be enslaved.

The illustration he uses is of a child awaiting his inheritance. Before the time set by the father, the son has no more rights to the inheritance than does a common slave in the home. This is because, like the slave, he is under the supervision of guardians until the time appointed by the father for the son to receive the inheritance.

This isn’t seen as something negative. Which is important, because what Paul is not suggesting that the law itself is slavery. In fact, the law was a good thing, as Paul as already stated.

The issue was trying to be justified by law-keeping. According to Paul, the law served as a sort of guardian until Christ came.

But, to continue to look to law keeping to save them was “elementary” and they needed to mature through faith-based salvation.

Paul’s point then is that it would be inappropriate for the son to remain like a slave once he reaches maturity.

And so it is with all heirs.

And just as an heir needs to wait until the time appointed by his father to receive his inheritance, so too mankind needed to wait until God fulfilled Him plan of salvation, enslaved under the elementary principles of the world.

What are the “elementary principles of the world”?

Another way of saying it is the “basic principles of the world.”

At it’s core it means that which is most basic to people: there is a God or gods, we are less-than God or the gods, we owe our allegiance to God or the gods, etc. It’s the basic things people have believed.

But, more specifically, he is pointing to the Mosaic law. Not that it is like basic belief, but that it wasn’t God’s ultimate and final revelation. It tells of our guilt before God and points us to our need for a Savior, but it doesn’t save us. For salvation, there was a greater revelation of God.

Verses 4-5

Instead of the “elementary principles,” Paul sets forth God’s plan of salvation.

But when the fullness of time had come…

This means at the exact right time in history…

As we see in Matthew’s Gospel, the generations through the genealogies were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, then fourteen generations from David to the deportation to Babylon, then fourteen generations from the deportation to Christ Jesus.

Konie Greek had a common language throughout the known world, which made the communication of the Gospel across cultures and ethnic groups easier.

The Roman roads made traveling long distances possible as never beore.

Pax Romana or Roman peace made it possible to travel from place to place without the constant threat of being caught up in a war.

A spiritual hunger was at an all-time high, as the spread of false religious made people long for something that would truly satisfy their spiritual hunger.

It was truly the perfect time.

God sent forth his Son…

Since Paul has been talking about heirs, the picture of Christ as the Son of God is perfect. Jesus is not the son, like Isaac is my son. Jesus is the Son, meaning the exact representation of the Father.

It is vital that we see Jesus as fully God.

Without this, Jesus would just be a tragic story of a good religious teacher. Because He is fully God, His atonement is the only one of infinite worth.

Culturally, rights-of-passage were very important to the ancients.

In Paul’s earlier illustration, the right-of-passage is the father would set the time for his son to be released from guardians, stewards, and tutors.

So it is with God. At the exact right time, God sent the pre-existent Son, His Word, His exact representation, into the world with the mission to redeem the people to Himself.

Born of woman…

Though he is God, his is also man, born of a woman.

Not just fully God, but fully man as well.

Thus he was the perfect sacrificial atonement for sins, but also man’s substitute.

Born under the law…

Being born under the law; which Paul has already established, reveals man’s unrighteousness before God. Because of this, the Son can identify with our great need.

Meaning, if Jesus was above the law, then he could not identify with us, sinners. But the man Jesus, though He never sinned and didn’t inherit a sin nature, was still under the God’s law.

Here’s the amazing thing: Jesus is the only one who could perfectly obey the law. As His adopted children, He imputes (or lays upon) His own righteousness on us.

So, when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our utter sinfulness, but Christ’s righteousness.

To redeem those who were under the law…

Each person is under the law. And since, as Paul points out throughout Galatians, no one can perfectly follow the law, then we are all under a curse.

The people Paul writes this too were being taught that you must do works in order to be seen as righteous.

Paul says, works could never be enough.

We need a redeemer.

So why did God do all this? To redeem us.

Truly, this is the joy of Christmas!

Jesus bought us with a high price!

So the we might receive adoption as sons…

Instead of being heirs of unrighteousness, we have been adopted as His own dearly loved sons and daughters!

God takes us into His family, not as slaves, but as dearly loved children!

Verses 6-7

So What?

Now that we are in the Christmas season, let’s focus our attention on the reason for the great joy of the season.

You are an adopted son or daughter of God, not because of your righteousness, but because of Christ’s.

Find your joy this season in that truth.

And, as a result of this great truth, show compassion to others

Last week I asked for examples:

Cleaning out a widow’s home after a family tragedy;

Visiting with an older couple and making them a meal;

Offering a ride to an elderly person;

Helping clean a mess I didn’t make;

Sent encouraging cards to four people;

Visiting someone in the hospital;

Made a meal for a friend in need;

Paid a bill for a person in need;

Visited with a home bound person;

One said he was going to start looking for a number of small ways to show compassion.

Big or small, when we put other’s needs before our own we are showing the quality of faith and followship we have in our Lord.