Sermon: Fatherhood of God and Sonship of Believers

Bible Passage: Gal 3:26–4:7 cf. Rom 8:12-17

I. Faith in Jesus gives undeserved people a new title and a new relationship (verse 26)

1. New title: sons and daughters
2. New relationship: God as Father
3. New title and relationship happen through the incorporation of the undeserved people into God’s Son when they place their faith in Christ

II. Faith in Jesus gives believers a new look/IDENTITY (verse 27)

1. Look: “Clothed yourselves with Christ”
2. Metaphor: Disrobing and re-robing ceremony at baptism
3. Separation from the old identity and putting on Christ, the new identity
4. “Clothed yourselves with Christ” means “a life shaped by Christ” or a “Christ-formed life”
5. Lives, destinies, and very identities became bound up with Christ

III. How do they get this new relationship and new title? Through faith in Jesus

 IV. The new title, relationship, and identity reshapes/redefines social relationships (verse 28) 

1. Racial superiority
2. Sexual differences
3. Social and economic distinctions

V. Those who place their trust in Jesus become Abraham’s seed and thus an heir of the promise to Abraham (verse 29)

 V. Therefore, they do not need to do anything to gain a special status (cf. verse 29)

 VII. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work in unity to change the status of the undeserved (4:1-7)

1. The Father sent His son, redeems the helpless who were in bondage through His Son’s death, burial, and resurrection, and adopts those who believe in His Son (verse 4:4)
2. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to address God as “Abba, Father” (4:5-6)

VIII. Through adoption, believers become legal heirs of God (4:7)

1. Same inheritance, same rights, same last name
2. Enjoyment of the full rights and privileges of God’s Son

Take Away

Focus on your title, relationship, and identity