⏱ 7 min read

• It’s Day 4 and we’re reading Galatians 4. God bless you all for joining in and sharing your lessons also🔥🤗🤍
• As iron sharpens iron, may we all continue to sharpen each other in the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God📖🔥

“Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father… 
Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” – Galatians 4:1-2, 7

I really love how Paul addresses the Galatian churches with simple everyday explanations and parallels. At the end of it all, our walk of faith in Jesus is very simple to talk about and a practical walk.

• If scripture is being explained and you feel like it’s some high-sounding or highfalutin wisdom or doctrine, I will suggest you put a red-flag there.
• Please let’s be careful, study the scriptures and don’t be impressed by ‘out-of-the-world’ or ‘deeep’ doctrines.

The Holy Spirit is a teacher and one of His works, is to make understanding easy for the believer. The Gospel is meant for simple, everyday people to understand (poor, simple, sick, etc. in Luke 4:18).

In this first parallel, Paul explains how an heir (to say, a trillion-dollar fortune) gets to receive their promised inheritance. I believe this in extension, explains how you and I can obtain the promises of God for His children who are in Christ (v7).

• Dearly beloved, as believers in Christ, God places us under guardians and stewards until a time He appoints for us.
• In that period, we are expected to grow and come into maturity. If not, we may live the life of slaves even though we have a promised inheritance.

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

Just a quick passing comment here. The effect of the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to our spirit/heart and crying “Abba Father,” is a certain knowing that we are God’s children.

• I don’t think any of us have heard a physical voice or a voice in your mind crying “Abba Father“, but this is happening even now.
• This is what gives us that calm knowing and certainty that we are sons and daughters of God. 
• This is also how it is when the Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit. There is a knowing or a perception you can’t quite explain.

Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because [a]the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.”

Paul just knew or perceived that the journey would be dangerous (there was no physical voice and no voice of reasoning for this). Dear friend, let’s be sensitive to the perceptions of the spirit.

In vv13-16, Paul spoke about some of his sufferings which led him to the Galatia region (when he preached there the first time). He spoke on how the Galatian believers had received, honoured and loved him so well during that time.

• He then asked, “Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” As in, “Is it because I tell you the truth that your affections have now changed towards me?”
• Dearly beloved, embedded in love is truth and rebuke. Ephesians 4:15 teaches us to speak the truth in love; Hebrews 12:6 says, the Lord rebukes those He loves.
• We must learn how to respond appropriately to truth and rebukes.May we not change to tag our true lovers as enemies when they point out the truth to us.

May our affections not change when we are rebuked by the Lord and by the people He sends our way. There is an excellent oil or anointing that is available only for those that can be smitten (Psalm 141:5).

"Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 
If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you." - Galatians 4:17-18 NLT

Paul gives us more clues on how to identify false brethren and teachers. Watch out for people who are eager to win your favour and get your attention from Person X (leader, spouse, etc.) to them.

• They try to shut you off from Person X in this pursuit; and they do that by eagerly doing good things for you or giving you good things.
• Is it bad for you to receive good things? No, not at all.
• But if they’re eager to do you good, then they should do it always and not as a competition to win your favour. 

Dear friend, note that Paul is talking to believers in church. You must be watchful when people are eager to win your favour because of your connection to another person. There can be ‘political’ moves even inside the church. May the Holy Spirit help you identify the signs of this falsehood also.

Let’s conclude with v19. Here, we see Paul’s genuine love for the Galatian believers, even in their error and change of affection. Paul had laboured in preaching, teaching, prayer, and tears to win them to Christ, so he considered them his children in the faith. They were very dear to him. 

• But now he had to travail in birth again until they would come back to God, and Christ would be formed in them again.
• Because they had fallen from grace and had to be renewed again. This travail is what you and I need to do for new believers, children, converts, souls.
• It is travailing in prayer and teaching (which can cause physical and spiritual suffering to you) until Christ is formed in them.

Today, who and who can you travail in prayer for? If you’re already travailing for someone, please don’t stop! I want to encourage you to do it until Christ is formed in them! 

Hey, you're blessed and highly favoured and dearly loved! Do share your lessons from Galatians 4. Remember to tag us and your friends on 📲:
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