Thursday, 10 July 2025

Evening Celebration - Keswick at Portstewart - Thursday 10 July 2025 - Dai Hankey


EVENING CELEBRATION KESWICK AT PORTSTEWART

THURSDAY 10 JULY 2025 - DAI HANKEY

GALATIANS 4 VERSES 4 TO 7

These verses start with the word "but" - I would love to write a book on the best "buts" in the bible. That little word means something comes in and changes the trajectory of what has been written. Paul is writing to the church in Galatia. They have been saved by grace but somehow the bad habit of trying to bring religion into their Christianity. Circumcision for instance should be included in Christianity. Peter even got caught up in this. Paul was writing to tell them to stop adding things to what Jesus has already done. In chapters 3 and 4 Paul is saying that Jesus has done everything for you to be forgiven and accepted, that they are on their way to heaven. Why are they now going back to the old way of doing things? Religion is not the exclusive domain of religious people. People wanted rules, laws, what you should and not doing, a tick box system. Not much has changed - we ask ourselves 'am I doing everything right, am I wearing the right clothes, have I attended my church this week, do people see how generous I am?' There is nothing wrong with that but we add things in. I want us to look into the passage as Paul tries to correct this thinking. We do things to impress God. Paul wants to put an end to that. The good news is not about what we do or not do but rather what God has done in Christ by sending his Son and Holy Spirit. Galatians 4 verse 4 and 5 - when, how, what, where and how. 

Verse 4 "But when the fullness of time was come God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Jesus came at just the right time. It was no accident he arrived. He came at the right time. He not only came at the right time. Remember when Jesus was at the wedding in Cana of Galilee and they ran out of wine. His mother came asking for Jesus' help  and he told her "my time has not yet come." Jesus was working to a divine agenda. So the when is God's perfect timing.

The who is the Father sending the Son. The gospel is all about Jesus. He is the answer. The gospel is not about you nor me, never any human being. The good news revolves around Jesus. He was sent forth to save those who couldn't be saved. Why would Jesus come if we could save ourselves. we are incapable of fixing our broken lives, saving our souls. The gospel starts and finishes with God. He decided how to save us and when to save us. "Born of woman, born under the law." Jesus came as a human being into this world. We cannot say you don't understand it. All the pressures and strains I have God understands. He came in the person of Jesus. He understands. he came as a man, as a human, as you and I are. Jesus knows what it is like to sweat, struggle, tired, toil, to be surrounded by people who do feel pressures. There is no other God who can relate like us. He is able to comprehend what we are going through. He was also born under the law. God gave the law in the Old Testament to show us this is his standard. When we look in the mirror we say to ourselves how righteous and good we are. We compare ourselves with other people. If we want to get to heaven on our own merits it is very simple - be perfect. We are in trouble under the law. Jesus was born under the same standard. It applies to him as to us. He passed though with flying colours. It was important to him to prove he would be the representative we need.

