25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Continuing the analogy, like a child coming to adulthood no longer needs to submit to the authority of his tutor, so also when a person comes to faith in Christ, he no longer needs to submit to the Law of Moses. It has completed its task and is no longer needed; it has no more authority over a person of faith.
Paul is speaking now specifically to the Galatian believers and affirms their new identity in Christ. Being Gentiles, the question of their relationship to God is settled, and it doesn’t require becoming Jewish. And it does not require keeping the Law. They are sons of God, part of the family of His people. In other places he writes of being adopted, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15). Sons in Greek and Roman culture had full rights and status as family members, they were no longer treated as children.
The sonship of believers is a big topic in the Christian life. “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He [Jesus] is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Hebrews 2:11). Because we are sons, we can refer to God the Father as Jesus did. “And He [Jesus] was saying, ‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for You’…” (Mark 14:36). “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15). We have the same familial prerogative of approaching the Father as did our brother, Jesus. What a privilege!
Our baptism signifies the new relationship we have. Of course Paul is not writing about water baptism, but just as he wrote to the Romans, this is a spiritual baptism, a placing ourselves into Christ (see Romans 6:3-4). Here baptism is likened to having “clothed yourselves with Christ.” Because we are in Him, we have the same access to God. We are now sons because He is the Son. The question is, do we really believe it and act like it is true? Going back to the law and requiring it for being right with God is not acting like sons.
So many Christians today act like children who still need the law; they live by their lists of regulations and requirements. But Christ has set us free by making us sons of God. Let us walk as sons. Christian, remember who you are!
Lord, thank You for giving me a new identity. Your one and only begotten Son is not ashamed of me! So I know I am fully accepted by You, because I am in Him.
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