WE ARE THE ADOPTED SONS OF GOD

Proclamation:

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.  Because you are His sons, God sent The Spirit of His Son into our hearts, The Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’”  Galatians 4:4-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Galatia.  Paul begins this chapter by continuing his discussion regarding believers being heirs to the promise of God.  He states that Christ came into the world and lived under the law in order to save us from the law and the world.  To all who believed in Him, He gave the power to become the sons of God. (John 1:12) 

Application:

All believers can rightly be called “a child of God”.  We may be adopted, but we are still children of God.  That entitles us to all of the benefits of “sonship” including being able to call Him our “Father.”  That is why Jesus, The Christ, said that we can pray to Him and say, “Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name …” (Matthew 6:9 and Luke 11:2)  We have The Spirit of God within our hearts from the moment that we believed.  That also makes us heirs to the promise of Abraham. (Galatians 4:7)