Heirs Through Christ | Zane Garza | Galatians 4:1-7 — Zane Garza

We're gonna see the gospel this morning in our message. And what a beautiful message. Jesus Christ did all the work. And what a blessed thought that Jesus did the work for us. And so man I'm really stoked from that last song. And I'm stoked for our message this morning, Galatians chapter 4. But before we get into our text by way of introduction, some things in life are super predictable. And I thought about coming up with a long list of things that are predictable. But just this past week something that we always know is going to happen, something that's predictable took place. So I thought that would be my example. The Padres getting eliminated from the playoffs. We can't say we didn't see it coming. We can't say we didn't see it coming. It's predictable. Now I do want to back up the Padres real quick and defend them because they went against the Brewers who are the number one seed, 103 wins this season.

And the Padres didn't roll over like they did the past two years in the playoffs. I mean they fought a good fight. They played well. The Brewers are just better. The Brewers are just better. And so now as San Diego's Padres fans will resort once again to cheering for whatever team is playing the Dodgers and go Brewers. It's all we got around here. We're going to cheer for the Brewers. I'm going to cheer for the Indians. You're like who are the Indians, the team from Cleveland. I'm going for the American League. I'm stoked about that. But you know some things in life are predictable. But on the other side of the coin we understand that there are things in life that are unpredictable. You just can't prepare for them. There are things that catch you off guard. There are things that you didn't see coming. Sometimes there's times in life that just leave you flabbergasted. Like you're just so surprised that whatever it is took place.

Like you didn't see it coming. Well, that's the Apostle Paul as he writes this letter to the churches at Galatia. The Apostle Paul, and if you remember I'm going to give some context this morning. It's been two months since we've been in the Book of Galatians. Pastor got back from sabbatical and he's been preaching out of Revelation. If you're a guest with us this morning, be back next week as our pastor gets back into the Book of Revelation just going verse by verse. Paragraph by paragraph. Chapter by chapter. Rightly dividing the word of God. But for us today it's been a while since we've been in Galatians. And so we're jumping into chapter four. I want to give us some reminders, some context. And Paul didn't waste any time as he started this letter to the Galatians. Verse number six of chapter one, the Apostle Paul says this.

He says, ‘I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.’ The Apostle Paul had gone to this area of the world modern day Turkey, an area called Galatia in his time and he planted several churches there. The churches to whom he is writing and he saw these people come to Christ by faith. He preached the gospel which is by grace alone through faith alone and Christ alone. These churches were planted. They're moving forward for the gospel and a short time later. He's writing this letter and he says, "I marvel. I'm surprised. I can't believe that you are so soon removed from him that has called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel." What happened to the churches of Galatia? We said that some false teachers had come in and they were preaching another gospel. Which verse number seven says is not another because there is only one gospel. There's only one good news.

It's the good news of Jesus Christ. But there were a group of people that had come into the church called Judaizers and they were legalists. They said that in order for you to be a Christian, you first had to become a Jew. And so all of their teaching was wrapped up in keeping the law, keeping the commands of the Old Testament, keeping the law of Moses because they believed it was only in the keeping of the law of Moses that then you could become a Christian. You needed these good works plus Jesus. And Paul, throughout this letter, is going to dismantle that argument over and over again. We've already kind of went through this book. And so again, by way of reminder, just to give us some highlights as we work the chapter number four and chapters one through two, Paul gave his personal testimony.

He talked about how he had been saved by Christ, how he came to Jesus and then how he went to the church at Jerusalem and how they confirmed the gospel that he preached. They confirmed the gospel that he preached. And so we might think today in 2026, okay, this letter was written to churches who were falling prey to false teachers who were preaching legalism. They have to keep the law in order to be saved. But it's 2026 and I've never met somebody called a Judaizer. I've never met somebody who came into the church and maybe they're telling me I have to keep the works of the law in order to be saved. Is this book relevant for us today in 2026? I love what GK Chesterton said. He said this, "It is beyond the wit of man to invent a new heresy." What is he saying? He's saying the same heresies, the same false teaching that the early church faced still is alive and well today. Man can't come up with a new heresy.

