"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

Galatians 4:4-6

Having covered the Jew versus gentile debates, Paul then moves on to discussing slavery, specifically as a metaphor for life outside of Christ, life in bondage to the law and the ‘elemental spiritual forces of the world’ (4:3). Imagine slaves being adopted as children into the family they once served. Paul is saying that Christ came to liberate slaves and change their status to children. This is astonishingly good news for the whole world. So Paul reiterates that when we pray, we can say, ‘Abba, Father’ (4:6). Moreover, not only can we address God as ‘Father’ but, remarkably, we have the status of heirs. A preacher once defined the inheritance that Paul alludes to as ‘a secure possession, which is ours now and can never be taken away.’ As Christians, we can easily fall into the trap of believing that what we have in Christ will one day be revealed. However, unlike an earthly inheritance that may be yours at some future point, what you have in Christ is yours now. May ‘Abba’ give us the courage to reach out and take hold of it.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, I hold out my hands, looking to you to show me the extent of what is mine in Christ Jesus (edited from Encountwer with God).