26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29)
In our text today, Paul contrasts the status of the believer in Christ before and after he became a child of God. Before, he was under the care of the law, illustrated here by a tutor or a guardian.
Among other purposes, the law exposed mankind's sinful condition and subsequent need for a Savior. And, when Christ fulfilled the law, He made it possible for you and me to have a personal relationship with God. He did this by sharing His perfection with all who would receive His free gift of sonship.
When we, through faith, trusted Christ, we became children of God. And, we, through Christ, inherited the promise of the Holy Spirit (the baptism which Paul speaks of here in v.27 is spiritual baptism). As a result, we are no longer held in the custody of the law. We are now freed from the curse of the law and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to enjoy a personal relationship with God.
Further, we are “clothed in Christ” which means when God looks at us he sees the perfection of His Son, Jesus Christ. And, when believers in Christ look at each other we ought not make any distinctions. Our cultural background should make no difference.
This was a radical departure from the foregone Jewish Christian idea that only Jews could be made right with God through their obedience to the law. In the culture of the Jew, Gentiles, slaves, and women did not have the same access to God as the Jewish men.
Paul concludes this portion with two key phrases in v.29: 1) "If you belong to Christ" and 2) “heirs according to the promise.”
The first phrase begins with the word "if" which makes it conditional. Only those who have made the decision to trust in Christ for salvation belongs to Him. This word "belong" clearly shows that we are the possession of Jesus Christ. The amazing part of this is: the Holy Spirit, by indwelling us who believe, placed us in Christ.
The second phrase “heirs according to the promise” helps us in our understanding of the first. We are Christ's possession through the indwelling Holy Spirit (the promise made to Abraham) who has forever placed us in the family of God. And, we are heirs with Christ. In reality, God is the inheritance of the believer.
Our inheritance is described in Revelation 21:3 like this: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” Clearly, the Christian life is a personal relationship with God who lives within our spirit.
In our text today, Paul contrasts the status of the believer in Christ before and after he became a child of God. Before, he was under the care of the law, illustrated here by a tutor or a guardian.
Among other purposes, the law exposed mankind's sinful condition and subsequent need for a Savior. And, when Christ fulfilled the law, He made it possible for you and me to have a personal relationship with God. He did this by sharing His perfection with all who would receive His free gift of sonship.
When we, through faith, trusted Christ, we became children of God. And, we, through Christ, inherited the promise of the Holy Spirit (the baptism which Paul speaks of here in v.27 is spiritual baptism). As a result, we are no longer held in the custody of the law. We are now freed from the curse of the law and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to enjoy a personal relationship with God.
Further, we are “clothed in Christ” which means when God looks at us he sees the perfection of His Son, Jesus Christ. And, when believers in Christ look at each other we ought not make any distinctions. Our cultural background should make no difference.
This was a radical departure from the foregone Jewish Christian idea that only Jews could be made right with God through their obedience to the law. In the culture of the Jew, Gentiles, slaves, and women did not have the same access to God as the Jewish men.
Paul concludes this portion with two key phrases in v.29: 1) "If you belong to Christ" and 2) “heirs according to the promise.”
The first phrase begins with the word "if" which makes it conditional. Only those who have made the decision to trust in Christ for salvation belongs to Him. This word "belong" clearly shows that we are the possession of Jesus Christ. The amazing part of this is: the Holy Spirit, by indwelling us who believe, placed us in Christ.
The second phrase “heirs according to the promise” helps us in our understanding of the first. We are Christ's possession through the indwelling Holy Spirit (the promise made to Abraham) who has forever placed us in the family of God. And, we are heirs with Christ. In reality, God is the inheritance of the believer.
Our inheritance is described in Revelation 21:3 like this: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” Clearly, the Christian life is a personal relationship with God who lives within our spirit.