Satan's got, he's like a one trick pony. He's only got so many tools in his tool bucket. And the same thing that the churches were facing here at Galatia, we can face that today. Legalism is a trap that we can all fall into. And so Paul, as he's writing this letter, he helped us understand chapter 2, verse number 16, he says, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Paul ends this testimony making it abundantly clear that it's not by the works of the law that we have a right relationship with God. It's only through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul's life was a testimony of that truth, but not only did Paul's testimony give light to that truth.

In chapter number 3, the apostle Paul then takes the Old Testament scriptures and begins to teach us and teach the Galatians how that to be a part of God's family is not how good you can be, it's not what things you can do, but it's about faith in God, faith in Christ. So it's like in a couple verses in chapter number 3, just by way of refresher, chapter 3, verse number 2, the only, this only what I learned of you received you the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith. It's a rhetorical question. It would have been a question that they would have been able to answer in their own mind like, "Oh yeah, that's right." When we received the Holy Spirit of promise, we received it not by what we were doing, but because we believed in Jesus Christ. We received the spirit by faith, verse number 6. The apostle Paul quotes the book of Genesis. He says, "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

Know ye therefore verse number 7? That they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. The Judaizers made the claim that in order to make yourself a part of the lineage of Abraham, this would have been specifically for Gentiles. In order to make yourself a part of the lineage of Abraham, in order to attach yourself to the promises that God gave to Abraham, you must keep the law. You must become a Jew first before you're a Christian. But the apostle Paul quotes the Old Testament, the book of Genesis, and says, "Hey, remember how Abraham just believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness?" This isn't a new concept. Abraham came to faith just by simply believing in God. The promises that were made to Abraham were given to him, and he received them by faith. And so then the question becomes, well, what was the point of the Old Testament law?

Why did Moses give the law to the children of Israel in verses 15 through 25? The apostle Paul answers that. Really, to sum it all up, this is it. The law was given to drive us to Jesus. To drive us to Jesus. Verse number 24, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." The whole point of the law was to bring us to Jesus. Because when we look at the law, what do we see? We see that we all fall short. We've all missed the mark. We're all sinners, and we all need help. And so God used the law to drive us to the only One that can help, and it's Jesus Christ. "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster."

Verse 25, "But after that faith has come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster. We are no longer under the law." And so Paul makes it abundantly clear. You can't have works and grace. Because when you try to put them together, they don't mix. It's either all of works or it's all of grace. And salvation, again, is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Verse number 26 says, ‘For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.’ "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There's neither bond nor free. There's neither male nor female. For ye are all one in Christ Jesus." You're all one in Christ Jesus.

Verse 29, "And if ye be Christ, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." Heirs, according to the promise. Paul is going to continue his argument this morning that we are no longer under the law, but we've been set free from the law by God's grace. And now we are heirs through Christ. We are heirs through Christ. Well, the begs the question, what is an heir as we come to our text this morning? What is an heir? An heir is simply an inheritor or a possessor. Verse number 29, the context of that passage alludes to us that this word heir applies to the heirs of the heavenly Canaan. We are heirs of heaven. Heaven is our reward for our faith in Jesus Christ. If you be Christ, then are ye Abraham's seed, the promises that were made to Abraham? You don't attach yourself to those promises by the works of the law, but by faith in Christ. And now we are heirs according to the promise.

And so what Paul is trying to help the Galatians to believe just right at the outset, this is his argument. The law makes us slaves, but Jesus made us sons who possess God's promises. The law makes us slaves, but Jesus made us sons who possess God's promises. Let's go to our text this morning. Galatians chapter 4, we'll read verses 1 through 3 to start. Galatians 4:1–3 says, ‘Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.’ I want you to notice first this morning, an incomplete reality. An incomplete reality.

If you're an adult here this morning, which I think is everybody, all of our kids are in super church, so there's no kids in here this morning, so you're an adult, but even though you're an adult, you remember at some point in time of being a child. You remember what it was like to be a kid, whether it was five years ago, ten years ago, maybe 50 years ago. Maybe it's been a while for you, like Brandon, who's laughing in the back. It's been a while since he's been a child. But whether it was a short period of time or a long period of time, you remember in some respect what it's like to be a kid. You have memories of that. I was thinking about what it's like to be a kid, you go where you're told. You wear what your parents dress you in for better or for worse. You do what your parents say to do. You eat what mom makes for dinner, even if you don't like it. You go to bed at a prescribed time, for me it was nine o'clock growing up.

