The Time has fully come. Galatians 4:1-20

I have been conducting a series on Galatians with one of my build to points being Galatians 4:4-5.  We will begin the new year in Galatians 5 talking about living by the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. Chapter 6 will be an encouragement to us to press on in the new year with the law of sowing and reaping.
I have to admit that I usually look at Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” simply in light of the birth of Jesus Christ.  But now looking at these verses in context with the message of Paul to the Galatians they have an even deeper meaning.
Paul is continuing to urge his readers to walk by faith in Jesus Christ and not follow the legal system nor the traditions of the Jewish believers who are still attached to the past. Their biggest requirement that Paul is refuting is circumcision.  Paul is using another means of explaining how faith in Christ overrides the legal system of the Old Testament. 
He paints the picture of a child heir stating that a child heir is no different from a slave.  The estate belongs to him yet he has no control over it.  The guardians and trustees have control of the estate until the time, the age set in place for the guardians to step aside and the heir has full control of his estate.   Paul says we were like that child heir.  We were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.  But the time set in place has come, “God sent His Son, born of woman, born under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the full rights of sons.”  We are no longer a slave but a son.  The Spirit of God is now in our hearts so we can call God Abba Father.
We have a one on one relationship with God through Jesus Christ so that we don’t need the guardianship of the law any longer.  Paul is perplexed as to why the Galatians are even considering going back to the old way.  He compares the pain that he has right now for the Galatians to the pain of childbirth.
My prayer for all as we enter the Christmas season is that we would take a hold of God’s Son to be the Lord and Savior of our lives.