Galatians 4:1-20 … The text of Galatians 4 continues the theme of Galatians 3: the theme of “sonship” and being heirs to the promises of God in Christ. The illustration in the opening verses of chapter 4 point to child-like understanding, unable to grasp the fullness of God’s love. But then, in God’s own timing, God sent His Son, fully God and fully man (v.4) to redeem us from immaturity, from following worldly ways (v.3) into a full relationship with Him. As a result, our relationship with the Father is so close, we refer to him as “Abba, Father,” which is a unique and intimate term of relationship like “Daddy.” That relationship is in God’s Son and in evidence of it, He has given us the indwelling Holy Spirit. The depth and intimacy of the relationship that Christ brings is what we should grasp from Galatians 4:1-7.
In the remaining verses of today’s reading, we see the nature of Paul’s concern for the Galatians, which is that believers will not grasp the new relationship and privileges they have in Christ, but will revert to their old ways. When we are in Christ, we are forever a new creation; we should never forget that. Behavior should change, attitudes should change, and outlook should change. Old things are gone and everything is new (2 Corinthians 5:17). And so, Paul wants to emphasize to the Galatians that they should no longer practice the observances and feasts of the Law (v.9-10), but to grow in their relationship with Christ.
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