Sermons on Galatians 4:6-7

Galatians 4:6-7 Interpretation:

Embracing Our Identity: Adoption as God's Children (TBC Cullman) offers a detailed and unique interpretation of Galatians 4:6-7 by focusing on the Roman concept of adoption, emphasizing that biblical adoption is not about being taken in as a helpless child (contrary to the "Little Orphan Annie" image) but about being immediately placed as an adult son with full rights, privileges, and authority. The sermon draws a sharp distinction between being a child under the law (akin to a minor under a guardian or slave) and being an adult son who can access the inheritance. The preacher also unpacks the Greek term for "elements" (stoicheia), likening it to the ABCs or basic principles, and uses this to explain how the law was a preparatory stage, not the final revelation. The analogy of the child under a servant is used to show the transition from bondage under the law to the freedom and authority of sonship. The term "Abba, Father" is highlighted as a term of endearment, signifying intimacy and assurance, and the presence of the Holy Spirit is interpreted as the internal confirmation of this new status.

Embracing the Lord's Prayer: A Journey of Connection (Forest Community Church) provides a notable linguistic and cultural insight by emphasizing that Jesus’ use of "Abba" in prayer was revolutionary, as it broke with the tradition of using only Hebrew for prayer and introduced the common Aramaic vernacular as a language for addressing God. The sermon explains that "Abba" means "Daddy" or "Papa," and that Jesus’ invitation for disciples to use this term signals both affection and authority. The preacher also notes that, in the New Testament, the use of "Abba" is preserved in Greek texts to highlight its significance. The sermon further distinguishes between Jesus’ unique relationship to God as "my Father" and the believer’s relationship as "our Father" by grace through adoption, referencing Galatians 4:6-7 as the scriptural basis for this new familial intimacy and authority.

Dream Big, Pray Bold: Unleashing God's Power (Denver Park Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church) interprets Galatians 4:6-7 through the lens of identity transformation and empowerment. The preacher draws on the historical context of Roman adoption, explaining that an adopted child was given the same status as a natural-born child, with all previous debts and identities erased. This is used as a metaphor for the believer’s new identity in Christ, emphasizing that knowing God as "Abba, Father" should instill boldness and confidence to dream big and pray bold prayers. The sermon uses the analogy of a spiritual paternity test to reinforce the idea that believers now share the spiritual DNA of their heavenly Father, and that this new status as heirs should shape their expectations and prayers.

Embracing Our Identity: The Spirit of Son-ship (Ligonier Ministries) offers a unique interpretation of Galatians 4:6-7 by focusing on the linguistic and cultural significance of the term "son-ship" and the verb "krazen" (to cry out). The sermon explains that Paul’s use of “son-ship” is not about gender but about inheritance rights in the ancient world, where only sons inherited. Thus, all believers, regardless of gender, are called “sons” to emphasize their full status as heirs. The preacher also highlights the Greek verb “krazen,” noting its onomatopoeic, urgent, and crisis-laden character, contrasting it with the idea of a gentle, infantile whimper. Instead, it is a desperate, instinctive cry for help, which the Spirit enables in believers, especially in times of suffering or distress. This interpretation is further illustrated by the analogy of a child finally calling an adoptive parent “father,” emphasizing the Spirit’s work in moving believers from legal status to heartfelt relational intimacy.

Assurance of Salvation: The Spirit's Witness in Us (MLJTrust) provides a detailed linguistic and theological analysis of the terms “sons” and “children” in Galatians 4:6-7, arguing against the view that there is an essential difference between the two. The sermon explains that “son” (huios) carries a legal connotation of status and inheritance, while “child” (teknon) emphasizes the experiential, relational aspect. The preacher insists that Paul uses the terms interchangeably to stress both the legal standing and the felt reality of adoption, and that all Christians are both sons and children, fully heirs. The sermon also delves into the Greek grammar, explaining why the Holy Spirit is referred to as “itself” in some translations due to the neuter gender of the Greek word for Spirit, but insists the Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force.

Grace, Adoption, and the True Gospel of Christ (Alistair Begg) interprets Galatians 4:6-7 by situating it within the broader narrative of God’s initiative in salvation. The sermon uniquely emphasizes the “foreign language” of biblical adoption, noting how alien the concept is to both secular and religious mindsets. Begg draws out the significance of Jesus being “born of a woman, born under the law,” highlighting the full humanity and representative obedience of Christ. He uses the analogy of adoption and the exchange of status—Christ, the natural Son, becomes a servant so that servants of sin might become sons and daughters. The preacher also stresses the experiential aspect of crying “Abba, Father,” as a sign of the Spirit’s work in moving believers from slavery to sonship, and uses the story of a former prisoner encountering his judge to illustrate the radical transformation and acceptance found in adoption.

