Galatians: Lesson 8

Overview

Heirs Through Christ: Living in the Freedom of the Gospel

Paul's letter to the Galatians keeps returning to one essential pairing: the proper place of the Law and the freedom of the Gospel. In Galatians 3:23-29, Paul describes the Law as our "disciplinarian" until Christ came. Before faith was revealed, we were guarded under the Law; but now, clothed with Christ in baptism, we are all children of God—neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. If we belong to Christ, we are Abraham's offspring and heirs according to the promise. What once belonged to a select people now belongs to a family gathered in through faith.

In Galatians 4:1-7, Paul illustrates this with the picture of an heir who, while still a child, is no different from a servant—watched over by guardians until the time set by the Father. So it was with us under the Law. But "when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law." This single verse plainly affirms both natures of Christ: fully divine as the Son sent by the Father, fully human as one born of a woman. Christ did not come to lay down new laws but to fulfill the Law's demands on our behalf—something no one, not even Adam and Eve in their original perfection, could do. The Law remains good, holy, and useful for restraining evil and exposing sin, but it cannot deliver us from sin or hold our eternity. As mature heirs, we can honor the Law without returning to bondage under it.

Christ does not judge us according to the Law but according to His grace. As Jesus says in John 12:44-50, "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." We come to know the Father by knowing the Son. And because we are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, "Abba, Father." We need not wonder whether the Holy Spirit dwells in us—Scripture testifies that we are God's temple. The visible signs of the Spirit's coming (the dove at Christ's baptism, tongues of fire at Pentecost) served to validate the apostolic witness in the early church; today the Spirit is given through the preaching of the Gospel and is known by His fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control Galatians 5:22-23. When we gladly hear God's Word, praise Him, and confess Christ, these are the affidavits of the Spirit testifying to our standing before God.

Pastorally, this means our assurance is not measured by the strength of our own faith but by the strength of our Savior. Even faith itself is a gift Ephesians 2:8-9—which lifts the burden of trying to muster "enough" belief. When we turn inward, we spiral; when we look to Christ, we are certain. And when our prayers feel weak or wordless, Romans 8:26-27 reminds us that the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. God does it all: He forgives, He adopts, He intercedes, He produces fruit in us. This freedom is also why mission matters so deeply. Those who reject Christ remain under judgment, but those who hear the Gospel are gathered into the family as heirs. To share Jesus is not to gain something for ourselves but to invite others into the same grace that has set us free.

Transcript

Lord Jesus, we thank you so much for this day. 5s

We thank you for your love, your grace, your mercy. 8s

You never, never end in your love for us. 13s

And we thank you so much for that. 18s

We ask that you would help us to cling to that love above all else and that you would 21s

help us to love you and to love others as you love them. 28s

Lord, lead us at this time of study to know you better, to love you better, and to continue 34s

to grow in the beautiful faith that you have blessed us with. 40s

Lord, we lift this to you in the blessed and holy name of Jesus Christ, amen. 44s

Okay, so we are still in Galatians of Cures. 49s

Man, I tell you what. 54s

But it's amazing. 56s

I remember when we were starting this study and I said, okay, so we're going to go over 58s

Lawn Gospel a lot. 61s

And every week as I'm working on the lesson, I think, okay, oh look, we're back at Lawn 66s

Gospel. 72s

Oh, we're back at Lawn Gospel. 73s

But it is so powerful and so important for us to understand. 74s

Have you all still been reading or listening to Galatians every week? 80s

I hope you don't have to rat yourselves out if you haven't. 83s

But it's just bam, bam, bam, over and over and over again just hits us directly with 87s

the law in its proper position or place and the freedom that we have in the Gospel and 98s

what good news that is for us. 106s

So today we're going to talk a little more about being an heir or the inheritance that 111s

we have as heirs of Christ or of God. 118s

So we're going to start in Galatians chapter 3, Galatians chapter 3, in verse 23. 123s

Oh, now we need my glasses. 132s

Okay. 134s

In verse 23. 135s

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would 138s

be revealed. 143s

Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came so that we might be justified 145s

by faith. 151s

But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian. 152s

For in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith. 157s

As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. 161s

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer 166s

male or female. 172s

For all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 173s

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. 177s

So we are Abraham's offspring because we live in the promise. 185s

We are made one through Christ Jesus. 197s

And so prior to Christ, there was the group, the Jewish people that were set apart as 200s

