Galatians 4:1-5 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
God looks down at His creation as one body. He teaches us principles through His chosen people but these principles are for the whole body.
The body is a fallen body. It has the mind of a teenager. It lives by desires and sometimes these desires are harmful to the body. Just like a teenager living in his father's house the father lays down rules with curses and blessings to protect the teenager and the inheritance promised to him by his father. As long as the teenager is living under the father's roof he is bound by the rules set by the father. These rules, with their cures and blessings, are administered by the father to govern the child because he is underage. But when the teenager reaches the age set by his father (usually 18) he is no longer under the authority of his father's rules. The father hopes and prays that while his son was under the authority of his rules he would see the value and importance of them in how they were meant to protect him and help him to experience a happy and healthy life.
For example. Let's say you're a 15 year old living with your parents. Your father teaches you the dangers of smoking cigarettes. He establishes a house rule for the teenager against smoking because smoking is addicting and dangerous. The rule states that the teenager is not allowed to smoke, period. If the father catches the teenager smoking he will be put on restriction with no TV and early bedtime for a week. This rule only applies to the child as longer as he is under the age set by his father because once he turns 18 he is no longer under the authority of the father's rules, he is no longer under the law. But does that mean smoking is now good for him? No way! Does that mean he can smoke all day, every day, even in front of his father without being put on restriction? Yes it does. Will it hurt the father to see the son smoking? Yes, because the father loves the son. Can the father punish the 18 year old son with no TV and early bedtime for a week? No he can't because the son is 18 and no longer under the authority of the father's rules.
This is what God is trying to tell us. In Adam we are all under 18 and under the authority of the Law on stone and subject to punishment. In Christ we are 18 so all is lawful but not all is helpful. We can smoke and not be punished by the father but smoking itself has a punishment of it's own which is what the father was trying to protect us from in the first place. The father's hope for the son is that, while the son was under the law he would learn the value of the law and take ownership of it. The father's hope is that when the son turns 18 he would see the value in his father's instructions and live by them because they are good, holy and right.
Galatians 3:23-25 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Do we need written rules with cures and blessings? If we do then we are still under age and immature. Let us see value in the instructions of our Father and take ownership of them. When this happens they will be written on our heart and we will follow them from the heart because they are valuable, right, good and it blesses the Father to see His adult children living a blessed life because they internalized His instructions.
God looks down at His creation as one body. He teaches us principles through His chosen people but these principles are for the whole body.
The body is a fallen body. It has the mind of a teenager. It lives by desires and sometimes these desires are harmful to the body. Just like a teenager living in his father's house the father lays down rules with curses and blessings to protect the teenager and the inheritance promised to him by his father. As long as the teenager is living under the father's roof he is bound by the rules set by the father. These rules, with their cures and blessings, are administered by the father to govern the child because he is underage. But when the teenager reaches the age set by his father (usually 18) he is no longer under the authority of his father's rules. The father hopes and prays that while his son was under the authority of his rules he would see the value and importance of them in how they were meant to protect him and help him to experience a happy and healthy life.
For example. Let's say you're a 15 year old living with your parents. Your father teaches you the dangers of smoking cigarettes. He establishes a house rule for the teenager against smoking because smoking is addicting and dangerous. The rule states that the teenager is not allowed to smoke, period. If the father catches the teenager smoking he will be put on restriction with no TV and early bedtime for a week. This rule only applies to the child as longer as he is under the age set by his father because once he turns 18 he is no longer under the authority of the father's rules, he is no longer under the law. But does that mean smoking is now good for him? No way! Does that mean he can smoke all day, every day, even in front of his father without being put on restriction? Yes it does. Will it hurt the father to see the son smoking? Yes, because the father loves the son. Can the father punish the 18 year old son with no TV and early bedtime for a week? No he can't because the son is 18 and no longer under the authority of the father's rules.
This is what God is trying to tell us. In Adam we are all under 18 and under the authority of the Law on stone and subject to punishment. In Christ we are 18 so all is lawful but not all is helpful. We can smoke and not be punished by the father but smoking itself has a punishment of it's own which is what the father was trying to protect us from in the first place. The father's hope for the son is that, while the son was under the law he would learn the value of the law and take ownership of it. The father's hope is that when the son turns 18 he would see the value in his father's instructions and live by them because they are good, holy and right.
Galatians 3:23-25 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Do we need written rules with cures and blessings? If we do then we are still under age and immature. Let us see value in the instructions of our Father and take ownership of them. When this happens they will be written on our heart and we will follow them from the heart because they are valuable, right, good and it blesses the Father to see His adult children living a blessed life because they internalized His instructions.
Last edited:
