Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living -WordAction - The Foundry Publishing House of Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Thursday, 21 September 2017 "God’s Family" by Robert W. Smith - Galatians 3:23—4:7Galatians 3:23 Now before the time for this trusting faithfulness came, we were imprisoned in subjection to the system which results from perverting the Torah into legalism, kept under guard until this yet-to-come trusting faithfulness would be revealed. 24 Accordingly, the Torah functioned as a custodian until the Messiah came, so that we might be declared righteous on the ground of trusting and being faithful. 25 But now that the time for this trusting faithfulness has come, we are no longer under a custodian.
26 For in union with the Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness; 27 because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah, in whom 28 there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one. 29 Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are seed of Avraham and heirs according to the promise.
4:1 What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a minor he is no different from a slave, even though he is the legal owner of the estate; 2 rather, he is subject to guardians and caretakers until the time previously set by his father. 3 So it is with us — when we were “children” we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe; 4 but when the appointed time arrived, God sent forth his Son. He was born from a woman, born into a culture in which legalistic perversion of the Torah was the norm, 5 so that he might redeem those in subjection to this legalism and thus enable us to be made God’s sons. 6 Now because you are sons, God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out, “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”). 7 So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son you are also an heir.
-------Galatians 3:23–4:7 provides insight on the doctrine of the Trinity that developed during the fourth century. In anticipation of this doctrine, Paul declared that God is Father of all who have faith in Christ and have been baptized into His Son and clothed themselves with Christ (3:27). In addition, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into their hearts, vindicating them by faith in Christ.
Yes, as God’s children we are called to live by faith (Galatians 3:23, 25; see 2 Corinthians 5:7), but the Spirit affirms that we are the adopted children of God–no longer orphans–and He is our Father, our Abba.
What characteristic dominates your life? For those of us who belong to Christ, it is our status as God’s children. No longer are we slaves bound to the law, for by faith in Christ we have become heirs. Our faith is vindicated by the presence of the Spirit of God in our hearts. The Spirit makes the Father real to us.
No longer do we live as orphans in this world. We are members of God’s family because of the Spirit who dwells within us.
Hymn for Today:
"O Breath of Life" by Bessie Porter Head
1. O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
revive your church with life and power.
O Breath of life, come, cleanse, renew us;
and fit your church to meet this hour.
2. O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
till humbly we confess our need.
Then in your tenderness remake us;
revive, restore, for this we plead.
3. O Breath of love, come breathe within us,
renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ, afresh to win us;
Revive your church in every part.
Thought for Today: Be respectful to all — keep loving the brotherhood, fearing God and honoring the emperor.(1 Peter 2:17a).
Please pray:
For the development of Christian leaders in Grenada.
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