Galatians 4:1-7 Growing Up In Christ Feb 7, 2010
I want to again thank the parents and leaders in our church who do so much to make Boy Scouts of America such a highly successful program. Scouting for Boys and Girls is recognized world-wide as one of the finest organizations for helping young people to mature and to become all that they can be in life. Our church thanks you for all your hard work.
This morning, Paul in his letter to the Galatians is also concerned that the people mature, grow up to become all they can be in Christ Jesus. We are continuing a sermon series from Galatians and we have seen in past weeks how Paul was in a struggle with other Christian leaders such as Peter and James about what makes a person a true Christian. A true follower of Jesus. James, the very brother of Jesus, was concerned that perhaps a follower of Jesus also needed to keep the Old Testament Law—to be circumcised, keep the food laws, observe the proper holy days, and more. This is the way they did it in Jerusalem. The Torah took care of everyone and told them what to do and what to believe. But Paul taught that not all followers of Jesus would be exactly alike. It was not keeping the Law—the Torah of Moses—that made one right. Paul said it was by faith in Jesus Christ. Of course, Peter was sitting on the fence, not sure what he thought. In our scripture today, Paul finally completes this debate. He says that we all need to grow up. Paul tells us who we have been as children in the past. He tells us what God has now done for us. And He tells us who we now are as mature, grown up, adult heirs with Christ.
Where do you need to grow up in your life? You know, I can think of places where I am immature. Places in my life where I need change. God has thrust a couple of these places in my face in the last couple of years. We all have these rooms in our lives that we keep locked. Oh, much of our house looks fine and clean, but there are those back rooms into which we have swept all the junk. And God comes to us and asks, “What’s in that room?” It is time to grow up.
Paul begins in vs 4:1-3 telling us who we were in the past. Paul tells James that it is true that when we are young, we need supervision. We are under the bondage of the Law of God because we are children. You see, no matter how wealthy a father may be, his children are still children. They do not have rights to the money. Bill and Melinda Gates have three children, all less than 15 years old. And even though, Bill Gates is currently estimated to be worth over $50 billion, his three children have no access to that money yet. Not one of them can walk into a bank and extract any funds. Although they live in a house and property valued at $125 million, their deeply devout Roman Catholic mother, Melinda, keeps them on a tight leash. They are constantly under the supervision of teachers, coaches, and house nannies who take care of their lives. Paul says it is the same with us. Paul says that when we are immature people, we are like children. We need lots of rules to keep us safe. We need people to tell us what to do. Even though we are the very children of God, the King of the Universe, we are still like slaves being told what to do until we grow up. We have not come into our full inheritance.
Paul describes immature people as being under the elemental spirits of the universe. This word elemental means basic principles. There are many Christian believers who are always stuck with the basic principles. The first ABC’s of the faith. The New Testament says they are always still sucking milk when they should have already been eating full meals. They are always going back, over and over, to the first things they learned. Listen. It is vitally important that a person learn her ABC’s. They are the foundation for understanding all language. But the person who sits in a great library and only recites his ABC’s is showing his immaturity and ignorance. There is a great wealth of literature around him. How can he just keep reciting his ABC’s? It is important in the journey of faith that we begin at the beginning of salvation. But God calls us to journey on and learn more. That is why God sent His Son.
Vs 4:4-5 tells us what God has done to move us out of immaturity. Paul says that it was in the fullness of time. The world had to be ready. After Abraham, after Moses, after David, after 2000 years of the Old Testament, of training the people of Israel, the fullness of time had come. And God sent Jesus Christ to redeem the world. You know, each of us has our own time. There are things in our life that we are not yet ready to see. There are stages on the journey. But at every stage, God wants to move you forward a little more toward maturity. God wants to redeem you.
This word redeem is a word used on the slave market of ancient Rome. When a person bought a slave in the ancient world, it could be to work that slave or it could be to set that slave free. There were people who would buy a slave so as to set that person free. That was called redemption. They had redeemed that slave. Paul says that God sent Jesus to redeem us. We are in such slavery and bondage in this life. Many people do not see that. They think, “Oh, I’m okay.” They are so blinded by their situation that they cannot see. They are too asleep to realize. They are too scared to really look in the mirror and see who they are. But we are all in bondage and slavery of one type or another. God comes to wake us up, show us the truth, and redeem us.
What happens when we begin this journey of redemption? What happens when we wake up? In vs. 6-7, Paul says we are adopted as the children of God. This word and concept used here for a child of God means an adult child. This is no longer the young child who has to be cared for and watched over and told what to do. This is the child who is mature. Vs 6 says that this child of God has received the Spirit of God. He is becoming like His father. He looks like his Father and acts like his Father. There will be a day when Bill Gates children will be grown. Perhaps they will take on responsibilities with Microsoft. They will begin to access to great wealth. The more they act in a mature fashion, the more access they will have. Are you maturing in this way to look like and act like your Heavenly Father? The mature child is no longer treated as a poor slave but is a true son. He has inherited the wealth of the universe. Did you know that you are a child of the King and that you have the riches of the universe?
Paul recognizes along with James and Peter that there was a time when Israel was like a child and needed the basic principles of the Law to follow. There is a time in all our lives when we need to learn the first principles of God. All of us begin with the first part of the journey. But Paul says that God has redeemed us. We are not to live like children forever. And when we are filled with the Spirit of God, we will grow up and become like Jesus Christ. Now the funny thing is this—Not all of my life is at the same place on the journey. Often, I am far advanced in some areas of my life. I am becoming like Jesus. But then I discover this locked room over here. And in that room, I am still a child, a slave, still working on my ABC’s. So when God shows me that room, that part of my life, I have to go there and begin the journey there toward maturity. Step by step, day by day, I journey to become what God would have me to be.
When I was a kid, I thought adults had it all figured out and knew what was what. I thought that as you get older, you become mature. However, as I get older, I have realized an important truth. Everyone gets old, but not everyone becomes mature. Some people remain in their spiritual ABC’s all their life. Some Christians even think they are mature because they have really mastered that little ABC song. They know it so well. But they have missed the point. Paul said to James and Peter and to us, “Grow up in God. You cannot live forever in the basics. You do not all have to be just alike in every view and every rule. You just have to follow Jesus.” Amen.