Abba’s House: Journeying Deeper Into Our Adoption
Introduction: From Diverse Earthly Families to Our United Heavenly Family
Just as earthly adoption brings individuals from different backgrounds into a unified family, our spiritual adoption into God’s family through Christ creates a new and profound oneness. The assumptions and misunderstandings surrounding earthly adoption can sometimes mirror the confusion we face when trying to grasp the depths of our adoption by God. This week, as we reflect on Galatians 3:26-4:6, we will journey deeper into understanding what it means to be adopted into Abba’s house, exploring the incredible privileges and responsibilities that come with this divine reality.
Our Universal Sonship and New Identity in Christ (Galatians 3:26-28) 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Paul’s powerful declaration is that “in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” This isn't a statement reserved for a select few but a universal truth for all who place their trust in Jesus. This faith unites us, dissolving the barriers that once defined us. We see that being “baptized into Christ” signifies more than a ritual; it means we have “put on Christ,” actively embracing a new identity where the old distinctions of Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female no longer hold the same divisive power. We are now one in Christ Jesus.
Life Application:
Consider this week how actively you are “clothing yourself with Christ.” This isn't a one-time event but a daily choice.
How can you more intentionally embrace your identity in Christ in your interactions with others, particularly those who come from different backgrounds or hold different social positions
Reflect on practical ways your church community can more visibly demonstrate this counter-cultural unity, breaking down any subtle hierarchies or divisions that might exist.
Transition: Understanding our shared identity in Christ as sons and daughters through faith is foundational. But Paul goes further, using a familiar analogy to illuminate the incredible transformation that adoption brings to our lives.
From Legal Heir to Beloved Child: Understanding Our Transformation (Galatians 3:29-4:3) 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
Paul likens our previous state to that of a legal heir who, while destined for a great inheritance, lives under the authority of guardians and managers, not much different from a slave. This illustrates our position under the law before Christ, where we were bound by its regulations. However, through adoption in Christ, this status changes dramatically. We move from being mere potential beneficiaries to becoming beloved children with full rights and privileges in God’s family.
Life Application:
For those who have followed Christ, the reality of being God's child is far more profound than simply being declared "not guilty." Ponder the depth of God's love in choosing us as His own.
How does the understanding of being a cherished son or daughter of God impact your daily approach to life’s challenges and your relationship with God?
Throughout the week, consciously remind yourself that you are not a servant striving for acceptance, but a beloved child already welcomed into Abba's home.
Transition: The shift from being under the law to being adopted as sons and daughters wasn't a random act. It was a carefully orchestrated plan, executed at the precise moment in history by the only one qualified to bring it to fruition.
God’s Perfect Timing and Jesus’ Perfect Qualifications for Our Adoption (Galatians 4:4-5) 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Paul highlights that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.” This wasn't an arbitrary moment but a divinely appointed time, ripe with theological, cultural, and political significance. God’s Son, born of a woman and under the law, possessed the unique qualifications to “redeem those who were under the law.” Jesus, being fully God and fully man, lived a perfectly righteous life, fulfilling the law's demands and becoming the ultimate sacrifice to secure our adoption as sons and daughters.
Life Application:
Reflect on the immense planning and love that went into your adoption into God’s family.
Consider the significance of Jesus' divine nature, allowing Him to bear God's wrath, and His human nature, enabling Him to represent us.
How does understanding the "fullness of time" and Jesus' perfect qualifications deepen your appreciation for the Christmas story and the entirety of God's redemptive plan?
Spend time this week studying other passages that highlight God's sovereignty in salvation history.
Transition: God’s resolve wasn't just to provide a way for us to be declared righteous; His ultimate desire was for us to be fully integrated into His family, experiencing an intimate relationship with Him as our Father. This is made possible through the gift of His Spirit.
The Intimate Cry of “Abba! Father!”: Experiencing Our Sonship (Galatians 4:6) 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Because we are now sons and daughters, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, enabling us to cry out, “Abba! Father!” This isn't a formal address but an intimate, deeply personal expression of our relationship with God. “Abba” signifies the tender, familial connection of “Daddy.” Just as a child runs to their father in times of fear or need, we have the privilege of approaching God with the same heartfelt cry, knowing we are loved, protected, and heard.
Life Application:
Throughout this week, practice intentionally calling out to God as “Abba! Father” in your prayers, both in times of joy and in moments of struggle.
Reflect on what this intimate term signifies about your relationship with God. How does knowing you can approach God with such closeness and trust impact your daily anxieties and burdens?
Share with your church community how you experience God’s fatherly love and encouragement.
Conclusion: Living in the Light of Our Adopted Inheritance
God, in His boundless grace, has not just saved us; He has adopted us, granting us the full status and privileges of sons and daughters.
This week, let us commit to living each day in the radiant light of this new reality. May we walk in the Spirit, continually crying out “Abba! Father,” knowing that a glorious, eternal inheritance awaits us as beloved children in His house.
