The young heirs of a wealthy estate in the Roman Empire had no power or authority; they could not manage the estate or benefit from it directly.  Even though they would inherit it all one day, as children they were under the authority of their father’s servants.  They had as much say in what happened as the lowest slave.  In the same way, Paul says God’s ancient people were under the authority of the law before Christ came. They had no freedom to be true heirs of the Kingdom until they received Christ and grew up spiritually (Galatians 3:23-25).

The pivot point was the coming of Jesus.  His entry into time and space was planned by God.  The mode of His arrival was prophesied 700 years before, “… the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23).  His birthplace, Bethlehem, was also prophesied (Micah 5:2).  He was to be born into a Jewish family and circumcised according to the law (Luke 2:21).  But Jesus was also the Lamb of God to be sacrificed for the sins of the world (John 1:29) at the Passover festival (Luke 22:7-8) … the anniversary of God’s redemption of His people from Egypt (1 Chronicles 17:21) … and on the cross He definitively redeemed sinners held in slavery under the law (Galatians 5:1).  All those who welcome Christ’s redeeming work are adopted into God’s family with all the rights of mature adults.   

However, false teachers had created much confusion in the Galatian churches.  They told the Jewish-background Christians to go back to their spiritual nursery, instead of accepting the privileges of being grown-up sons and daughters.  They also commanded the Gentile believers to be circumcised and follow the Jewish law.  So the Jews who had been slaves to the law (with no prospects apart from punishment every time they broke the law), and the Gentiles who were previously incapable of gaining family rights, were being told they could not be accepted as grown-up children of God.  How wrong!  Because Jesus paid the price to redeem them, sinful Jews and Gentiles were both welcome in God’s family when they trusted Jesus.  They were adopted as His forgiven and precious children (Romans 9:6-8).

Too many believers today seem to want to go back to their spiritual nursery instead of growing up into Christ.  Like the Galatians, we need to be reminded that we cannot earn our favour with God.  He grants us the right of sonship, freely, as we trust in Jesus.  Believing that He has forgiven us, and set us free, is the only way to grow up spiritually.  That will mean admitting our sins and accepting His forgiveness, instead of relying on our own goodness.  So, paradoxically, it is often the worst sinners who grow up the most quickly once they have received the grace of Christ.  Paul was one such sinner (1 Timothy 1:15-16).  Perhaps you are another.  Do not give up hope, but simply repent and receive the forgiveness He offers you (www.crosscheck.org.uk) and accept the privileges of a grown-up son in God’s household.