Had to be in my room in bed at nine o'clock every night. You brush your teeth when you were told. You're told to be quiet because you're annoying. Can I get amen? You're told to stop doing that because it's weird. I feel like I say that a lot recently with my kids. Like, "What are you doing that? You're weird." You're told what to do. That's the point I'm making here, right? As a kid, you remember that. As a child, you're always being told what to do. Why? Because you're not in charge. Children are not in charge of the household, which is a good thing. Proverbs 22, verse 15 says, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." Just a good opportunity to make a plug for pastor's parenting class that's coming up on November 4th. You can sign up for that. Burnie will talk about it later. But children aren't in charge. As kids, kids are in charge. Paul gives us a metaphor here.

He says that the heir, verse number one, as long as he is a child, he differs nothing from a servant. He differs nothing from a servant. The word "servant" is the Greek word "doulos." We're familiar with that here at Canyon Ridge. It means "slave." So a child who's in a family that we assume, just given by the context of what he's talking about here, he's in a family who has some measure of wealth. There's an inheritance lined up for him down the road. But now, at the present time, when he's a child, when he's a kid, even though he has an inheritance, even though he may receive some wealth or maybe some authority in the future, at the present time, he's no different than a slave. Verse number two, "Why is he no different than a slave?" But he's under tutors and governors until a time appointed of the father. And so there's a time when he will pass from being a child or like a slave, and he will be the heir.

He will be the possessor, the inheritor. But until that time, he's under tutors and governors. This word "tutor" means a guardian or a manager. And then the word "governor" means a house manager or an overseer. Think about Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph was a governor of the household of Potiphar. He oversaw all the dealings and all the things that were going on at Potiphar's house. Joseph oversaw all of it, and he was a slave. The word "tutors" and governors he are referring to in the Roman culture, people who were slaves in the household. They were workers for the patriarch. And he employed these tutors and governors to oversee and to manage his children. And because the slaves were telling the child what to do, it's as if the child himself is a slave. He's being ordered and managed by slaves. Before the heir comes to age, he has no legal rights. He's like a slave. Now obviously, Paul is using this as a metaphor.

This is a metaphor that's going to help us understand a spiritual truth. And so what is the spiritual truth? Let's continue in our text verse number three. He says, "Even so we." So he's drawing, he's connecting us to this metaphor, even so we. When we were children, we're in bondage under the elements of the world. The Apostle Paul says that when we were children, we were in bondage. Now the Apostle Paul is not speaking about children like he was in verse number two. He's speaking about who we were before Jesus Christ. Churches at Galatia. Before you knew Christ, you were a child. And as a child, he says you were in bondage. Believer here today, before you knew Jesus Christ, you were in bondage. This word bondage is very similar to the word servant in verse number one. The same root word, it means to be made a slave. When you were a child, you were made a slave. Made a slave to what? Made a slave under the elements of the world.

Now we need to take some time to unpack what this means, elements of the world. Because initially it's not very clear. What is the Apostle Paul speaking about when he says that we were made slaves? Under the elements of the world. This word elements comes from a Greek word which means row or rank. It was used to speak of basic foundational things like the letters of the alphabet. And so in my mind, I just like to think of elementary. It kind of is a good definition. We were under the elementary things of the world, the simple things of the world, the basic things of the world. What is Paul referring to here? Remember Paul's audience is both to Jews, but also to Gentiles. But because he's fighting this argument against the Judaizers who are all about the law, all about, hey, in order to be right with God, you need to keep the law, we have to keep that in mind, but he is speaking to both Jews and Gentiles.

Paul describes both Jewish and Gentile religions as elemental because they are merely human. Never rising to the level of the divine. Both Jewish religion and Gentile religion centered on man-made systems of works. All such rudimentary elements are immature, like behaviors of children under bondage to a guardian, said one Bible commentator. So what does that mean? The Apostle Paul is saying, "Hey, before you knew Christ, you were in bondage, you were in slavery, you were made a slave to things that are going to pass away." To things that are temporary, to things that were never meant to be in and of themselves, but were in fact supposed to point you to something else. Remember we talked about the law. What was the point of the law? The point of the law was the point of the Jesus, but instead of pointing us to Jesus, it was pointing the Galatians back into slavery. They were making themselves slaves again to the law.

