Children of God

Children of God 2020 12 13

Galatians 3:21 – 29

 

Many children are born across the world, every day.  They are born in every country.  They are born of every ethnicity.  Their skin colour runs from the whitest of white to the blackest of black.  They have black hair, brown hair, red hair, blonde hair, and in many cases, no hair at all.  There is incredible variety among human beings.  But there are two things that are certain about every child born:  Their parents are human, and they are not born by their own efforts.  In fact, they have no control or power of any kind over their birth.

 

Galatians 3:21 – 29

 

What a blessing it is to be a child of God!  If you’re saved, you have been born again.  If you have been born again, you are a child of God.  But you did not become a child of God by your own efforts.  The Bible says, “But as many as received him [that is, Jesus Christ], to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:   Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12, 13  Not one of us had the power to be saved and become a child of God on our own.

 

 

I Not Law

  1. It is clear that salvation is not by the law.  This entire chapter repeats that fact over and over again.
  1. The law referred to, of course, is the law God gave through Moses. It is part of the covenant God made with the new nation of Israel at Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia (not on the Sinai Peninsula as many believe, thanks to Roman Emperor Constantine.  Some believe it is Mount Jabal al-Lawz, but regardless of that, it is unscriptural to place it in the Sinai Peninsula, as a careful reading irrefutably shows).
  2. The law was given with very strict requirements. It had to be followed perfectly in order to make a person righteous.  Anyone who did not follow it perfectly was cursed and under the wrath of God.  “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Galatians 3:10
    1. Of course, no one ever followed the law perfectly. That means that everyone is under the curse. In fact, the Bible says that “…all have sinned…” Romans 3:23
    2. Earlier in today’s chapter, in fact, we are told, “…no man is justified by the law in the sight of God…” 3:12
  1. God promised salvation to Abraham, but the Bible clearly teaches that no one is able to keep it.
  1. So the question asked is: “Is the law then against the promises of God?”
  2. The answer quickly comes: “God forbid.”

           

II  Sin

  1. The problem is not that there is anything wrong with the law.  Sin is the problem.
  1. All are under sin as we read here in Romans 3:23 and many other places in the Bible.
    1. All have come short of the glory of God. That means that everyone has missed the mark, the standard that God has set.  That’s what sin means, to miss the mark.
    2. The Bible further teaches that anyone who has missed that mark of God’s perfection has earned the wages of sin (Romans 6:23) which is death, total separation from God forever in a place referred to as the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

 

III  Why the Law?

  1. So why did God give the law, when no human being can keep it perfectly? Why did He set such high standards and command us to keep them perfectly, when He knew we were not capable?
    1. We’re told in verse 24. The law was our schoolmaster, or instructor, given to bring us to Christ.
    2. It was given to show us that we need a Saviour, because on our own merits, we have all failed and are all under the curse of sin.
    3. We are incapable of solving that problem, but without the instruction of the law, we would not have even known there was a problem! We would not have had any idea we were under the curse.
    4. But the law shows us our need of a Saviour, and Jesus Christ is He. The Bible says, right here in verse 13 of this same chapter, that “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us…”

 

IV Faith

  1. Christ died for us to pay for our sins, so that the blessing of God given to Abraham of salvation through his line would be available to all.
    1. The Bible says that “…Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (verse 6)
    2. Abraham had faith in God to keep his promise, that his seed, or descendants, would be innumerable.
    3. Then we’re told here (verse 29) that if we are Christ’s, we are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to that same promise that Abraham believed by faith.

 

V  Children of God

  1. We are the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah promised to Abraham to be his descendant, all the way back in Genesis.
  1. You are the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. If you have recognized your own sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ to save you, you have thereby received His gift of salvation, and have been born again by the power of God. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12, 13

 

VI  Baptized

  1. Have you been baptized into Christ?  If so, you have put on Christ, a garment of righteousness given you by almighty God!
  1. But how were you baptized into Christ? There is only one way!
    1. It is not by being sprinkled, dipped, or even emersed as a child.
    2. It is not by personally choosing to be baptized by someone at some time in your life.
  • It has absolutely nothing to do with water or any other substance.
  1. If you have been baptized into Christ, it has been by the Holy Spirit after you put your faith in Jesus Christ. There is no other way.
    1. The moment you repented and put your faith in Jesus Christ, God saved you by His grace, burying you in Christ by the Holy Spirit, giving you a new nature as a born-again child of God.
    2. When you are baptized as commanded into the church, it is an outward sign of what has already happened to you spiritually, inside. It is not what saved you.
  • Salvation is only by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. There is no other name given

 

 

Conclusion

  1. “…the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe… after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” 
  2. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12
  3. Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God for your salvation?  Then you are a child of God, born into His family according to His will.
  4. If you have not put your faith in Him, you are a child of wrath and in terrible peril.  Make sure you put your faith in Jesus Christ, right now.  Don’t wait another minute to become a child of God!