Galatians 4:6-7 Theological Themes:

Embracing Our Identity: Adoption as God's Children (TBC Cullman) introduces the theme that adoption in Christ is not merely a change in status but an immediate elevation to adult sonship, with full access to the inheritance and privileges of the family of God. The sermon uniquely applies this by contrasting the fear-based obedience of a servant under the law with the love-based obedience of a son, and by asserting that the Holy Spirit’s indwelling is the believer’s assurance of this new position. The preacher also explores the practical implications of this inheritance, such as access to God’s grace, supply, goodness, and wisdom, not just in the future but in the present life.

Embracing the Lord's Prayer: A Journey of Connection (Forest Community Church) presents the fresh theological theme that the use of "Abba" democratizes access to God, breaking down the barriers of sacred language and culture. The sermon also explores the dialectical nature of authority and affection in the term "Father," arguing that Christian authority in prayer is paradoxically rooted in intimacy and love rather than fear or hierarchy. Additionally, the preacher highlights the communal aspect of prayer, noting that the Lord’s Prayer’s use of "our" rather than "my" signals an inclusive, intercessory posture that transcends individualism and exclusivist community boundaries.

Dream Big, Pray Bold: Unleashing God's Power (Denver Park Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church) adds the theme that the believer’s adoption and new identity as God’s child is the foundation for audacious faith and bold prayer. The sermon uniquely applies Galatians 4:6-7 by encouraging believers to match the magnitude of their dreams and prayers to the greatness of their heavenly Father, and by asserting that the activation of God’s power in the believer’s life is directly tied to their embrace of this identity and their willingness to let God work through them.

Embracing Our Identity: The Spirit of Son-ship (Ligonier Ministries) introduces the theme that the Spirit’s primary ministry is to bring believers into the lived reality of their adoption, not just as a legal status but as a deep, instinctive consciousness of being God’s children. The sermon also explores the idea that the Spirit’s work is most evident in moments of crisis, when believers instinctively cry out to God as Father, demonstrating the Spirit’s internal witness. Additionally, it presents the theme that the ultimate goal of adoption is conformity to Christ, so that Jesus becomes the “firstborn among many brothers,” and the Spirit’s work is to make believers more like Christ, not merely to assure them of their status.

Assurance of Salvation: The Spirit's Witness in Us (MLJTrust) brings a distinct theological angle by critiquing the notion that only some Christians are “sons” while others are merely “children,” arguing instead for the full equality of all believers in both legal and experiential aspects of adoption. The sermon also introduces the idea that the Spirit’s witness is a distinct, subsequent work beyond regeneration and faith, akin to the “sealing” of the Spirit, which brings a direct, sometimes palpable assurance of sonship that is not merely deduced from evidence or feelings.

Grace, Adoption, and the True Gospel of Christ (Alistair Begg) adds the theme of God’s initiative in adoption, contrasting the biblical message with both secular self-improvement and religious legalism. The sermon highlights the unconditional, gracious nature of adoption, rooted in Christ’s fulfillment of the law and substitutionary death, and the resulting freedom from both pride and despair. It also explores the communal aspect of adoption, as believers are brought into a family where they see God’s image reflected in one another.

Galatians 4:6-7 Historical and Contextual Insights:

Embracing Our Identity: Adoption as God's Children (TBC Cullman) provides detailed historical context about Roman adoption practices, explaining that adoption meant being placed as an adult son with full rights and privileges, not as a minor or dependent. The sermon also describes the role of tutors and guardians in wealthy Roman households, where children, though heirs, had no authority until the appointed time set by the father. This context is used to illuminate Paul’s analogy in Galatians, showing how the law functioned as a guardian until the coming of Christ, after which believers are granted full sonship and inheritance.

Embracing the Lord's Prayer: A Journey of Connection (Forest Community Church) offers historical insight into the linguistic and cultural norms of first-century Judaism, noting that prayers were traditionally recited in Hebrew, and that Jesus’ use of Aramaic ("Abba") was a radical departure that signaled the end of sacred language exclusivity. The sermon also references the broader Greco-Roman context, where sacred languages (like Latin in Catholicism or Arabic in Islam) were seen as necessary for worship, contrasting this with Christianity’s embrace of vernacular languages as a reflection of the incarnation and the universality of the gospel.

