What I am saying is that as long as an heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:1-7
“As with the time set by the father for the maturation and inheritance for his son, so also with God. When the “time had fully come,” God sent his Son so that the inheritance could be had. The expression “fully come” is the completion of the “basic principles” of verse three. God sent his Son, and the Son lived under the law (though not under sin) so that he could absorb the curse of the law, exhaust the fumes of God’s wrath, and redeem those under the law. Once the Son had done this, the barrier was knocked down between God and people (and between peoples), and they could become “sons of God” (verse five). Their sonship is tantamount to governing the “whole estate” (verse one)…”
Scot McKnight in Galatians: The NIV Application Commentary Book 9 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995).
Why explore this text as we begin the last week of Advent which explores God’s love for us in the incarnation? It serves as the basis for our stewardship and our generosity. Let me explain.
When the time had fully come, God sent Jesus, who (as McKnight rightly notes) lived under the law but not under sin, so that He may redeem us and make us His children—His heirs to govern the whole estate. Now do you see it?
Our stewardship is rooted in His Advent (he came when the time had fully come), and our generosity is based on our position as His children and His heirs. Consequently, the inheritance is not a pile of money from God for us; it’s our place as His children.
Here’s how that shapes our stewardship and generosity: our generosity is no longer rooted in the basic principles of this world. The inheritance for us as heirs positions us to govern the “whole estate” that God owns in a manner that reflects His love and generosity. Get it?
We are the conduits of his love and generosity to the world! This is why Christmas is such a big deal in all of human history and related to our generosity.