Slaves Turned To Sons

So you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if you are a son, then you are also an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7)

During the time when slaves were utilized on the plantations in America, it was not uncommon for the children of slaves to be taken away from their families and raised in the house alongside the master’s children. These children were treated the same as the heirs of the master, until the age when they were able to labor for the master in the fields or in other areas around the plantation. Even though they were raised the same as the sons, they were slaves, and they would never inherit anything from their master, unlike the children of the plantation owner.

Paul used a similar picture of our condition before faith. We were slaves, forced to do the will of the one who owned us, never receiving any good thing permanent from our master. We were slaves to the Devil, subject to do his will, rewarded with only fear and condemnation.

But Paul also tells us that Jesus came, at the right time, to set us free from our slavery. He came to this earth and lived a perfect life for us so that we could be set free from slavery and adopted as sons into God’s family. Through Jesus, we have been made children of God. And because we are children of God, we now receive all good things from him. We receive forgiveness of sins, righteousness and holiness, eternal life, and an eternal Father who loves us.

While we receive all these things, there are still many who live and grow alongside us, who are still slaves. They are still slaves to the Devil and his allies. Let us continue to share the message of the gospel that turned us from slaves into sons, and can do the same for them. Amen.

The song for today is “Good Good Father/No Longer A Slave” by Caleb + Kelsey

Worship Medley - Good Good Father / No Longer Slaves | Caleb + Kelsey Mashup