“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.” Galatians 4:4-5
In the gift of the Christ Child, born of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem, God fulfilled His promises of old to send the Seed of the woman, the offspring of Abraham and David, the eternal Son of God in human flesh, to keep God’s commandments without sin in our stead and to suffer on the cross the just punishment for our sins and the sins of the entire world so that we might look to Him in faith and be pardoned, forgiven, accepted by God, adopted as His own dear children, and inherit the eternal joys of heaven.
Dear Lord Jesus, eternal Son of God born into this world the Son of man, grant that I trust in You and Your cross for pardon, forgiveness, sonship, and a place in Your everlasting kingdom. Amen.
“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Galatians 4:6-7
As children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and being baptized in His name, God gives us His Holy Spirit, who creates faith in our hearts and moves us to trust that God does indeed accept us as His own dear children. The Holy Spirit moves us to address God as our dear Father and assures us that, as God’s sons, we have an eternal inheritance awaiting us in heaven through faith in Christ Jesus.
I thank You, dear Father, for accepting me as Your dear child and granting me Your Holy Spirit and an eternal inheritance in heaven for Jesus’ sake. In His name, I pray. Amen.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:28-29
While often misapplied by those seeking to justify women in the pastoral ministry, this word of God teaches that all who trust in Christ Jesus for pardon and are baptized in His name, whether male or female, Jew or Greek, slave or free, are a part of the one body of Christ, members of the holy catholic (universal) church. And those who trust in Christ are the promised offspring of Abraham and will inherit the blessings promised to Abraham — a place in Christ’s eternal kingdom!
Grant that I trust in You, O Christ, that I might be a part of Your church and kingdom and inherit the everlasting joys of heaven. Amen.
“The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.” Isaiah 57:1-2
Have you ever considered that sometimes God calls His children home to spare them from coming evils and from the judgments that are soon to come upon the unbelieving and wicked in this world?
Keep me faithful to You, O Lord, and preserve me in the true faith unto life everlasting. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 3:26-27
We are not children of God by our works under the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again. When we look to Jesus and His cross in faith and are baptized in His name, as He commanded (Matt. 28:19), we are joined to Christ and partake of God’s new covenant promises: our sins are washed away in Jesus’ blood, and we are clothed with His perfect righteousness.
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for making me a child of God through faith in Your name and for granting to me, in my baptism, the blessings of forgiveness and life everlasting purchased by Your shed blood. Amen.