Dream Big, Pray Bold: Unleashing God's Power (Denver Park Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church) provides historical context on Roman adoption, explaining that an adopted child was not considered second-class but was fully integrated into the family, with all previous debts and social status erased. This background is used to underscore the radical nature of the believer’s new identity in Christ as described in Galatians 4:6-7.

Grace, Adoption, and the True Gospel of Christ (Alistair Begg) provides historical context by discussing the “fullness of time” in which Christ came, referencing the Pax Romana, the spread of Greek language and culture, and the exhaustion of the Mosaic law’s ability to provide freedom. The sermon also notes the cultural strangeness of the doctrine of the Trinity and the incarnation to both Jewish and secular audiences, and explains the significance of adoption in the ancient world as a radical, gracious act that confers full status and inheritance.

Embracing Our Identity: The Spirit of Son-ship (Ligonier Ministries) offers cultural context by explaining why Paul uses the language of “son-ship” rather than “daughter-ship,” referencing the inheritance laws of the ancient world where only sons could inherit. The preacher draws a parallel to the plot of “Pride and Prejudice” to illustrate the social implications of inheritance and how Paul’s language subverts cultural norms by granting all believers, regardless of gender, the status of heirs.

Galatians 4:6-7 Cross-References in the Bible:

Embracing Our Identity: Adoption as God's Children (TBC Cullman) references several passages to expand on Galatians 4:6-7: John 3 (Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus about being born again), 1 Peter 1:23 (being born again by the word of God), Ephesians 1:5 (predestination to adoption), Romans 8:14-17 (the Spirit of adoption and crying "Abba, Father"), 1 John 4 (God’s initiative in sending his Son), Colossians 2 (freedom from legalistic observances), Philippians 4:19 (God’s supply), Romans 2:4 (the riches of God’s goodness), Romans 11:33 (the riches of God’s wisdom), and the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15, highlighting the difference between being a servant and a son). Each reference is used to reinforce the themes of new birth, adoption, assurance, inheritance, and freedom from the law.

Embracing the Lord's Prayer: A Journey of Connection (Forest Community Church) explicitly references Galatians 4:6-7 to support the claim that believers have the authority and audacity to approach God as "Abba, Father," and also cites 1 John 3:9 and Deuteronomy 32:18 to discuss the use of both male and female imagery for God. The sermon also references 1 Timothy 2 (urging intercessory prayer for all people) to support the communal aspect of the Lord’s Prayer.

Dream Big, Pray Bold: Unleashing God's Power (Denver Park Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church) references Romans 8:15 ("the spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship, and by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'") and Galatians 4:6-7 directly, using these texts to emphasize the believer’s new identity and authority as God’s child and heir. The sermon also alludes to Ephesians 3:14-21 (Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians) to connect the themes of bold prayer, identity, and God’s power.

Grace, Adoption, and the True Gospel of Christ (Alistair Begg) references several passages to expand on Galatians 4:6-7: Mark’s Gospel (“the time is fulfilled”), Romans (“at the right time Christ died for the ungodly”), Philippians 2 (Christ’s willing humility and incarnation), Galatians 3:13 (Christ redeeming us from the curse of the law), and the story of Abraham and Moses in Galatians 3. These references are used to show the continuity of God’s promise, the fulfillment of the law in Christ, and the movement from curse to blessing, culminating in adoption.

Assurance of Salvation: The Spirit's Witness in Us (MLJTrust) cross-references Romans 8:14-17, Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 3:26, and John’s writings to demonstrate the interchangeable use of “sons” and “children” and to argue against the teaching that distinguishes between the two. The sermon also references Matthew 5:9, 5:45, and Luke 20:36 to critique the view that only some believers are “sons.” Ephesians 1:13 is cited to support the idea of the Spirit’s “sealing” as a subsequent work.

Embracing Our Identity: The Spirit of Son-ship (Ligonier Ministries) references Romans 8, Hebrews 2 (Jesus as the firstborn among many brothers), and the Lord’s Prayer to show the pervasive New Testament theme of God as Father and believers as His children. The sermon also alludes to the Psalms (the cry of the afflicted) and the Gospels (Jesus’ cry on the cross) to illustrate the meaning of “crying out” to God.

