Salem Conference 2012 - Pastor Joseph P. Sugrue Saturday PM Part 2

4. Sons:

GAL 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

 

GAL 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

 

GAL 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

 

GAL 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

 

GAL 4:1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,

 

Since adoption as adult sons of God occurs at salvation the reference to the child here is a reference to the unbeliever.

 

The immaturity in view is not spiritual immaturity but a lack of faith in the Gospel of Christ while maintaining that righteousness can come from the Law [old yoke].

 

GAL 4:2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.

 

Roman style adoption usually occurred at the age of 14 where the biological son, up to that point classified as a teknon (child) would be adopted as an adult son who was ready to take on the responsibilities and expected virtues of an adult.

 

GAL 4:3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage [passive - status at birth] under the elemental things of the world.

 

The unbeliever being in slavery to his OSN can go no farther than the Mosaic Law, divine establishment, or religion.

All three of which should show him that He needs a Savior.

For the believer, so many more choices have opened up.

 

GAL 4:4 But when the fulness of the time came [the perfect timing of Christ’s virgin birth], God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

 

GAL 4:5 in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

 

GAL 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

 

GAL 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

The change from the plural, “you are sons,” to the singular, “but a son,” has the effect of individualizing the sonship and making it extremely personal.

This again is unprecedented.  

A natural slave did not expect to be adopted into his master’s family or to receive an inheritance.

 

“No longer a slave” doesn’t refer to slavery to Christ, but to slavery of the OSN, the Law, and the world system.

 

It is obvious that the purchaser is Christ and that the price paid is the blood of Christ, not His literal blood, but His substitutionary spiritual death.

 

As a son to the Father you become the brother of Christ. We all crave a close brother.

 

HEB 2:11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

 

HEB 2:12 saying,

"I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren ,

In the midst of the congregation I will sing Thy praise."

 

[Intimate knowledge of what the Master is doing. ]

 

HEB 2:13 And again,

"I will put My trust in Him. "

And again,

"Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me. "

 

By example I became a slave so that the children given to Me will follow Me.

 

HEB 2:14Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;

 

HEB 2:15and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

5. Betrothed:

ROM 7:1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?

 

ROM 7:2 For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.

 

ROM 7:3 So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man.

 

ROM 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God.

 

ROM 7:5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.

 

ROM 7:6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

 

2CO 11:2

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.

 

1. Slaves: privileged servers under grace

2. Free: privileged self determination to exploit grace

3. Friends: privileged learners of grace

4. Sons: privileged heirs by means of grace

5. Brides: privileged responders to grace

 

5. Betrothed:

ROM 7:1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?

 

ROM 7:2 For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.

 

ROM 7:3 So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man.

 

ROM 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God.

 

ROM 7:5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.

 

ROM 7:6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

 

2CO 11:2

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.

 

1. Slaves: privileged servers under grace

2. Free: privileged self determination to exploit grace

3. Friends: privileged learners of grace

4. Sons: privileged heirs by means of grace

5. Brides: privileged responders to grace

So how can I be a slave and free and a friend and a son and a bride at the same time? This is not natural. It would never be found in the world, past or future.

 

Each one of these titles alone has some historical precedent but together applied to one individual, this is unprecedented.

 

We can find historical examples of important friendships, master - slave relations, father son relations, but to find all of them in one relationship has no historical precedent. This is 100 % unique to the Church.

 

And no wonder, the CA is unique and its head, JC is unique. So how can I be a slave while free and a son and a friend? It is in the uniqueness of Christ.

 

The unique relationship of Christ to the CA believer can only be explained by the uniqueness of Christ Himself.