Christmas in July-- Day 2

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!"
Galatians 4:1-6

Questions:
1. What do we learn about the heir in the first sentence?
2. What word is used to describe us in the next sentence?
3. Who came in the third sentence?
4. Why did he come?
5. What do we receive?

1) In the first sentence we learn that although we, as God's people, are "the heir", we have been under a guardian. If we look a bit further down in the passage, we see that the "guardian" was the elementary principles of the world, or the law. 2) In fact, the second sentence states that we were "enslaved". If you are at all familiar with the Old Testament law, you will know that it was incredibly HEAVY. Because of our sinful natures, we are utterly unable to adhere to it. But...

I love this sentence! But when the fullness of time had come, God... There was a particular time, in the succession of moments that are human history, chosen for the climax of God's redemptive plan! ...God sent forth his Son, born of a woman... 3) God the Son became a man. That absolutely boggles my mind! Infinity wrapped in finitude, omnipotence wrapped in a baby. ...born under the law... The God-Man, through whom the entire creation was made, subjected himself to the law in our place. 4) ...to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. These days, most adoptions happen when the one being adopted is a child. But in New Testament times, a wealthy older man would adopt a grown man so that his estate didn't revert to the Roman government. So when a man was adopted, he received the full rights of a wealthy citizen. Any debts he may have had were paid, and he now had access to the resources of his adoptive father! 5) As a result of our adoption into God's family, we receive His very PRESENCE in the form of the Holy Spirit. He lives in us and teaches us to cry out to our new FATHER! It doesn't get much better than that! =)