Your Inheritance as a Child of God!

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Galatians 4:4-8 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.[b] 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[c] Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

 There is a story about a young boy who was adopted by his parents.  He was on the playground and another boy started teasing him, because he was adopted.  So the boy said back, "You got lumped with your parents, my parents chose me!"  And it's true parents who adopt children are special people.  They go through a lengthy screening process, and often pay a pretty hefty price to adopt.  When I talk to parents about their adoption experience if they have other kids by birth they say, "We love all our kids the same.  They don't know any different, we are one family."  

 This is the language Paul uses to describe how God has chosen us to be His sons and daughters.  And as God's sons and daughters, we are heirs of everything that God owns, including eternal life.  Instead of relating to God through the external Law, we now know God personally.  Specifically God has sent the Spirit of the Son into our hearts.  We are no longer are governed by the letter of the Law, but the Spirit of the Law.  And this Spirit is the Spirit of Christ.  As such we have a relationship with God similar to the Son.  Like Jesus when we pray to God the Father we pray "Abba Father".  This term "Abba" is the same as our word "daddy".  This is an intimate term which reveals how God wants to relate to us.

 When I pray I usually start by praying, "heavedly Father".  I have a great earthly father, and an awesome heavenly Father.  Some people have a real hard time thinking of God as a Father, as they may have had a bad experience with their own.  But we know that God chose us and sent His only Son into the world not to condemn us but to save us.  

 And the Good News today is not only can you enjoy a relationship with God here on earth, but you are an inheritor of eternal life.  All God has He has bequested to you.  Since God has chosen us, let's live such lives in this world and to glorify our Father in heaven as a way of saying thanks.   

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