Abba Father! Galatians 4

4 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces[a] of the world. 4 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.

Paul is fond of using relational language when describing the new relationship the Galatians have through being justified by faith.  Then he uses the idea of a young boy who has yet to come of age as symbolic of our being under the law.  

In both Jewish and Greek cultures, there were definite “coming of age” ceremonies where a boy stopped being a child and started being a man, with legal rights as an heir.

Both a slave and the heir grew up with similar privileges until the heir came of age.  Paul says we came to be heirs when God sent Jesus His Son to redeem us from being slaves to the law.  To redeem meant to buy back.  In Jesus' day a slave could be bought from a kinsman redeemer and receive their freedom back.  Jesus was our redeemer and bought us back to make us a member of God's family.  

So what does this mean?  We are heirs of everything God has promised.  Importantly as a result of being adopted as sons, we have been given the Spirit of God.  When we were born naturally we were given a soul/spirit and when we were adopted by God we were given the Spirit of God!  

But most importantly the Spirit within us enables us to call out to God using the term "Abba", which was an intimate term between a parent and child.  Jesus used it to call on his Father and we are given this same ability by the Holy Spirit.  It would be similar to the word we use "daddy".  

Think of the relational importance of this trutg\h.  The God of the universe who created everything by his command wanted to have a personal relationship with you.  Notice the relational nature of the Trinity as well.  The Father sent the Son at the right time.  The Son redeeemed us from the curse of the law.  The Holy Spirit was sent into our hearts so as we community to our heavenly Father through the Son we can talk to him just like a father. 

Do you experience a personal relationship with God?  Do you realize you can call him "daddy"?  You have an earthly inheritance through your earthly family but God has given you a heavenly inheritance.  All God has will be yours in the next life!  Do you live your life now as if you will one day inherit everything as His Son or Daughter? 

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