24 Jul W4: CHILDREN OF GOD

Posted at 20:41h in April, Topics 2024 by
 

REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES

Galatians 4:8-9 | Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? (NIV)

Matthew 4:44 | So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (NIV)

OBJECTIVE

To recognize the gospel as our sole liberation from living enslaved by sin so that we, by the spirit of sonship, may claim eternal inheritance in heaven.

CONTENT

Spirit of Slavery vs. Spirit of Sonship

  • We often identify ourselves with our occupations, accomplishments, and past mistakes. We’d desperately seek justification by observing the law, which easily puts us right in the face of God’s judgment because our body, by nature, operates under the law of sin (Rom 7:22-23).
  • As believers of the gospel truth, we are first and foremost His children by Christ’s sheer redemption (Gal 4:3-5). Where we used to be enslaved by our sinful nature and “the elemental spiritual forces of the world”, now we have this divine relationship that transcends the law even as it liberates us from our bondage to sin.
  • Because we have received the greatest privilege of all–the Spirit of sonship by faith in Christ, “there is no more condemnation” (Rom 8:1) for falling short of the old codes of the law. We need only to be led by the Spirit who brings about our adoption to sonship (Rom 8:15)–for against such fruitfulness there is no law (Gal 5:23), thereby making us free to share in His eternal glory.

Bringing Eternity to Mind

  • He loved us as a father loved his one and only son. Yet, He gave it all up when Christ bore our sins on the cross to deliver the firstfruits out of this decaying world (1 Cor 15:20-23). Therefore, we are to mature in our faith in Jesus Christ by sharing in his suffering (Rom 8:17) at present in order to claim our future glory, crucifying the flesh as Jesus did until the day He returns.
  • Christ redeemed us to purify for himself a people for his own possession (Tit 2:14) rather than for our mere salvation. Since the Father identifies us as co-heirs with Christ, it’s most reasonable to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice and subjecting our body to the Spirit of his Son (Rom 12:1, 1 Cor 9:25-27). This means we live out the gospel by putting our salvation to work in all the ways that we serve, knowing in our heart of hearts that we will receive the imperishable inheritance of our glorified body (Col 3:22-24).
  • While the flesh is still subject to worldly temptations and the consequences of former sins, this pivotal shift in our identity should redirect every moment-to-moment decision we make on how we live this life on earth towards the life he’s prepared (John 14:2-3) in heaven, including how we treat others around us. As the Father loved us first (1 John 4:19), let’s offer ourselves so others may also come to know Him and not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16)!
 
 

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTION

  • Do you see God as your father in your day-to-day life? How would things change had you remembered this truth more often?
  • How would you remind yourself that the Lord of heaven and earth is your eternal father?
  • In what ways have you been enslaved by sin in the past? How have you changed  as child of God?
 

REFERENCES