Sons and Daughters of the King

December 30, 2020

Galatians 3:23-25: "Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith."

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are invited into a new covenant with the Lord. This new covenant is radically different from the old covenant. Instead of living by the laws written on stones, we now have the law written on our hearts. Instead of living in fear of punishment for our sins and the need to make ongoing sacrifices for those sins, we are forgiven once and for all. Jesus took our sins upon himself so that we can enjoy ongoing peace with the Father.

In this passage from Galatians, Paul described this transition from the old covenant to the new covenant as one from captivity to sonship. Not only are we free from the law and the repercussions of the law, but we are now called sons and daughters of God. As sons and daughters of the Lord, we have a glorious inheritance and the assurance of eternal life with him. True liberation was found through faith in Jesus Christ. That was truly good news!

This liberation through Jesus Christ is still very good news. We do not earn God's love, forgiveness, and approval. All of this is given to us through faith in his Son. Instead of doing, we are receiving from the Lord. Because this salvation is based on Jesus and not on our own merits, we have full assurance of our salvation. It can't be lost. In fact, we have been given the Holy Spirit as the deposit within us; the Holy Spirit's presence is our ongoing assurance that the Lord dwells in us and that our salvation is eternally secure.

No matter what you have done or what you will do, you are not a slave but a son or daughter of the king. Rest in this amazing gift of salvation that has been won for you through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Reflection:
Do you live in the freedom of being a son or a daughter of the king? What new freedom would the Lord want you to embrace today?