The Apostle Paul says, "Hey, even when you were children, you were in slavery under the elements, but that's not where you are anymore. You were no longer under the bondage, the slavery of the law." Well, where are you? Verse number five. Verse number four, I'm sorry. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son. Before Christ, you were in slavery. After Christ, you have been made free. The law was temporary. The law could never raise to the level of divine. It was actually supposed to point you to Jesus Christ. I think of Psalm 19, verse number one, says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork." The whole point of creation is not in and of itself. The point of creation is the point is to the Creator. Romans 1, 20, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made."

The world around us is supposed to help us understand who God is. But what we did when we were children, when we were under the elements of the world, is we were enslaved to the temporary, to the things that were passed away. But that's not any longer who we are, because we're no longer children, because verse number four, when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son. And so the law, every man-made religion that is a works-based religion and they're all works based, they're all an incomplete reality. An incomplete reality that is supposed to point us to the fulfillment of God's plan. And that's what we see next. We see the fulfillment of God's plan. So first we saw an incomplete reality. We were slaves and we were in bondage under the elements of the world. But verse number four, "When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son." Praise God that God sent forth His Son.

Without Jesus Christ, we were all lost and undone. We're all still in slavery apart from Jesus, but God had a plan. And God didn't just have a plan, and He's like, "Oh, maybe I'll do it someday." Or, "Maybe when it's convenient, I'll send my Son." No, God was intentional when He sent forth His Son. What do I mean? Well, the verse tells us when the fullness of time was come. Listen, not only was the incarnation of Jesus Christ the fulfillment of so many Old Testament prophecies, even from a secular view, you can see God's hand moving through history when He brings forth His Son. What do I mean? During the time it was Jesus came to this earth, was known as the Pax Romana, the Pax Romana. It was a period of time which was relatively peaceful. There was stability in the world, and if you know anything about the ancient world, it was a world filled with instability. Empires taking over empires, wars and fights, famines and weather.

It was an unstable world, but for the first time there was relative peace and stability in the world because of the Roman Empire. Not only that, there was an international language, Koine Greek, that the language that the New Testament was written in. This language is much like English of today. You could go anywhere in the world, and you could communicate because there was a common language, Koine Greek. There were large cities throughout the ancient world with large population centers. But here's what's really amazing about the point in time which Christ came to earth. Rome was the world power of the day, and they invested heavily in engineering their roads. They built roads, bridges. Their roads had drainage systems. They set up milestone markers and it had designated routes depending on where you wanted to go. They invested heavily in expanding and connecting all the provinces and roads in the ancient world. So what did that mean?

Well for Rome it meant that they could expand their military and commerce. But for the gospel, for God that meant the expansion of the gospel. Taking this message from a Jewish man named Jesus who died on the cross but rose again on the third day and then he gave his commission to his disciples, to the apostles, to go you therefore and teach all nations. And for the first time in human history there was this common language. And there was the infrastructure set in place for the gospel to reach the far ends of the earth. God didn't send Jesus by accident. No God was intentional. The fullness of time had come when God sent forth his son. There was also a divine intervention. You see God didn't just send a substitute, though Jesus is our substitute. God sent himself. When the apostle Paul says God sent forth his son and he's speaking about Jesus, Jesus is God. Jesus is 100% God.

Not only is he 100% God, he's made of a woman verse number four. He's also 100% man. So Jesus who is 100% God is also 100% man and he was also verse number four made under the law. This is intentional. The apostle Paul is bringing out an argument here that God sent forth the only one who could ever save us from our sin. No one else could do it. It had to be God himself and it had to be God robed in human flesh and it had to be a man made under the law. You see in the same way that we were under the law before Christ, it says that Jesus was under the law, but the difference between us and Jesus is that Jesus was not made a slave to the law. Jesus mastered the law. Jesus fulfilled the law. He was perfect in every way and in being perfect, he was able to offer himself as a perfect sacrifice in our place. In the fullness of time, God sent forth his son, made of a woman made under the law. Why? To redeem them that were under the law.

