Galatians 3:23–4:7 – Galatians
Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 24, 2023 (am)  

Today is when we celebrate together as a body the central-most of the amazing array of miracles our God has done to create, redeem, then recreate this world in which we live. And the miracle of Bethlehem was surely stunning to behold! How does God even become flesh? How is He Who is by nature omnipresent localized into one human being? How is He Who is omnipotent confined to the restraints of a mortal body? How does the changeless One change in these ways yet still remain Who He is and not forfeit His status as God? Only God can answer these questions, not to mention bring about these realities as He did when the eternal Son, the Creator of all that is made (Joh.1:3; Col.1:16), came into this world in the natural way, through the womb of a woman, as an infant. Our aim today is just going to be to appreciate this glorious miracle, to drink it in a ponder it in ways that magnify its worth to us, to the praise of God’s glory.

We’ve been set up to appreciate the instruction in today’s passage by our study in Romans. And this text finds a particular partner passage in Rom.8:12-17—sonship and inheritance and Spirit and intimacy with the Father. But at the heart of this passage is the coming of Jesus at God’s precisely appointed time to bring about each and all of these blessings through His promised and progressively unfolding salvation. Let’s walk through it in three brief steps.

Salvation History Plays Out Like a Maturing Process

When Paul gets started on this particular point in 3:23-24, it can sound like he’s painting a simple before-and-after sort of picture. 3:25 But when he writes, now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith, we can see that he has in mind more than just the passing of time, but a progression in maturity, a process of growth. So, that time when 3:23 … we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed, the picture is not so much of us being incarcerated for our wrongdoing but of our being trapped in the immature stage of God’s promised salvation. We were like children obeying the rules of the household not from a place of understanding them, of perceiving why they’re important, of living into the privilege of possessing the family legacy, of representing the family name, but only because we’d be disciplined by our parents, our guardian, if we didn’t obey. That’s what life was like for the children of God under the law, 3:23 … before faith (Christ) came…. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, keeping us on track in order that we might be justified by faith when He arrived.

The law was watching over all who knew and trusted God in those days (Jew and [Gentile] alike, as we’ll see [3:27-29])—reminding them of right and wrong, convicting them of sin if they’d read it, standing as a witness against them if they wouldn’t, but able to do nothing to solve their problem (Rom.8:3-4)—just keeping them safe by holding the standard until One Who could meet it showed up and provided a way for them to do the same, to be counted righteous (3:6) according to the law even while they were still incapable of obeying it perfectly. In short, God’s people needed a new heart with His law programmed into it, just like God had promised through the prophets (Jer.31:31-34; Eze.36:25-27). They needed His Spirit living in them (Eze.36:26), making them alive to His Word, His will, and His ways, and forgiving them when they fell, when they failed to live in conformity to Him.

And that’s just what we hear as Paul explains himself further. 4:1 I mean that the heir, as long as he’s a child, is no different from a slave, though he’s the eventual owner of everything, 2 but he’s under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. He’s under the law (3:23). 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world, to the basic standards of right behavior in the law but without the ability to obey them in a way that pleases God.

This is what it was like to know God’s standard and not be able to do it! Sweet as may’ve been to possess the law, this scenario was like being in prison! (3:23) It was like slavery! (4:1)

The Birth of Jesus Functions Like a Rite of Passage

But then, 3:23 … faith came…! [Christ] came, not meaning there was no faith before Him. 3:6 … Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. It’s always been true that 3:11 … the righteous shall live by faith (Hab.2:4). But faith coming from a fallen heart, one that’s estranged from God, can’t reconcile us to Him. We needed that promised new heart (Eze.36:26) that comes with a new brand of faith that does please God (cf. Heb.11:1, 3, 6), that faith which is the gift of God (Eph.2:8). And that wasn’t available until Jesus came in fulfillment of all those OT promises of a Messiah and a new covenant (Jer.31:31) relationship with God where He says Eze.36:27 … I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. And when that happens, it’ll be like the day of your maturing—like your Bar Mitzvah, except not! Bar Mitzvah means Son of the Commandments. From what we read here it should be Bar Yahweh, Son of God! (4:5)

This day happened at different times in different cultural groups (Boice 471). The Bar/t mitzvah of a Jewish youth happened shortly after the 12th birthday. For the Greeks, Apatouria occurred at about age 18. In the Roman world, Liberalia was an annual family festival held on 17 March and a child usually matured at age 14. But it appears that the father had some freedom to determine the year on which each of his children would come of age. In our nation, much debate has occurred through the years regarding whether our children should be counted as adults at age 16 or 18 or 21. So, we just divide it up! Some activities are allowed at 16. Some wait until 18, and others until 21, or now even 25. But whichever model Paul had in mind here, that day was greatly anticipated and long remembered in the life of the child whose rite of passage into maturity was being celebrated.

