Born of a Woman

What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:1-7

As we saw in Romans 8, a minor child, in the culture to which Paul was writing, was treated as property under the authority of slaves, who were responsible for his proper training. Although the child was an heir, he had no authority over the estate, and was subject to servants in his father’s household. Therefore, the minor child himself was as a slave to a slave, until his father decreed him an adult (adopted him as a son).

In ancient Rome, a child born into a family was treated as chattel for the first 14 years. Slaves in the household actually had the rule over him, to see to his upbringing and education. The child wore a robe of a certain design, identifying him as a child. At age 14, the child was adopted in a special ceremony and declared a legal adult, with all the privileges of adulthood. In that ceremony, the father took off the robe of childhood and dressed the brand new adult in the “toga virilis” (robe of manhood). He could now vote, manage money, get married, and enter military service. ( Adoption, posted March 16, 2012).

“When we (Jews) were underage” we were enslaved to the legalism of Jewish religion. The law (“elemental spiritual forces”) had authority over the Jews, in their early existence as a people. But the Father had a time set  for pronouncing His people fully adopted sons. God's timing is always perfect.

And when that time came, God had a fully human woman, born under the law, prepared to conceive in her womb His unique Son. Mary had an old sin nature and was subject to the law. It is IN ADAM (by one man) that all die. It was Adam who was held responsible for the fall of humanity. It was Adam who, having the authority and knowing the consequences, made the wrong choice to disobey God’s direct command in the garden. Therefore, it is the male who passes on the death-inducing sin nature to humanity. Women are human, and also carry the old sin nature, but women do not pass it on in procreation. There is an interesting thing that happens to chromosomes just before fertilization of the ovum that enables this phenomenon. It is termed mitosis and meiosis and has to do with cell division and chromosome reduction in the reproductive process.

Our salvation depends on the virgin conception and birth of the Savior. So, impregnation by the Holy Spirit produced in the virgin a sinless human baby boy; the unique Son of God. He was the only human ever born who could qualify to atone for our sins, redeeming us from slavery to the law, so that we could be adopted as sons. As sons, we are no longer subject to law, but enjoy a fully adult relationship with the Father.

Now, God the Holy Spirit has a people with whom He can communicate and in whom He can work. After the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, He established His Church which is His Body on earth, to carry on the preaching of the gospel throughout the earth and to teach His people His perfect Word of Truth; producing in us the mind of Christ.

This could not happen under the law. The law had to be fulfilled and the Spirit given before we, the Church, could realize our purpose and destiny as sons of God. God is Abba, our Father. We are no longer slaves, but heirs of the Kingdom. Returning to the law is like reverting to childhood helplessness. It negates the benefits of grace and renders us incompetent babies.

We who have believed in Jesus Christ are all grown-up now. Let’s behave like adult sons.