God sent forth his son to redeem us, to rescue us, to buy us back from our sin, to ransom us, to rescue that which was lost. That was us. When we were children, we were in slavery. We were in bondage to the temporary things, to the law, but Jesus came to redeem us. He came to free us from our sin. And he redeemed us, Paul says, verse number five, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Now, get this, God desired the enemies of God. We were the enemies of God, the Bible says. He desired us to be a part of his family, but he couldn't just overlook our sin. No, he must judge sin because he's a just God. And so he made a way for us to be redeemed, and he redeemed us why that he might receive us as sons, that we might receive the adoption of sons and be brought into God's family. And so, being as if he was born into the family, he was made an heir. And we looked at this word earlier, the word heir means an inheritor or a possessor.

So therefore, the adopted son possessed the same rights as the son born into the family. Had the same rights to the inheritance. Had the same rights to the authority. Had the same rights as the father. Why? Because they're an heir. Because they're an heir. So what does this have to do with Paul's argument against the Judaizers? Remember the Judaizers said that in order to possess the promises made to Abraham, you had to become a part of Abraham's seed. And they said the only way to do that was through the law. But the Apostle Paul says no, one doesn't receive their position by works. One receives their position by adoption. Because of what Jesus Christ has done, a slave does not earn an inheritance because they do work for the master. They continue to be a slave.

But if a slave is adopted into the family and they become a son, then no longer are they a slave, but they're a son and they have the same rights, they possess the same rights as the father. See, the law makes us slaves. But Jesus made a son to possess the promises of God as Paul's argument here. And it's a beautiful argument. And there's great implications for this. Just because you're a son and you've been forgiven of your sin and you've been redeemed, doesn't mean now that you have all the rights and privileges as an heir and then you can go on and do your own thing. But in the Roman culture, there was a second aspect to adoption. Not only did the one who was adopted possess the same rights, but they also owed the same obligations. They owed the same obligations. And so it begs the question, if we've been adopted into God's family, if you're a believer here this morning, you've been adopted into God's family.

If you're a son or a daughter of God. And you have the same rights as someone who was born into God's family. Jesus, same rights as Christ. You also owe the same obligations. So the question is, what is our obligation as Christians? It's given us an inheritance, but we also have an obligation. Well, an obligation of God is to be holy. An obligation of God is to be holy. If God fails to be holy, then He fails to be God. Our God is a holy God. And our Heavenly Father, God, who has given us an inheritance in heaven with Him, also requires of us some obligations. If an obligation of God is to be holy, then we are to be holy. 1 Peter 1, verse 15 and 16, but as He which has called you is holy. So be holy in all manner of conversation because it is written, be holy for I am holy. As a member of the family of God, we are to conform to His character.

One of the obligations that we have, and let me say privilege that we have as Christians, as adopted sons and daughters, is to conform to the character of God. God says, "Be holy for I am holy." There are things that we are to do and not do simply because we are Christians. Simply because we belong to God's family. There are things that we don't do. That's why Christians, as Christians, we don't watch pornography. Why? Because we are Christians. Be holy for I am holy. Men, this is why we don't cheat on our spouses. Ladies, this is why we don't cheat on our spouses. Why? Because we are Christians. We want to conform to the character of God. If God has made a covenant with us, and He will never break it, why would we go and break the covenant with our wife? With our spouse, which is a covenant that is supposed to be a picture of the gospel of Christ in His church. There are things we don't do as Christians.

As Christians, we don't shoplift. We don't steal. We don't go down to Fashion Valley Mall and take something that doesn't belong to us. When we go to work, we don't cuss like our co-workers cuss. If we are in the Navy or the Marines, we don't gun deck. If you are not in the military, that means lie. Say you did something when really you didn't do it. This is just the character of a Christian, because it's the character of God. But I don't want to just major on the don'ts this morning. There's also some do's as Christians, right? We should share the gospel. As Christians, we share the hope of eternal life with those who don't know Jesus Christ. It's what we do. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and how shall they hear without a preacher. And so God has commissioned us to share the gospel. And so as Christians, we share that with people. It's uncomfortable. It's awkward. Sometimes it's weird.

Sometimes people are rude to us. But it's what we do, because we're Christians. Because we belong to the family of God. We give the missions. We live in a materialistic world. There's always something new to buy. Always something new to try. Always somewhere to go. But we give sacrificially to missions. We forsake some of those things so that the gospel can go around the world. That's what we do. Why? Because we're Christians. We serve in our local church. We help people in need. On Friday, I had just come back from Francis Parker. I was able to go to Francis Parker and be a part of their fellowship of Christian athletes club. I was invited to that through a friend. And so pray for that. It's really cool. They've asked me to do devotions on Fridays when they meet during lunch. So I'm super stoked to get plugged in over there. They want to do things here at the church as well. So it really just came out of left field.

I'm really stoked about it. If you keep that in prayer. But I was leaving there. And I had to get gas on Friday. So I was at the gas station down here at the corner of Ulrich in Lindovista Road. And as I pulled out of the gas station, and I was turning left on the Lindovista Road. I was at the stoplight. I saw at the shell gas station across the street. I saw two groups of ladies who had brought their cars together and had jumper cables. And it wasn't that hard to see that they had no idea what they were doing. Like I'm sitting at the red light and I'm watching this. And then there's even a guy at the pump on the other side of them who's like looking at what they're doing. I'm like, man, please go help those people. Go help those ladies. And he wasn't. He's like, I'm just going to keep doing my thing. And I thought, I got to get back to the church. I got to study. I got things to do. Saturday is a busy day. I got an aluminum out of time.

But the Holy Spirit was like, isn't that what Christians do? Christians help people. And I tried to ignore it, if I'm being honest. I was like, I don't know. But no, I stopped. And this isn't a pat on my back. This is what Christians do. We try to conform to the character of God. God cares about people. God loves people. And a great way to invite people to church would be to stop, take your time, help them with something, and then give them an invitation. So that's what I did. But how many times in our lives, in our day-to-day life, do we pass up opportunities like that? Where we can sacrifice our time, maybe a resource, maybe our convenience, and we could be a Christian and help somebody in need. We have an obligation to do that because God has adopted us into His family. God loves us. But that love comes with responsibility. Because we have literally been taken from outside of God's family and placed into God's family.

And we didn't have to do anything to deserve it. And now we enjoy all the rights and privileges as an heir. But we can't forget that those rights and privileges also come with an obligation to conform to the character of the God who loved us and saved us. At the beginning of our service, I had Christian open with Romans 8. It's a parallel passage to our passage this morning, so I wanted to read it. It says, "The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children than heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ." But listen to what it says here. If so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. As joint heirs, as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. Having the position that we have because of what Jesus has done for us implies that we should also suffer like Christ suffered. As Christians, we can endure suffering in this life and still be faithful to God. Why?

Because Christ suffered. And as joint heirs, as a people group who have the same rights and privileges and who have been made heirs and adopted into God's family, it says that we should suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Man, what an amazing truth. Peter said it this way in chapter 2 to 21 of his first letter. He said, "For even hereunto were ye called. Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps." The steps of what? The example of what? The example of suffering. Who did no sin? Neither was Gile found in his mouth. When he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not. But what did Jesus do? He committed himself to him, that judgeth, righteously. I would submit to you this morning that one of the obligations that we have is being members of the family of God, of being joint heirs with Christ, is that we should be willing to suffer for Him.

And when the world suffers, what do they do? They blame God. But when the Christian suffers, we should glorify God. Because we're never more like our Savior than when we are enduring suffering. Enduring suffering like our Savior. The suffering that He endured for us in order that we might be saved. If you would keep me and my wife in prayer, many of you know we fostered a baby last year. Or I guess earlier this year, he went to go live with his grandma and it was tough. And we're like, "Man, do we even want to ever do this again?" It's kind of like it sounds crude, but it was kind of like he died. Because one day he's with you, and the next day he's gone. And we mourn that, we agree that, we miss them. And praise the Lord, we're still able to see Him from time to time. I think we're going to babysit Him in like two weeks or something like that. For His grandma's grandma's been super gracious to allow us to continue to be in His life.

