Sermon Guide: Galatians 4 "Living Like Sons"

Key Passage(s)

Galatians 4:1–11 ESV

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had 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. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

Sermon Overview

Galatians 4 shows that both legalism and idolatry are forms of spiritual slavery that reject the freedom found in Christ. Paul uses the image of a child-heir under a guardian to illustrate that, before faith, people are enslaved to “elementary principles”—whether the Jewish law or pagan gods. But when Christ came, he redeemed us, adopted us, and sent his Spirit into our hearts so that we cry “Abba, Father.” Christians are not slaves but sons, and we are called to live out that sonship through knowing the truth, praying as children to our Father, and serving others in love—rejecting anything that would pull us back into trying to earn what has already been freely given.

Sermon Structure

#1 The Problem of Legalism (vv. 1–7)

1. The heir under guardianship: enslaved until the right time

2. Christ redeems and adopts, bringing the Spirit of sonship

3. The Spirit assures us we belong—our hearts cry “Abba!”

#2 The Problem of Idolatry (vv. 8–11)

1. Pagan Gentiles tempted to return to religious effort

2. Legalism and idolatry are linked by the same root: self

3. “Elementary principles” enslave, whether law or false gods

#3 The Christian Answer

1. Live like sons: no longer slaves

2. Rehearse the truth to expose deception

3. Cultivate intimacy with God through Scripture-fed prayer

4. Walk in love through sacrificial service to others

Questions for Discussion & Reflection

1. The sermon made the case that legalism and idolatry both place “me” in the center instead of Christ. Which form of that tends to show up in your life more—and how do you recognize it when it happens? (For instance: anxious striving, guilt cycles, need for approval, etc.)

   
   

2. Galatians 4 says God sent the Spirit into our hearts so we’d cry “Abba! Father!”—what does that kind of prayer look like in your life, especially during stress or temptation? (Follow-up: does God feel more like a Father or a boss to you? How can we cultivate a Fatherly experience?)

   
   

3. One application was that sonship leads to sacrificial love and service in community. Can you think of someone in your church who models that well? What would it look like for you to grow in that direction this week?