IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME.

SERIES: GALATIANS: BE FREE.

TEXT: GALATIANS 4:1-7.

The arrival of Jesus Christ on this earth was anticipated and prophesied about and so will His return be with anticipation.

God is never early and He is never late. He is always right on time. It may not be “in our time” but it is always “in His time” which is the right time. Christmas reminds us that Jesus Christ came to this world at just the right time. Please read again Galatians 4:4-7.

Today let us examine our text in the light of God working out His plan in human history and in our individual lives with the following outline.

1. Preparation.
2. Purpose.
3. Privileges.

PREPARATIONS-Gal. 4:4.

• We are told that the first coming of Jesus Christ happened at the fullness of time.
• Throughout the Old Testament there were numerous prophesies given concerning the coming of the Messiah.
• There were prophesies concerning the manner of His birth that He would be born of a virgin.
• The place of His birth was prophesied-Bethlehem.
• The life, work and ministry of Jesus was prophesied-Isaiah 61.
• His death, burial and resurrection were prophesied.
• His ascension to heaven was prophesied.
• The preaching of the Gospel was prophesied.
• His second coming was prophesied.

1. There was a religious preparation for His coming.

• Throughout the Old Testament, God had been dealing with His chosen people-Israel.
• It was through Israel that the Messiah would come.
• But Israel was always straying from God. They refused to simply worship Him alone, and were always following after other gods of the people around them (judges).
• God judged His people for their idolatry.
• Finally we see two captivities, the Assyrian captivity-The kingdom of Israel and the Babylonian captivity-Judah, the southern kingdom.
• One of the outcomes of the Babylonian captivity was that the Jews worshipped Jehovah only (monotheism).
• During the Babylonian captivity the Jews came in touch with the Persians who were Zoroastrians or monotheists.
• It is believed that the wise men (Magi) were Zoroastrian priests.
• A second important effect of the captivity upon the Jews was that the canon of the Old Testament scriptures was gathered together under prophet Ezra.
• The canonization of the Old Testament paved the way for the preaching of the Gospel of Christ.
• A third effect of the captivity was that the Jewish synagogue came into being.
• The only place for worship was the temple in Jerusalem. Now that the temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and people taken in to captivity (1,500 miles) away the captives would gather in synagogues for teaching only.
• The synagogue later became a pattern for the Christian church.
• We therefore see that the religious preparation for the coming of Christ was complete.

2. There was also a cultural preparation for His coming.

• In 350 B.C, Alexander the Great son of a Macedonian King Philip, conquered the entire known world in exactly 12 years!!
• Because of Alexander’s influence, the whole world became Greek in culture, philosophy, institutions of high learning, art, drama, literature, architecture, thought and language.
• Greek was so wide spread to the extent that the ordinary people became very familiar with a style of Greek called KOINE or common Greek.
• In 280 BC the Hebrew Scriptures (O.T) was translated into Greek. This volume was/is called the “Septuagint.”
• The stage was set for the preaching of the Gospel.
• Linguistically, culturally the line of communication were opened-The time was right, it was a fullness of time.

3. Finally, there was a political, economic preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ.

• The Romans had conquered the Greeks, The city of Rome was now the center of the entire world.
• The Romans built Roman roads in the known world (All roads led to Rome)!!
• The Romans suppressed all criminal acts on land and is the seas. They created a fine postal service system.
• The Romans instituted the “PAX ROMANA” or the Universal Roman Peace.
• God controlled those who would ascend to power in the Roman Empire.
• At the coming of Jesus Christ, Ceaser Augustus was in the seat of power.
• When Augustus Ceaser called for a census of the entire known world, he was not aware that He was doing the will of God.
• It was this edict of the Ceaser that made Joseph and Marry to make an historic journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be registered only for our Lord to be born in Bethlehem.
• Jesus was born of woman, born under the law.
• If God through His sovereignty moved the entire world to act in a certain way-God will work in your life!!
• God will work in your life in a certain way. Trust Him in your situation, whatever your situation this day, Rest in His timing, God does all things well.

PURPOSE-Galatians 4:5.

“To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons”-Vs. 5.

• There was more to that night in Bethlehem almost 2,000 years ago than merely a babe in a manger.
• Jesus did not come to give you a Christmas holiday, He came to REDEEM
• The time was right for redemption:-

1. He came to redeem us.

• We were under the law, a law we could not keep.
• We stood condemned by our own inadequacy-Rom. 6:33.
• Jesus Christ came to bare our iniquities and our humanity-He died on the cross in our place.
• Because of the death of Christ, we were forgiven, cleansed, and set free from sin and the law of sin and death.
• Jesus came to buy us back and make us His own (adopt).
• We need to out of our own choice, choose life of redemption or refuse it.
• The offer of redemption (salvation) is open to all-only unbelief limits the free offer of salvation.

2. He also came to adopt us:-

• The good news is we become sons of God.
• The word, “Adopt” in Greek (Huiothesi) comes from two Greek words, “Thesia,” means “placing” and “huios” which means “son.”
• When we come to Christ Jesus, we are “placed” into the family of God as “sons.”
• Adoption is the act of Christ by which He places every repentant sinner into the family of God.
• Jesus Christ came not only to forgive us our sins but to also place us into the family of God.
• God’s plan for us all along has been to adopt us into His family.
• Those who believe and receive Jesus Christ into their lives by faith, become children of God.
• There is great dignity in adoption than in being born. Adoption is a choice, birth is not choice.

PRIVILEGES-Galatians 6-7.

• Christ came to fulfill His plan for the world and for us.
• That plan was to redeem us and to adopt us.
• Through adoption we gain certain privileges-the privileges of sonship.

1. We are no longer servants, but sons.

• We have been taken from this position of orphaned servitude and placed into His family.
• We no longer serve the lusts of the flesh, the whims of the devil or the pressure of our peers.
• It is a terrible thing to be in bondage-the condition of all people without Jesus Christ.
• We used to be under bondage to our own desires, to the habit-patterns of the past and we were in bondage to the devil himself.
• Now that sovereign work of God has done away with all that.
• Now we are free because of the work of Christ on the cross.
• We have received the Holy Spirit in our lives, He cries Abba Father!!
• He communes with our spirit and testifies that we are God’s children.

2. We are not only sons, but also heirs of God.

• Through Jesus Christ we become heirs of the kingdom.
• We have an inheritance, the riches of the kingdom are ours through Jesus Christ.
• We are born again to reign and rule with Christ in His millennial kingdom and in eternity.
• We are heirs of a mansion in heaven. This mansion is prepared personally by Jesus Christ.
• We are also heirs of the abundant life in Christ here and now.

CONCLUSION

• Has the fullness of time come into your life?
• Are you saved, born again? Do you have the witness in your life, does the Holy Spirit cry in you Abba Father?
• If not, now surrender to Him, Let Him direct your every step-He is your Savior.