Sunday 3rd September 2023
You are welcome to worship in person this Sunday at 10.15am. Hand sanitizer and masks are available if you would like to use them.
We are also live streaming of our services. The service can be seen each Sunday morning commencing at 10.15am. Here is the link to our YouTube channel to access the live streaming: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEm1fJeADpcP6gO1BsBKcg
Galatians 3:23-4:7 Being Adopted As God’s Children
Todays’ text is about the source of our past and present identity. Firstly, it is talking about our past identity: ‘who we were before we became who we are now.’ What Paul says to the Galatians is that they were once imprisoned by the law (vs. 23).
However, the law was God’s gift to God’s people to keep their identity – the God’s chosen one in the time of Exile, from the influences of surrounding neighbouring pagans, and through the Roman Empires’ domination. Paul says in verse 24 that it was the Law that prepared people’s hearts for Christ.
This passage is also talking about how we got our present identity: Through the death of Jesus on a cross, Jesus has set Jews and Gentiles, men and women, free from being in custody under the law; free from being imprisoned under the power of sin. I think this is the good news we get from today’s text.
And the last point is about our present identity: ‘who we are now.’ We are the children of God, and God the Father has made us his sons and daughters. It puts us in a whole new status: formerly slaves now His children. That’s who we are! IL-WOONG.
Our Mission is to
Connect with people in Jesus;
Build each other up in faith; and to
Become Like Jesus.