Galatians 4:4-7 Abba! Father!

Galatians 4:4-7  “But when the fullness of the 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!’  Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” (NASB)

Now today’s Scripture is just too big a bite to chew in the format of the periodic devotion and yet it is incomplete if chopped up.  So I’ve chosen to give you the whole passage but I’m going to reference only one of many points to make from it.  Please read and take at face value the message of our inheritance.  Today I’d like to focus on the God part of the passage.

I have referred to the Trinity in past entries and we’ve even seen Scriptural examples referencing the Father and the Son or the Son and the Spirit.  The significant aspect of this passage that I’d like to address today is the Trinity.  In Galatians 4:6, just one little verse, all three persons of the Trinity are revealed.  This passage reads, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”.

Let’s break it down.  Although Father, Son and Spirit are all God, this passage initially references the first person of the Trinity as, “God”.  We know this because of verse 4 which says, “God sent forth His Son”.  In other words, Jesus didn’t send himself.  He “Emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” Phillipians 2:7 in obedience to the direction of the Father.  It was the Father, “God” who sent Him.

So we have established the presence of the Father and the Son in the passage.  Verse 6 goes on to share the results of our, “Adoption as sons”.  That result is the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit being sent.  “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit”.  So again we have the Father sending but this time He sends the Holy Spirit.  And it is worth noting here where the Holy Spirit is sent.  The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of His Son, is sent, “Into our hearts”.  When Christians claim Jesus in their heart, this is the Scriptural basis for the claim.

Let’s also not neglect the affect referenced here as to the Spirit of the Son living in our hearts.  That affect is an outpouring of, “Abba! Father!”  This phrase is interesting because it is actually the same word twice.  So, Abba! Father! Literally means Father, Father.  It is rendered “Abba! Father!” Because Abba is actually the Syrian word while patēr is the Greek word also for Father.  The Bible dictionary I consulted indicates that with mixed languages in use words were often doubled in this way.  So the Holy Spirit evokes from us our plea to our Heavenly Father, “Abba! Father!”.

So as Christians we believe that God is one but exists as three persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  This passage referring to all three is a significant proof text for this doctrine.  We are thankful today that the Father sent His Son, Jesus and that when His work on earth was finished and He returned to heaven the Father sent the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts and testify from within as to the Truth of His Word.  AMEN!

Philippians 2:5-7 Christmas part 3: Emptied

Philippians 2:5-7  “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” (NASB)

Have you considered the pre-thinking of the birth of Jesus?  You know, what was it He thought of the whole idea?  Scripture gives us some insight into what was considered and perhaps more importantly what was NOT considered prior to the incarnation of Christ.

This passage in Philippians explores what is known as the “Kenosis”.  This concept comes from the Greek word kenoō translated here, “Emptied”.  The doctrine of Kenosis is this idea that Jesus the eternal second person of the triune God came to earth in the form of man.  He did this having “Emptied Himself” of some aspects of his deity in order to make it possible.  The nature and extent of this emptying is fodder for debate and discussion but several things are clear. 

First, Jesus made the decision.  Jesus, “Emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant …”  So whether it was in obedience to the Father it was Jesus that did the deed.  He did the emptying.

Second, although Jesus became a man during this incarnation, He remained God.  We say that He is fully God and fully man at the same time.  His life demonstrated that both his divinity and his humanity were at work.  As a man he was tempted, he became hungry and ate, he became tired and needed sleep and etc.  At the same time he was fully God maintaining control over his creation, casting out demons, healing the sick and even raising the dead.

But the key thing I’d like to point out about his decision or thinking comes from the phrase, “Although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped”.  Jesus gave Himself up to this emptying even though He didn’t have to.  He, “Did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped”.  That is He didn’t hold on to it, He let it go.  His choice; let go.

Jesus coming to earth in the form of man as the baby Jesus born of Mary in an animal stall was His choice. It was His gift to us. He gave up His cushy place in heaven to put on flesh and walk among us for 33 years enduring all we endure. But, He endured even more, He not only surrendered when he became a man but he surrendered to the crucifixion though he had not sinned. His life and His death are the ultimate Christmas gifts to us. AMEN!

John 1:1-3 In the Beginning was the Word

John 1:1-3  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being”. (NASB)

This opening section of John’s gospel doesn’t beat around the bush.  Right off the bat, in just three sentences, he pours out some major truth about God the Son, Jesus Christ.  First, he established the time frame, “In the beginning”.  Actually the Greek word used is archē and carries the idea of first in order or at the commencement.  It means that Jesus was there already or eternally.  Jesus is eternal because He was already there, in the beginning.

The second big thought John reveals is that not only was Jesus eternally present with God, but Jesus is in fact God.  As Christians, we believe in the Trinity which is to say God in three persons; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  This opening of John’s gospel reveals the first two persons of the Triune God when he says the Word (Jesus) was with God and the Word was God.

 John not done yet lays on a third major idea.  The Word (Jesus) is the Creator.  “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being”.  WOW!  Jesus, the Word is eternal, is God and is the Creator of everything.
 

Now that’s some Juice!  AMEN!