God's people under the law and according to the law. 208s

But in Christ who fulfilled the law, and we are going to talk more about that, in Christ 214s

who fulfilled the law, that door was opened so that it is not only a select few who are 218s

the chosen people of God, but the family grew. 226s

And so we are gathered in and we are now heirs and Abraham, oh bless you, oh my goodness. 232s

So you got some sympathy over here too, that's very good. 244s

So we are considered Abraham's offspring because we live in the promise of faith, the 249s

faith that was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 259s

So we are going to continue in Galatians chapter 4, we are going to go at the first three 264s

verses. 270s

My point is this, Paul says, heirs, as long as they are miners are no better than slaves, 270s

though they are the owners of all the property, but they remain under guardians and trustees 278s

until the date set by the Father. 283s

So with us, while we were miners, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. 286s

So Paul is giving an illustration here. 293s

He's saying in air while young, so a son or a daughter, an heir of the Father while young 296s

is no different than a servant because there is still someone who is a disciplinarian 304s

over the child. 311s

While that child is still a child, they don't get to be in charge of their own affairs. 314s

They still have someone else that is looking out over them for them and giving them discipline, 320s

but that doesn't last forever. 329s

That is for a period of time because there's a maturing process, just like you would not 331s

hand over all of your business affairs to your child when they're six. 338s

You teach them, though. 345s

You teach them from birth on and you help them to know more, to mature, to learn. 348s

And then when a young person reaches a certain age in our country, we have some markers, 356s

we have that 16. 363s

Okay, now you're mature enough to drive. 365s

We hope. 368s

18, now you're mature enough and know enough that you can vote. 370s

We hope. 376s

Oh, 21, now you're old enough to handle other things of adulthood. 377s

But you still cannot rent a hotel room or a car until you're 25. 385s

Then we know you can handle what's going on in your life. 393s

With our younger generations now, I love talking to those kids that are, we still think of them as kids, 402s

but they're in their 20s. 411s

But it's that introduction and everyone goes through this. 415s

I know we all go through this where you have that shift into adulting. 418s

And you think you know everything. 425s

But then as you start adulting, you turn back and you go, oh, what was that advice again? 429s

Or what did I learn? 438s

And you appreciate then the advice or the discipline that was over you prior. 439s

So as those of us who are heirs, who live in the freedom of God's grace, the law, the discipline, 449s

that God had laid out prior, it is still good. 466s

It is still divine. 472s

It is still holy, but it does not keep us eternally. 475s

It doesn't hold our eternity in it. 481s

But as heirs and as we mature, we can look at the law and say, oh, no, this is good. 485s

This is helpful. 492s

This is right. 494s

And we can turn to it without turning in fear, without thinking that we have to uphold every, you know, the ceremonial laws, 496s

the every aspect of every law in the Old Testament. 510s

But we can look and appreciate, you know, what God has given to us for discipline, but it does not hold the same weight as it did for the Jewish people. 516s

Paul talks about the elements of the world. 535s

And he's not talking about physical elements, you know, the water, air, fire, earth. 539s

He's speaking of the law as an element because the law is an earthly aspect of life. 544s

We do need law. 551s

We need law. 553s

We need law to restrain evil. 555s

We need law to give order. 559s

But it does not deliver us from sin. 561s

Law shows us our sin. 567s

It does not deliver us from sin. 571s

Luther says that when Paul refers to the law as element of the world, he is principally referring to the ceremonial law dealing with external matters, you know, the what you eat, what you drink, how you dress, various places, times, and feasts, cleansings, and sacrifices. 574s

So Paul is referring to the law as a matter of earthly order, which this comes back to write, right back to what we've been talking about this entire adult ed series that the law has its proper function and proper place. 594s

But so does the gospel. 614s

And as heirs, we live in the gospel. 617s

We live in the good news that we are free in Christ, that we are saved in Christ. 621s

And so we don't turn again to live under the bondage of the law. 627s

We let the law be the law and have its place, but we don't turn to the bondage of it. 637s

