We Are His People; He Is Our GodSample

Read Galatians 4:1-7

You are a child of God.

Just as Jesus expressed that we are not his slaves but his friends, Paul assures Christ's followers that, in Christ, we are no longer slaves but children of God.

According to Paul, Christ's followers are redeemed from slavery and given the right to call God "Abba." In the ancient world, this particular word for father was the name that very young children called their fathers; in fact, some commentators have compared the word "Abba" to the English "daddy" or "dada." When we move from being enslaved by false gods, rules, standards, and goals to following Christ, we move from counting on our performance to attain our desires and needs to counting on God to provide for our desires and needs. Babies and young children do not work to meet their needs, such as making themselves a bottle or changing their own diapers; their automatic response to hunger or discomfort is to cry out to their caregivers to meet their needs. By telling Christ's followers that they are not slaves but little children of God, Paul is saying that it is not only alright that we are not able to meet our needs ourselves; it is precisely what is expected of us! We are not meant to hustle and strive to earn God's love. We are meant to enjoy unrestricted, infantile access to him. God's awesomeness can handle our neediness, and his love can handle our mess and rebellion.

The fact that we relate to God as his children rather than his slaves not only represents that we can authentically cry out to him, but it also means that we are God's heirs. While slaves, at best, have transactional relationships with their masters in which they exchange work for desired and needed goods, children and heirs have a completely different type of relationship with their superiors. In a healthy situation, children receive what they need and desire because of who they are and not because of what they do. Similarly, Jesus offers us abundant life before he asks for us to follow his commands. You are worthy to receive Christ's kingdom based solely on the fact that God has appointed you to be his child and his heir!

As God's child, you have a privileged relationship with God and abundant wealth in Christ because of who God says you are, not because of what you do.

Reflect

• What unique privileges do small children have in relationship to their parents? Do you feel comfortable approaching God as you are and asking for God's help on a regular basis?
• If your obedience to God does not earn your salvation, why is it important? Why do Christians seek to obey Christ and live as Jesus does?