◄ Galatians 4 Devotional Commentary ►
Galatians 4:1
The Jews proudly relied on their family connection with Abraham and the keeping of the Law for their salvation, but we are not justified by works of the Law but by faith in Christ. It is a gift of God's grace, through faith alone. Salvation is not dependent on national identity, nor is it inherited from parents. Paul had to refute this deep-seated deception and set out to clarify who were Abraham's natural seed and who were his spiritual seed.
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Galatians 4:4
There were many godly men and women, both Jews and Gentiles, who were saved by faith prior to Jesus coming into the world. All men and women of faith that were born prior to Christ, were likened to underage children who were still under the tutorage of a schoolmaster; having a future inheritance but not yet able to access it.
Though heirs of the promises and the riches of God's grace, they were still, as it were, under bondage; read more...
Galatians 4:5
At the time that He had appointed, and according to His own purpose, God sent His Son into a spiritually hungry, religiously bankrupt, and morally corrupt world. Like every other human being, He was born of a woman and born into a world that was subject to the perfect Law of God - a standard that was impossible for fallen man to attain.
But Christ was sent to redeem this degenerate human race who were at enmity with God, for in read more...
Galatians 4:6
What a wonder of divine love and grace that we, who were once at enmity with God, have been so favoured by the Father that we should be called 'sons': "and because we are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'"
The 'birth certificate' that confirms this amazing truth is the Person of the Holy Spirit, living in the hearts of all who believe. It is He Who bears inner witness read more...
Galatians 4:7
Just as there is a stark contrast between the first covenant of law and the second covenant of grace, so there is a distinct difference between the relationship of a slave to his master and the intimate kinship that exists between a beloved son and heir, and his own dearly loved Father: "And as those who have trusted Christ as Saviour, we are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God, through Christ."
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Galatians 4:11
From start to finish, the book of Galatians outlines the deep concern that the apostle Paul showed for the Christians in Galatia who, having been saved by grace through faith in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, and having been born from above, chose to give up the glorious liberty they had in Christ (salvation, through the hearing of faith) for the meritorious work and legalistic bondage from which they had been set free.
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Galatians 4:19
Paul appealed to the Galatian Christians not to become ensnared in legalistic practices. At salvation, they had all received the free gift of God's grace, but they were trying to replace that gift of grace which they had received by faith in Christ, with their own works of the law. They were trying to grow in grace by their own effort rather than God's way, which is by grace through faith.
These Christians had believed in Christ read more...
Galatians 4:21
The Galatian Christians had come to faith in Christ by grace through faith. Having heard the truth of the gospel, Paul was disturbed to discover many false teachers trying to cut these believers off from the truth of the glorious gospel of grace and the wonderful freedom they had found in Christ. For by faith in His death and Resurrection, the power of sin in their lives had been severed, its deathly consequences had been destroyed, and they had all been set free read more...
Galatians 4:27
The Bible tells us that children are a gift from God and yet in this passage, which is a quotation from Isaiah 54, we discover what appears to be an anomaly - that the desolate and barren woman who has no husband, has greater blessings from the Lord than the woman who has a husband! Indeed, she is enabled to burst forth into joyful singing... for this barren and desolate woman has many more children than the married woman with a husband!!
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Galatians 4:28
Paul wrote his epistle to the Galatians in order to help the Judaisers and the legalists of his day understand the difference between the freedom we have in Christ... and the restrictive bondage to sin, which comes from the Law. Paul aimed to differentiate between believers who are set free from bondage to the Law by faith in Christ, and believers who are legalistic and remain enslaved to sin and bound by works of the flesh to the read more...
Galatians 4:31
The Word of God needs to be read literally and in its correct historical context, for it is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. The Word of God is given so that the man or woman of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every eventuality in life. It provides us with every good word we speak, every good deed we do, and every good thought we think. But there are times read more...