So going on in Galatians 4-7. 645s

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law in order to redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as children. 650s

And because you are children, God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 664s

So you are no longer a slave, but a child. 673s

And if a child, then also an heir through God. 677s

The law, the law was fulfilled. 682s

It was fulfilled. 686s

In the fullness of time, it was fulfilled when Christ was revealed. 687s

And where Paul writes about Jesus being born under the law, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law. 692s

He's saying this is the son of God. 703s

So there is the divine nature of Jesus Christ. 707s

And he was born of a woman. 711s

There is the human nature of Christ. 714s

It's a very, very point blank scripture verse that you can turn to if someone is asking to explain the two natures of Christ. 718s

This is one that's important. 733s

And it's very, very plainly written. 736s

So we have the two natures of Christ. 739s

Christ was made under the law to redeem those who were under the law. 742s

So Christ didn't enter into creation with the purpose of laying down new laws. 749s

He didn't come to make new laws for the people to have to follow, but he came to fulfill the law. 756s

And he came to fulfill the demands of the law for us. 763s

No one over and over and over again in scripture. 771s

We read and hear and talk about no one can live up to the demands of the law or under the demands of the law. 777s

You think of the greatest people in all of scripture. 787s

There's still people. 792s

The people created in perfection, Adam and Eve could not fulfill the demands of the law. 795s

Jesus, fully God, fully man, entered into creation in order to fulfill the law and fulfill the demands of the law for us. 810s

If you keep your hand on in Galatians and go to the Gospel of John the 12th chapter, the Gospel of John the 12th chapter, this is the fourth book in the New Testament. 823s

The fourth Gospel. 834s

Chapter 12 beginning in verse 44. 839s

Then Jesus cried aloud, whoever believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me. 846s

And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 854s

I just want to pause here for a second. 858s

And just remember that we are called to know God through Christ. 861s

We know God the Father because we know Christ, God the Son. 872s

We read in the Old Testament that no one can see the Father's face and live. 881s

The Father had the veil between, remember the holiest of holies, the veil that separated the people, even the high priest would go into the most holy place, and the veil was still there. 889s

And it was scary business because God is Almighty, all powerful, all knowing, but we're called to know God through Christ. 908s

When the Transfiguration happened and Jesus was there in all his glory, it scared the disciples that were with him. 926s

And they fell to the ground. 940s

And it was when Christ touched, I think he touched a shoulder, I could be wrong, so I'm not trying to spread rumors, but when they looked up and they saw Jesus, they saw Jesus. 944s

And it was no longer scary and it was no longer terrifying because they knew Jesus. 965s

And so we know God because we know Jesus. 974s

So he says, whoever sees me sees him who sent me, continuing in verse 46 of John chapter 12, 980s

I have come as light into the world so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. 988s

I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 996s

The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge. 1006s

On the last day, the word that I have spoken will serve as judge. 1011s

For I have not spoken on my own, but the father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. 1016s

And I know that his commandment is eternal life. 1025s

What I speak therefore, I speak just as the father has told me. 1028s

So Jesus does not judge you according to the law. Jesus judges you according to his grace. 1035s

So where he says that the one who rejects him and does not receive his word has a judge. 1045s

The judgment, the one that rejects God, the one that denies who Christ is, stands already condemned because they're rejecting God. 1054s

So the one who dies outside of faith is eternally condemned. 1070s

Coming back to the importance of being called as a missionary, each and every one of us is called as a missionary because we all have people not only unknown people, but we all have people in our lives that 1082s

we don't want them to stand condemned before the Lord. 1100s

We want them to know Jesus because when we know Jesus, we know grace and when we know grace, we know salvation. 1108s

I know we talk about mission a lot, but it's so important. 1119s

It is a matter of life and death, eternal life, eternal death. 1127s

And so while it seems like the same message over and over that, you know, share the love of Jesus, share Jesus, share Jesus. 1134s

It's not because it gains us anything. 1146s

If I share the love of Jesus with something, I don't gain for myself in that. 1152s

