Pastor’s Thoughts – 12-21-2025

We are now just days away from Christmas. Amazingly, the world in general embraces and eagerly celebrates something which they know little of in reference to its true value or meaning. There are three verses given by Paul grouped together that of themselves and by their immediate context bring out the incredible richness of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. “But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son born of a woman, born under the law so that He might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba Father” (Gal. 4:4). Paul is explaining to the Galatian church that Christ has fulfilled the requirements of the law and that those in Christ are no longer condemned by the law. To go back and add legal requirements to salvation by grace in Christ is as Paul says at the beginning of the Galatian epistle is, ”a different gospel, which is not the Gospel” (Gal. 1:7). The law had a preparatory purpose to demonstrate the condition of man in sin. In the context of our verse, Paul is likening the law given to Israel as a child heir to a fortune, who is tutored under subordination similar as a slave, but in a learning process in order to be prepared for adulthood as an inheritor. The laws’ purpose was to tutor elementary things. It was not intended to save, but to demonstrate our situation in condemnation. Then in adulthood God purposed, “In the fullness of time” to send forth His Son.” God’s Son would be the One promised to restore our ruined relationship to God, lost by the sin of our parents in the Garden of Eden. Christ is the One and only One who could act to, “Crush the head of Satan” (Gen. 3:15), as God promised. Therefore, the phrase, “in the fullness of time,” gives us the knowledge of the expected great redeeming event based on God’s promise. And we see that by the wording, “fullness of time” that we should gratefully embrace the exacting nature and purpose of God seen in Christ’s first coming.

Freedom from sin would never come by attempting to maintain laws which we could not keep, but by the wisdom, action, and power of God in grace. Christ’s coming supplied the basis of true freedom. The fullness of time refers to the exacting ripeness in history for God to act as promised. Christmas really began before the foundation of the world in the infinite mind of God, and its timing was disclosed later by God through Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27). Now we look back and celebrate what God did in sending His Son and wait on its manifested fulfillment at His second coming. Notice the glorious details of our Lords’ first coming found here by Paul. He says He is God’s Son. He is the perfect One promised in such places as Isaiah 9:6 where He is called, “Mighty God,” and “Everlasting Father.” But also, Paul says He was born of a woman. In order to save sinners and fulfill the promise to crush the head of Satan, Christ had to be in a person both divine and human. His sacrifice had to be divine for its infinite abilities and value. Yet, He also had to be a man since it was a man, our father Adam, who plunged us into sin. A man had to bear the penalty of our sin. Paul also says, “born under the law.” Christ was born as a Jew obligated to keep God’s laws. He uniquely and perfectly satisfied all the aspects of God’s laws as a man. He alone met the demands of perfect obedience.

The perfection of the Incarnation Is explained further by Paul who says, “So that He might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:5). We who are recipients of His grace are not only to be delivered from the penalty of sin we deserve by the substitutionary sacrifice of God’s perfect Son, but also, we are adopted into His very family. This surpasses not only any other benefit considered or expressed, but also anything anyone could perceive or imagine. Yet, it is real and perfectly planned by God.

Finally notice it was not only the Son who was sent, but also the Holy Spirit to complete this promised glorious work. “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, Abba Father” (Gal. 4:6)! The same word for sending the Son is used here for sending the Spirit. The reason we believe is because God has worked in our heart. This is the transformative evidence that we are now His sons. We have been converted by the Holy Spirit so that we relish not merely in the general idea of Christmas, but in the wonder and glory of what God has done through His Son. He has transformed our sinful hearts from being hateful, rebellious, distrustful, and self-centered into a process moving us more and more into the likeness of the redeeming Son. The idea of crying out to God, “Abba Father” is a delighted outcry of responsive recognition and overwhelming gratitude. As we approach Christmas once again, it is indeed a special time but let us not be merely caught up in the tinsel and holiday fervor but in the glory of our God who considered our helpless estate and sent His Son and His Spirit. All glory to our God!