For all who’ve received Christ as our reconciliation to God, 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, we have put on Christ. We have come of age by faith in [Him] (3:24). We’ve received our new heart in [Him], 3:26 for in Christ Jesus [we] are all sons of God, through faith, regardless of our ethnicity or cultural standing or gender (3:28). 3:29 And if [we’re] Christ’s, then [we’re] Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

The Holy Spirit Is God’s Gift of ‘Life’ to His Children

So, what do we inherit as Abraham’s offspring? Surely it’s the full estate of the Father! It’s every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places! (Eph.1:3) But in some important ways it’s even more than that! When we read those words, we can think of heaven and all we’ll inherit there as God’s adopted children (4:5). But we have an immediate inheritance in this world as well. In Christ, we receive all things that pertain to life and godliness (2Pe.1:3) right here and now! That’s included in the promise.

Paul writes, 4:6 … because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. We’re heirs to the Holy Spirit! When we receive by faith God’s inconceivable miracle of sending the second Person of the Trinity into this world as our salvation, we inherit the third Person of the Trinity to dwell with [us] and be in [us] (Joh.14:16-17) right here and now as God’s down payment on heaven, as His guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory! (Eph.1:14)

We receive the Holy Spirit as God’s assurance of our gift of life. Interestingly, if cash is given as a Bar Mitzvah gift, we’re told that it’s best to give it in multiples of $18. Why? Because 18 is the numerical equivalent of חַי, life. That young person is entering into life in a new way.

Conclusion

All this just leads us back into the heart of this passage with renewed zeal: 4:4 … when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. The fullness of time wasn’t an historical accident, God just waiting in heaven until there was a strong imperial government and economy on earth, a common language with good roads for ease of travel. All of these indicated the fullness of time as we look back now. But that was all the work of God to establish the perfect setting for His Son’s arrival in this world, to bring His eternal plan of salvation to fruition so that His children could be freed from the bondage of their sin and come of age in His family as full heirs to Him and His Kingdom. This is what we’re celebrating today!

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Resources

Arnold, Clinton E., gen. ed. 2002. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary. Vol. 3, Romans-Philemon. Galatians, by Ralph P. Martin and Julie L. Wu, 264-295. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Beale, G. K., & D. A. Carson, eds. 2007. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Galatians, by Moisés Silva, 785-812. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Black, Matthew, ed. 1973. The New Century Bible Commentary. Galatians, by Donald Guthrie. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Bruce, F. F. 1982. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. The Epistle to the Galatians. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Calvin, John. 1548. Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians. Galatians, 13-188. Translated by William Pringle. Logos.

Carson, D. A., R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham, eds. 1994. New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition. Galatians, by Moisés Silva, 1206-1221. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.

Dockery, David S, ed. 1994. The New American Commentary. Vol. 30, Galatians, by Timothy George. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.

Gaebelein, Frank E., ed. 1976. Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 10, Romans-Galatians. Galatians, by James Montgomery Boice, 407-508. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Grudem, Wayne, ed. 2008. ESV Study Bible. Study notes on Galatians, 2241-2256, by Simon J. Gathercole. Wheaton: Crossway.

Hubbard, David A., & Glenn W. Barker, eds.1990. Word Biblical Commentary. Galatians, by Richard N. Longenecker. Dallas: Word.

Longman III, Tremper, & David E. Garland, eds. 2008. Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 11, Romans-Galatians. Galatians, by Robert K. Rapa, 547-640. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene A. Nida. 1996. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. New York: United Bible Societies.

Luther, Martin. 1988. Commentary on Galatians. Translated by Philip S. Watson. Grand Rapids: Revell.

Morris, Leon, ed. 1989. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Vol. 9, Galatians, by R. Alan Cole. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.

Packer, James I. 1960. The Biblical Expositor. Vol. 3, The New Testament. Galatians, 292-302. Grand Rapids: Baker.

Stott, John R. W., ed. 1968. The Bible Speaks Today. The Message of Galatians, by John R. W. Stott. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.

Strong, James. 1995. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Logos.

Zodhiates, Spiros, gen. ed. 1993. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, Revised Edition. Chattanooga: AMG.

 

NEXT SUNDAY: Todd Walker will be preaching