But we pray that that person that hears of Christ, the person that hears the gospel, the good news that they will not be judged according to what they have done or said or thought, but according to the grace of Christ and what he has done and said, 1159s

and how he intercedes on our behalf, it is so vital that that continues to go forth. 1184s

We all have people that we care about, that we love, and it's not just a fantasy. 1192s

It's a reality. It's an eternal reality. 1202s

Just because we don't see the eternal outside of space and time now, we are already in the eternal. 1204s

And so it's so important that we continue to share that word. 1215s

It's absolutely important. 1223s

So Jesus does not judge you according to the law, but according to his grace. 1225s

So God adopted you as sons and daughters, not according to the law or what you've done under the law, but according to who you are in Christ. 1230s

God judges you or adopts you according to who you are in Christ. 1246s

You are adopted by the merit of Jesus, not by your own merit. 1254s

And as sons and heirs, God delivers his own spirit into your hearts. 1262s

In the gospels, we read about Christ's baptism and we see the spirit descending in the physical form of a dove. 1267s

We see the spirit descending upon Jesus. 1278s

At Pentecost in the book of Acts, we see the spirit in the likeness of tongues of fire, you know, touching on all of the apostles. 1281s

In 1 Corinthians chapter 14, it says, tongues then are assigned not for believers, but for unbelievers. 1292s

So after the church was established, and we've talked about this on a few occasions in various sermons and classes, but the miracles that took place throughout the early church, where we read of these miracles happening in the book of Acts. 1301s

It was all validating God's Word. 1320s

It was all validating what Christ had said. 1326s

It was all pointing towards the apostles' teachings to validate what they said they witnessed. 1329s

And so the tongues were assigned for the unbelievers so that they would be directed to the apostles' teaching. 1338s

So when the church was established and the Word of God was codified in the scripture, the visible appearance of the Holy Spirit ceased. 1350s

So this is where some interesting ideas about the Holy Spirit, and we're not going to go into it. 1363s

But the physical, you know, we don't see a dove descending upon the people that are baptized here. 1376s

We don't see tongues of fire going out and touching each of you, but does that mean that the Holy Spirit does not dwell in you? No. 1387s

It's the physical appearance of the Spirit ceased. 1398s

God sends His Spirit into our hearts by the preaching of the gospel, and the Spirit inspires and empowers us to have new fervor, to have new desires, new judgment. 1404s

There is a renewal of the Holy Spirit. 1419s

And we know that the Holy Spirit is active in our lives. 1424s

In Galatians chapter 5, we read about the fruits of this Spirit. 1431s

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 1437s

And when we see those in action in our brothers and sisters, we know it is the Holy Spirit that is working through them, because the Holy Spirit will not work against itself, will not work against God. 1442s

So if someone is claiming something in the Spirit and it's off, that is not the Spirit that is not the Spirit at work. 1462s

And you know when you know you can know when it's the Spirit. 1472s

You can test it, you can test it to God's Word. 1478s

And if it is not in line with God's Word, it is not of the Spirit. 1484s

Luther says, we ought to have no misgivings about whether the Holy Spirit dwells in us. 1493s

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1499s

In 1 Corinthians chapter 3, Paul wrote, do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 1504s

When we have a love for the Word of God and we gladly hear it, we know the inclination toward Christ is the gift and work of the Holy Spirit. 1512s

I remember the first time I read Ephesians, well maybe the first time, probably not, but the first time that I can remember reading Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 where it says that even faith is a gift of God, I can't describe how some people kind of get irritated thinking, well no, I can believe, I want to believe on my own. 1526s

I was so grateful when I heard that even faith is the gift of God because it lifted even the burden of having to have a strong faith from my shoulders. 1552s

It was like the freedom to grow in faith. It was no longer this list of check marks of am I being faithful enough? 1568s

What have I done in faith today? 1580s

How have I believed enough? 1582s

It was this gift and I hope that you all live in the freedom of that gift because it is joyous to know that even faith is a work of God and the more that we engage with Him through His Word, through the community of believers, 1584s

the more that we grow in His Spirit and the more we fall in love with who God is for us and what He is doing in our lives. 1612s

Luther says when there is contempt for God's Word, there is the devil. 1628s

As soon as I read that, I thought about the small catechism in the explanation of the first petition where it's hallowed be thy name. 1634s