The what of the gospel. I find the gospel so exciting. Verse 5 "to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." What does that mean? Turn to Galatians 2 verse 16 "yet who know that a man is not justified[a] by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified." Paul is saying none of us will get to heaven. We fall short. We can argue with who is better than who but we fall short. Look at chapter 3 verse 10 " For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them.” If we want to try and get to heaven without Jesus it is not possible. Since Adam sinned in Genesis 3 everything that is messed up in this world is because of that sin. The curse of the law hands on all of us. Galatians 3 verse 13 " Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree” This is the epicentre of what Christ came to do. He did some amazing stuff but none of his miracles, walking on water, changing water into people, bringing people back from the dead - none of that. It .was to save those who are under the curse. To be our representative. To hang on a tree. Chapter 3 verse13 and 14 " Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree”—that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Look at 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." God the Father made him who knew no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. The way Jesus redeems us is by bearing our sin so that we might become righteous. As Jesus hung on the cross he became sin. Jesus absorbs all the sin of those he was going to save into himself. The punishment we deserve Jesus takes it all on our behalf. Christ became sin. He uploaded all of your stuff and said 'I will pay the price' so that we might be redeemed. Isn't it amazing God's forgiveness of sin. The other half of the gospel is this - Jesus then takes and uploads his righteousness into us. The beautiful thing is - we get forgiveness. Every last bit of our sins was future paid. He also gives us his righteousness as a gift. If you put your faith in Christ he does not see all your mistakes any more. Faith in Christ. He sees his son's reflection in you. He accepts you with the exact same love as his son. It is finished, paid in full. The miracle - he takes me not from innocent in his sight but to the righteousness in his son. God loves you and accepts you. However bad we have been, whatever thoughts you have about how bad you are as a Christian, God loves you because you are in Christ. Romans 8 verses 1 to 4 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,[a] he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Set free from the power of sin. The penalty God accepts - as if fulfilled the righteousness required by the law. Galatians 4 verse 5 "to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Jesus did that because he wants us to receive something - the gift of adoption. One of the beautiful things in the bible is love - it is a choice, not a decision. God chose to adopt us, to cleanse us, forgive us, to bring us into his family. Ephesians 2 verses 1 to 3 " And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind." By nature everyone of us was born a child of wrath deserving God's just judgment for our sin. That is who we are. All by nature. In Galatians we read God wants to add these children of wrath into the family of God. Incredible - God says 'I know what you are like and I still want you.' What does he want us as - adoption as sons. The sons are the ones who have got the inheritance. When the bible speaks of our adoption it means he wants to share all he has with us.  He has invited us into that. John 17 - Jesus wanted his disciples to share in the glory we have shared in eternity past. He is keeping his end of the deal. I have stuff with you, I want to bring you into my family. God sends the Son. The Son came to redeem us from the curse of the law, to make us his Sons. Verse 6 "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Because God has accept you, adopted you, so that you share his resources God has sent another gift - the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Notice how much of the Trinity is involved in these verses. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts. He takes up his residence in God's people. He comes in and says 'right then what is wrong here?' Yes he does convict us of sin, commits to make us learn more of Jesus and show us how to be obedient. We see there is one more specific thing in this passage - we can cry Abba Father. That is who we truly are - children of God. Romans 8 verses 12 to 16 "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"  I know I am God's. The only way of explaining it is - he has caused me to be here, to lead me to faith in Christ, to crying out for salvation. He was walked with me every step of the way. He is the one who brings the gospel to life. We can testify we are his. He is crying out through us about faith. It is a term of endearment. We are not just the toe rag kids. The Father wants to relate to him. We are precious to him, adored by him, loved. When you see a parent who loves a child there is something precious. When you see a child growing, that love affects them. The Holy Spirit wants you to know the Father. He loves you so much. You might be a rubbish Christians but the Father loves you. The love of a parent for their child and a child for their parent is hard to explain. The love comes into us to show us not merely a religious observance, us trying to be children of God in a messed up world - we struggle yes but the Spirit says 'cry out to the Father, he still loves you. That is who you are, not what you want to be, it is what you are.

Also notice what we are not. Galatians 4 verse 7 tells us we are no longer a slave but a son. Remember the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 verses 17 and 18 - "And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee," In that moment the Father models something so true to us. This son is saying 'I don't deserve to be your son, I don't have that privilege because I am just a mess, I don't expect you to treat me like you once did, I will go back to being a servant. Before he finishes his speech his father embraces him, puts a ring on his finger, shoes on his feet, a cloak on his back and tells the serv ants to kill the fatted calf and make a feast. I don't want you to get in in your mind that you go back to being a slave, no you are my son. I love you. I don't want you to get it into your mind that you will go back to slavery. No you are my son. I love you. This son tried to prove himself to his father but he is already given grace. If you are a Christian and you have messed up remember he still loves you. The way of grace is getting on your knees and accepting his love and mercy, accepting the status of sonship. Nothing changes that. I have been naughty but you still love me. God's love is about a Father sending his son to be our Saviour. He hasn't changed his mind. Don't rely on religion to impress Christ but cling to grace. We are still children, loved by the Father. Don't forget that. We are reminded who we truly are.

What is to come for God's people.  The son gets the inheritance. 1 Peter 1 verses 3 to 7 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" An inheritance incorruptible, undefiled and unfading. Our inheritance is in heaven ready to be revealed in the last day. Are you rejoicing in that fact? Not only forgiveness, made righteous, adopted into his family but you have an inheritance. That inheritance is eternal. It is mind blowing in its scope. That is what we should be living for. Revelation 21 verses 1 to 7 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Our inheritance is this - I will be his Son. Verse 8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:  which is the second death." If you are not in Christ it ends in the second death. If you don't want Jesus he will not force himself on you but eternally that is what you will get. The good news is that you can repent, you can receive security, righteousness, adoption and an inheritance. How? By crying out to him. Don't go out trying to prove anything to him. Let him prove himself to you. If you put your faith in him he will save you because that is what he does. That is grace. You cannot make him love you, he loves you any way. If you are a Christian just be grateful. Has your joy died down? Have you forsaken your first love? Have you forgotten how good this life is? This is how a good God really is.

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