Thoughts on Galatians 4:1-3

As children we are under “guardians and managers.” For the Jew this would be the Mosaic Law. In 3:25 Paul speaks of the law as a guardian when he says, “now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” As a minor, an heir has no say or right to the things his father had left him until the date pre-determined by the father. The minor does not get to set the date or determine what is left to him. He is at the mercy of his father. The same is true of us. We do not receive what the Father has set aside for us to receive until the time He has set aside. For some it happens sooner than others. For others still it does not happen at all. We are at the mercy of the merciful, gracious, just, perfect, loving God and I praise Him for that. I would much rather my fate be in the hands of a perfect God than in my own. I know that, apart from God, my heart is only evil continually (Gen 6:5), that I can do no good (Rom 3:10-12), and that, in God’s eyes, the things that I do that I think are righteous he equates with a bloody tampon (Isaiah 64:6). It’s obvious what my fate is apart from God stepping in and removing my heart of stone and replacing it with a heart that would desire Him. Let me restate that I am thankful that God does not leave my fate in my own hands.

When we are children (not yet redeemed by God’s grace) we are enslaved to the ways of the world. We will desire the world. We will follow the course of the world and all it’s evil spirits (Eph 2:1-3). We will be enslaved by the laws or systems that we follow until Jesus sets us free from the curse that enslaves us (Gal 3:13).