Galatians 4:6-7 Christian References outside the Bible:

Embracing the Lord's Prayer: A Journey of Connection (Forest Community Church) explicitly references Watchman Nee, quoting his analogy that "prayer is a railroad of a train called God's power," and also cites theologians Willie Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas, who define a Christian as "someone who has learned to pray the Lord’s Prayer." The sermon further references the church historian Eusebius, recounting the imperial edict of Caesar Galerius, and discusses the Greek Orthodox tradition of retaining "Abba" in the Lord’s Prayer to honor its original significance. The preacher also mentions the postmodern philosopher Jacques Derrida, using his critique of "community" to highlight the inclusive nature of Christian prayer.

Embracing Our Identity: The Spirit of Son-ship (Ligonier Ministries) explicitly references John Wesley’s father, quoting his statement that “the inward witness… is the strongest proof of Christianity,” and cites John Calvin’s Institutes, highlighting Calvin’s view that “the chief title of the Holy Spirit is Spirit of son-ship.” These references are used to underscore the historical and theological weight given to the Spirit’s witness in the believer’s heart.

Assurance of Salvation: The Spirit's Witness in Us (MLJTrust) extensively references Christian scholars and commentators in its discussion of the Spirit’s witness, including Dr. James Denny, Bishop Moule, Dr. Henry Alford, Allhausen, Floyd D. Hamilton, Dr. Thomas Chalmers, Dr. Octavius Winslow, Dr. Charles Hodge, and Robert Haldane. The preacher critiques the views of Denny, Moule, Alford, Allhausen, Hamilton, Chalmers, Winslow, and Hodge for reducing the Spirit’s witness to either the Spirit’s initial work in regeneration or to subjective feelings, and commends Haldane for distinguishing the Spirit’s direct, subsequent testimony as a unique, experiential assurance beyond initial faith and regeneration.

Galatians 4:6-7 Illustrations from Secular Sources:

Embracing Our Identity: Adoption as God's Children (TBC Cullman) uses the popular image of "Little Orphan Annie" as a contrast to biblical adoption, explaining that unlike Annie, who is adopted as a helpless child, biblical adoption places the believer as an adult son with full rights. The sermon also references the comedian Bob Newhart’s "Stop It" sketch as a humorous illustration of the need to seek God’s wisdom rather than relying on one’s own poor decision-making. Additionally, the preacher uses the analogy of sheepdogs ("goodness and mercy") from Psalm 23, likening them to protective forces that follow believers, and stages a live illustration with congregants holding up ABC cards to demonstrate the regression involved in returning to the law after receiving the fullness of sonship.

Embracing the Lord's Prayer: A Journey of Connection (Forest Community Church) draws on the example of conservative Roman Catholics who insist on praying in Latin, and Muslim worshipers who pray in classical Arabic, to illustrate the concept of sacred language and contrast it with Christianity’s embrace of vernacular prayer. The preacher also references the French-Jewish philosopher Jacques Derrida’s critique of "community" as collective selfishness, using the medieval fortress as an image of exclusivity, and contrasts this with the inclusive "our" of the Lord’s Prayer.

Dream Big, Pray Bold: Unleashing God's Power (Denver Park Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church) uses the metaphor of a "spiritual paternity test" to illustrate the believer’s new identity in Christ, and draws on personal experience as a "daddy’s girl" to explain the confidence that comes from knowing one’s father. The preacher also uses the analogy of juicing—explaining that the quality of the juice depends on the ingredients—to illustrate how the activation of God’s power in one’s life is "according to" what is allowed in. The sermon references the Denver Nuggets basketball team and the process of training, as well as the role of a cardiologist and a choir, to further illustrate the principle of outcomes being "according to" input and preparation. Finally, the preacher shares a contemporary testimony of a family member’s miraculous healing from brain tumors as a real-life example of bold prayer and God’s power.

Embracing Our Identity: The Spirit of Son-ship (Ligonier Ministries) uses two detailed secular illustrations. First, the preacher recounts a story of a missionary adopting a little girl who, despite being legally adopted, could not call her new father “father” until a breakthrough moment when she finally did so, illustrating the Spirit’s work in moving believers from legal status to heartfelt intimacy with God. Second, the sermon references Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” to explain the cultural context of inheritance and why Paul uses “son-ship” language, making the point that in the ancient world, only sons inherited, so Paul’s use of the term for all believers is radically inclusive. Additionally, the preacher shares a personal story from his school days involving a teacher’s comparison to his older brother, using it as a metaphor for the Spirit’s work in conforming believers to the likeness of Christ, the “elder brother.”