Sons of God. Galatians 4:1-5. For some favored people, childhood can be a very sweet time. To have a child of promise was a blessing that Abraham had to grasp by faith, because both he and Sarah were well past childbearing years when Isaac was born. Abraham's promised seed came, and the blessing of eternal life came to us from the One Seed. By way of illustration, Paul sought to explain to the Galatians what they had received from God and what they were going back to when they responded to false teachers. It is always a reasonable exercise of the soul for us to occasionally be reminded of what we were in our sins and who we are now.
In childhood, we need to be told what to do and what not to do, what is right and what is not right. Child training is beneficial because it establishes clear boundaries for acceptable and unacceptable behavior. We must be guided much like a servant striving to please his master. The law fulfilled this role for us, and in that way, the purpose it was given for has been accomplished. "By the law is the knowledge of sin." "The law is our schoolmaster..." If a person remains childish—even though physical maturity has been reached—there is something wrong. A child in a man's body is cause for concern and pity. A believer in Christ who remains in the same childish or childlike state in terms of spiritual growth is someone we pity and wonder what spiritual ailment they might be suffering from.
In ancient societies, a child had to wait until the right “time” before he could claim what was his. Until that time came, he was under the supervision of others; in that sense, he was in bondage. The Jews were in bondage to the law of Moses, and all human beings are in bondage to the moral law God placed within us because we are all sinners who have broken those laws.
Someone who still tries to do what Christ has already done is spiritually ill. The religious world is full of traps that can hinder our growth in Christ, which is expected of a normal child of God. This can start very early because man's attraction to physical elements of the world continues into religious activities as well. Just because a person or religion attaches the name of God to some act they choose to perform does not make it right. Infant baptism with God-parents taking responsibility for a child and all the associated ceremonies does not make it correct. The confirmation process, elaborate buildings, beautiful music, and religious entertainment continue to be part of the world's way of attracting people.
There are bonds that people choose to place on themselves and others that appeal to religious flesh, similar to the claims that bind the ungodly who know nothing of God's grace. When we have tasted and experienced the blessings of salvation by grace through faith, how strange and unnatural it is for a Christian to return to the "elements of the world." That is what life was like for the Galatian believers before they heard and received the Gospel. The “elements of the world” are the ideas and values of sinful human beings, including the belief that we can save ourselves by doing good deeds or keeping the law.
Deliverance from that bondage is why the "Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." There was slavery to the law and its demands before Christ came. When a new life begins by placing our faith in Christ, a spiritual relationship forms with God that "removes all guilt and fear, and love begets." This close relationship is that of Father and Son, so we no longer have to fear God. This relationship is not built on religious trappings that trick us into thinking our "Christian life" depends on feelings. Our connection with God is established through a personal, intimate bond created by two persons. God took the first step toward us when He "sent forth His Son."
Our Lord Jesus Christ was neither early nor late when He came. It was “when the fullness of the time had come,” according to God’s timing. He arrived precisely on schedule, and the world was prepared for the rapid spread of the Gospel. The Roman Empire had roads connecting many cities and a bustling maritime fleet to move people and goods between places. God chose a time when His people could enjoy the privileges of sonship. He sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we could live through Him as mature children by adoption into His family.
Just at the perfect time, Jesus entered this world. He came to "seek and to save the lost," to "fulfill all righteousness," to deliver us from this present evil world, to "defeat the works of the devil," and to "bring us to God." While there were many reasons for His coming, one of the most important was "that we might receive the adoption of sons." The Jews had been expecting the Messiah to arrive, and "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." A few faithful individuals like Simeon and Anna, along with "those who looked for Him," rejoiced, but most would not accept Him by faith. They longed for a conquering Messiah, a ruler who would exalt them and free them from Roman rule. The bondage of the law was not seen as a burden but as a duty.
Only someone born of a woman can understand and manage human needs. Only one born under the law's demands can free us from the bondage the law places on us. God knows our limits and does not require the impossible from us, but He does have the right to expect an honest assessment of our weak ability to please Him. Because of this, we will turn to Him for mercy and find the grace we need there.
The grace that led the Lord Jesus Christ to "be found in fashion as a man" was more than just condescending grace on His part. It was intended to lift us into a family relationship with the Father and make us joint heirs with Christ. This relates to what we have been delivered from and what we have received—"the adoption of sons." Just as a servant who has been publicly recognized as a son in the past, we have been delivered from the law and made sons. The Lord Jesus came as an obedient Son to His Father to pay the redemption price for us, so that we could be "made sons." Through His act, a family relationship with God has been established.