with Elder Elico Manenji
✝️In this chapter, the Apostle says that the Jews under the law were like children under the control of a guardian and tutelage of the law until the coming of Christ.
When Christ came those who believed and accepted Him were forgiven the sins they had committed against the law and were put right with God. Instead of being a little prince under a guardian, they became adopted sons and daughters of God. Since the coming of Christ all believers are united in Him and are God’s children, regardless of race, social status, sex or the law. Believers become part of Christ as they are part of Abraham’s promised offspring. They are justified by faith in Christ as they are Abraham’s true descendants of promise. Before the coming of Christ
they were like children receiving instruction from the law, being prepared to receive the heirship as children of God through Christ. So when the fulness of time came, Christ was born and fulfilled the law’s requirements, so that those under its control could be released to enjoy their inheritance as adult sons of God. No longer do those who obey Christ live under the old covenant of Sinai which is represented by Hagar and Ishmael but under the new covenant which is represented by Sarah and Isaac who was a child of promise and not after the flesh. So then all who believe and accept Jesus Christ are children.of Abraham by promise and not after the flesh.
*1️⃣Galatians 4:1-7: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.*
⏹️Believers under the law are under a guardian or pedagogue and they can not receive the full mandate as heirs until they are fully grown ups. Under the gospel, believers are in Christ and receive the adoption of heirs together with Christ. The Apostle says, *"For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law works wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all"(Romans 4:14-16).*
⏭️But the fullness of time came, Christ came to redeem those who were under the Law and to place them in the elevated condition of adopted sons and daughters of God regardless of race, tribe, social status, sex or creed. The scripture says, *"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name"(John 1:12).*
⏹️In Christ believers are no longer are minors placed under tutors and governors and treated as servants, but receive the Spirit of His Son in their hearts which confirm that God is indeed their Father-Abba and thus they enjoy the privileges of being heirs together with Christ. The Apostle John says, *"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is"(1John 3:2).*
*2️⃣Galatians 4:8-20: The Apostle's concerns about living under the old covenant of rites, rules and regulations of a guardian.*
⏹️The former dispensation of laws, rites and regulations makes void the privileges offered in Christ of being free from sin by His sacrifice and death. It makes people remain in bondage and not having the true knowledge of the liberty which they receive in gospel dispensation. The Apostle says, *"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord"(Romans 6:23).*
⏹️In the new gospel dispensation, Christ should live in them as shown by in them by the traits of character that resemble their Christian calling, until Christ reigns wholly in their hearts, until they wholly and entirely embrace his doctrines and until you become wholly imbued with his Spirit, then are they truly heirs of the kingdom. The Apostle says, *"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory"(Colossians 1:27).*
*3️⃣Galatians 4:21-31: The allegory of the Old covenant of Sinai and the new covenant of Jerusalem.*
⏹️Conformity to the Law is compared to the condition of Hagar the slave woman who was under the command of a master who harshly treated her and her child then cast out and disowned. The Law alone is stern and shows no mercy, it demands justice on the offender. The Law alone is like a master of a slave who treat those under it with rigidness. The Apostle says, *" Why the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster"(Galatians 3:24-25).*
⏹️But the liberty of the gospel is compared to children of the free woman, Sarah who are made free from the oppressive ceremonies of the Law by Christ. The new system of faith is of liberty and rejoicing as all things meet in Christ, in Him he fulfilled all the requirements of both the ceremonial and moral Law for in Him was the fulness of God to obey, live and justify those who were under the Law and who failed to fulfill the requirements of the Law. The Apostle says, *"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ"(Ephesians 4:13).*
*"For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"(Colossians 2:9).*
⏭️Christians believers are like Isaac the child of promise and who are not slaves to the Law of sin. They live in freedom of the new dispensation of faith believing and accepting by faith what Christ had done for them, His Spirit live in them to shun sin and wickedness because the Law is now written within their hearts. They are free and freely redeemed from transgression and sin as long as they abides in Christ. The Apostle says, *" Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus"(Romans 3:24).*
*🅰️Appeal*
Believers in Christ are not children of the bond-woman but of the free-woman. They are justified by faith in Christ, sanctified(daily conform to the standards of righteousness) by faith and are glorified(made holy) in Christ and are fit to be eternal candidates of heaven as represented by Jerusalem. So believers are no longer slaves to sin but masters over sin in Christ. The Lord said to Abraham, *"And God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in your sight because of the lad, and because of your female slave; in all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac shall your seed be called"(Genesis 21:12).* Amen!!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704)
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