December 8, 2021 - Galatians 4:1-7

An old Bill Gaither chorus we used to sing is "I'm So Glad I'm a part of the family of God. I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood! Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod, for I'm part of the family, the family of God." Being part of God's family is all because Jesus was born, became a man and delivered us from sin!

Historians state that the Roman world was anticipating and waiting for a Deliverer when Jesus was born. Old religions were being questioned and many philosophies were demonstrating an emptiness and lack of power to change people's lives. This resulted in a spiritual vacuum and a thirst for answers that Christ's coming provided.

Paul writes to the Galatian believers exhorting them to not abandon their faith in Jesus Christ. His desire for them was to continue in their belief despite the assault which came from both the Jews and the Gentiles, reminding them of the rudimentary truths they had been taught! Questions Paul addressed were, "What did God do?" and "When was redemption accomplished?" Paul quickly answers with, "when the fullness of the time had come" (v.4), He redeemed us (v.5). Paul recognized God had sent His Son at the precise time to fulfill prophesy.

The challenges confronting Galatian believers were immense, but those difficulties paled compared to the reality of Jesus Christ's birth. Jesus came from His Father in heaven, was born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those under the curse of the Law! God loved mankind so much He willingly sent His Son from heaven to earth so that we might be adopted into His family.

Billy Graham wrote, "Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream. It is a glorious reality. It is a time of joy. Bethlehem's manager crib became the link that bound a lost world to a loving God. From that manager came a Man who not only taught us a new way of life but brought us into a new relationship with our Creator. Christmas means that God is interested in the affairs of people, that God loves us so much that He is willing to give His Son."

God's love for man was so great that He was willing to go to extreme lengths to include us into His family! This season is more than gift giving and receiving, it is a reminder of God's love for us. May we rejoice that our Heavenly Father and Lord loves family so much they willingly sacrificed for us to accomplish the plan of salvation.