Galatians 4:1-31

4 ¹Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

² But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

³ Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Keeping the Law didn’t lead to the adoption by God with the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit coming into our hearts. This came because Jesus was born of a woman under the Law, then died on the cross to redeem us from our sins. This is how we could receive the spirit of adoption.

⁶ And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

⁷ Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

We are no more a servant, but a son and and heir of God… through Jesus… because we have received Jesus as our savior. The Law could not give this to us, only Jesus.

⁸ Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

⁹ But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

Prior to Salvation through Jesus, men followed the religion of the Law. This was hard and demanded a lot, it was a kind of bondage. When Jesus came, he freed us from the bondage of trying to keep the Law. So then, why after being freed of this bondage would you want to return to it? My notes: I think sometimes the simple was, we are saved by believing and receiving Jesus and the payment for sin he gave us through his blood is too easy…. they can’t accept that this is all it takes, so they want to secure their salvation by earning it, as if they could… they can’t. It was hard to let go of being in control of your connection with God, by keeping the Law…. and just embracing the free gift of Jesus’s salvation. 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 ²⁶ For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:²⁷ But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;²⁸ And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

¹⁰ Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

¹¹ I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

¹² Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

¹³ Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

¹⁴ And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

¹⁶ Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷ They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

¹⁸ But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

¹⁹ My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

²⁰ I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

²¹ Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

²⁴ Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

²⁵ For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

²⁶ But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

²⁷ For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

²⁸ Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

²⁹ But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

³⁰ Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.