Galatians 4 Devotional

Children Who Belong

“And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!””Galatians 4:6 (BSB)

Paul compares life under the law to an heir still under guardians, no better off than a slave until the time his father set (4:1-2). At the time God appointed, he sent his Son, born to a woman and under the law, to redeem those under the law so that they could be adopted as sons (4:4-5). Because they are sons, God has put his Son's Spirit in their hearts, calling out to God as Father, so they are heirs, not slaves (4:6-7).

Notice who acts here. The Father sends the Son, and the Father sends the Spirit. Adoption is God's doing from start to finish. So Paul is distressed to see the Galatians, now known by God, turning back to worthless principles and special days as if still enslaved (4:9-10). He labors over them like a mother in childbirth until Christ is formed in them (4:19). Children do not earn their place. You can speak to God as Father today because he has already made you his own.

To think about: How might your prayers change if you came to God today as a child who already belongs, rather than as a servant trying to earn a place?