Luther says what does this mean? Well God's name certainly is holy in itself but we ask in this prayer that we may keep it holy. 1647s

Luther asks the question, well when does this happen? God's name is hallowed whenever His Word is taught in its truth and purity and we as children of God live in harmony with it, help us to do this heavenly Father. 1654s

But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to the Word of God dishonors God's name among us, keep us from doing this heavenly Father. 1669s

So also with the Ten Commandments of keeping the Sabbath holy that we should gladly hear God's Word, we should gladly learn it and hear it. 1680s

And it is for our good, it is for our benefit, it is not to check a task list but it's because as we hear the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is working in us. 1692s

And when the Holy Spirit is working in us, the Holy Spirit works through us. And when the Holy Spirit works through us, then we see the fruit of the Spirit coming forth. 1713s

And that's where we see that love grow. That's where we see the gentleness grow, the patience grow, the peace grow, the joy grow. 1728s

St. Augustine said that every man is certain of his faith if he has faith. I thought that was a really interesting writing. Every man is certain of his faith if he has faith. 1748s

Luther said we ought to feel sure we stand in the grace of God, not in view of our own worthiness but through Christ. 1768s

When we lift our eyes from ourselves and we look at Christ and we know what he has done for us and we know who he is and we know that he dwells in us. 1780s

And we know we stand in faith. When we are turned inward, that's when we start to spiral and question, do I have enough faith? What is my faith? Am I really saved? 1798s

But when we look at Christ, when we lift our eyes from ourselves, we are certain. We are certain that we have faith because we have Christ. 1822s

And we know that we are made right, not by ourselves, but through Christ. We are made heirs not because we are worthy, but because through Christ we are adopted into the family of God. 1837s

You can be certain you please God because Christ pleases God and it is he that lives in you and intercedes for you. 1856s

The inner assurance of the grace of God is accompanied by outward inclinations such as gladly hearing, preaching, praising and confessing Christ. 1867s

I like how Luther puts it. These are the affidavits of the Holy Spirit testifying to our favorable standing with God. 1878s

There's a lot of legal talk in Galatians, the whole idea of an inheritance. That is a legal document. 1889s

A covenant is a legal document or a legality and agreement. The affidavit is a legal document of a witness. 1899s

So as we gladly hear, preach, praise and confess Christ, that is the Holy Spirit that is testifying as our witness that we have standing before Christ or before God that is favorable. 1914s

The spirit of Christ is in our hearts and intercedes crying, Abba, Father. 1934s

We are going to go back to the letter to the Romans. You are going to go back, flip back through Corinthians, both 2nd and 1st Corinthians. 1941s

Then you will find yourself in Romans 8, Romans 8, verse 26. Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. 1953s

For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very spirit intercedes with size too deep for words. 1972s

And God who searches the heart knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 1983s

It is God's own spirit that intercedes on our behalf. Christ, we know intercedes for us before the Father that we are made right through Christ and Christ alone. 1995s

And it is His own spirit than that intercedes because we don't even pray like we ought. 2013s

In every aspect, we are weak. In every aspect of our own devices, we are unworthy. We are holy and completely unholy. 2021s

And weak and not enough. But through Christ who intercedes for us before the Father, we are seen as righteous. 2037s

We are seen as worthy. And as we approach the throne in prayer, calling out to God, Abba, or Daddy, as we cry to Him, it is His own spirit that is interceding. 2053s

He knows the depths of our hearts. He knows the depths of our prayers. He knows our prayers better than we know our prayers. 2076s

And to know that it is Him that intercedes and searches the mind and heart of God for us. 2087s

Again, just mind-blowing. Mind-blowing. God does it all. He does it all. And by His grace, we get to hear that we are forgiven. And by His grace, we get to hear that because we are forgiven, we are adopted. 2103s

And by God's grace, we know that we are forgiven. We know that we are His children. And so we are freed up. 2131s

We are freed up to live in His goodness, producing the fruit that His Spirit produces in us. 2144s

When we get caught up in our own selves, when we get caught up in how we are measuring up to the law, we get caught up in withering fruit. 2159s

We forget who we are in Christ and we forget what God has called us to be in Him. 2179s