And we're praying that's a gospel opportunity to share the gospel with her and see her be saved. But we thought to ourselves when He left, "Can we ever do this again?" It was so hard. And recently, we've been, I don't know if burdened is the right word, but we've been drawn to try again. And every time I think about it, I'm like, "Man, there's going to be some suffering involved here." Like we know we're setting ourselves up for suffering if we do this again. But it's kind of our responsibility, I feel, as a Christian. Now, your suffering might not look like our suffering. Your suffering could be different. But God has called us to suffer. You see, this world, remember, is temporary. And we're no longer slaves to the temporary. We're no longer slaves to the elements of this world, to the things that are passing away. But we have a home in heaven. And the suffering at best is temporal. And how can God be glorified through our suffering?

This is kind of an incomplete thought, because it's just coming to me on the fly. I don't have this in my notes. But I feel like in Christendom, 2026, there's not enough suffering in the church. We don't suffer enough for Jesus. But Romans 8 is clear. If we're heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be, that we suffer with Him. If we suffer with Him, we should follow the example of suffering of Jesus 1 Peter chapter 2. And as we do it, we commit ourselves to Him that judges righteously. You see, we have the promise that one day God is going to wipe away every tear. There'll be no more pain, no more sorrow. We have a promise in heaven. We have a home in heaven. And so what's the suffering that takes place on this side of eternity? Not to minimize or anything like that, but it pales in comparison to what God has for us in heaven, because we're sons. Because we've been adopted into His family.

And listen, God didn't leave us here to do this work by ourselves. Not only did God send forth His Son, but verse number 6. ‘And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.’ God gave us His Spirit. God didn't just give His Spirit to anybody. He gave us His Spirit because we became sons and daughters. Because we are now a part of the family of God. And now the Spirit of His Son is in our hearts, crying Abba, Father. This word, crying, is an onomatopoeia. It literally means to like screech like a raven. To cry out. And there's the words Abba and Father. We know that when a Hebrew author double states something, they're drawn emphasis. And so Abba just simply means Father, and then the word Father is here. When's the last time that you cried out to God? God, I need you. God, you are my Father. And I need your help. I need your help to endure the suffering.

I need your help to be more like Christ. I need your help to live this Christian life that you have called me to live. Listen, God hasn't sent forth His Son without also sending His Spirit. And His Spirit also to dwell in our hearts, to change our desires, to change who we are from the inside out. The Judaizers were so caught up in the external. But Paul is saying God cares about what's in here. He sent forth His Son and His Spirit into your heart, crying Abba, Father.

Verse 7 says, ‘Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.’ God has given us His promise. We are heirs. We are possessors. We are inheritors of heaven. We are inheritors of God through Christ. We are no more servants. When Paul says we are no more servants, what he is saying is we are no longer under the law. The case is settled. The law was to drive us to Jesus because the law makes us slaves, but Jesus made us sons who possess God's promises. And so this morning I want to ask this question, are you a servant or are you a son? Are you a servant? Are you a slave? Are you trying to earn your way to heaven? Are you trying to do enough good deeds to outweigh your bad deeds? That way God will show you favor when you stand before Him? The text has been clear that there's no way to be saved that way. We are justified by faith alone.

It's not by the works of the law that a man is justified, but through Jesus Christ alone. If you are a servant here this morning, if you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I would encourage you today is the day of your salvation. Turn from your sin and turn to Jesus Christ alone to save you from your sin. If you are a believer this morning, then you are a son or a daughter. And God has given you His promise of eternal life. Eternal life, a home in heaven forever. A promise that won't fade away. A promise that will never tarnish. A promise that you can't do anything to lose it because God is faithful and He will keep it. I think something that we struggle with in 2026 is the anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ. The churches to whom the Apostle Paul writes in the epistles and Galatians would be one of them. And they lived with an anticipation for the return of Jesus Christ. What does that mean?

It means they were laying hold to those promises that God had made to them. Jesus said in John 14:2–3, ‘In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again.’ Listen, Jesus is coming again. We need to anticipate His return. We need to rest in the sovereignty of God that He is in control, that He is faithful. He's adopted us into His family, so we can rest on His promises, and we should live in anticipation of those promises. Because when we get wrapped up in what we can see and what we can do, we return again to bondage. But Jesus has made a son to possess the promises of God. Jesus has made us free. Let's live in that freedom. The Apostle Paul is saying, "Hey, Galatians, don't go back to bondage, but live in the freedom that comes to Christ alone."

So our prayer today is that we wouldn't return to bondage, but we would live as sons and daughters.