An Expert Breakdown of Galatians 4:6: Children of God

Context of Sonship in Galatians 4

This verse comes in the middle of Paul’s passionate argument to the Galatian churches, who are being pressured to follow old religious rules as a way to earn God’s favor.

Paul reminds them that before Christ, they were like slaves, stuck following the basic religious routines of the world, but God sent His Son to free them and adopt them as His own children. Because of that adoption, God changes our status and sends His Spirit into our hearts, the same Spirit that makes Jesus’ relationship with the Father intimate and real. This Spirit stirs in us the cry, 'Abba! Father!' - a personal, warm, childlike call to God, showing we now belong to Him as dearly loved sons and daughters.

This truth stands in sharp contrast to returning to empty rules and rituals, which Paul warns pulls them back into slavery instead of living in the freedom of being God’s children.

The Spirit, 'Abba,' and the Heart of Adoption

Building on the truth of our adoption, Paul now reveals how the inner experience of the Spirit confirms our new identity as God’s children.

The phrase 'Spirit of his Son' is a title that shows the same Spirit who filled Jesus and led Him in perfect sonship is now given to us. This means we don’t relate to God through duty or distance, but through a shared spiritual reality: the same Spirit that enabled Jesus to call God 'Father' now works in us to do the same. It’s not mimicry. It’s family likeness.

The word 'Abba' was the everyday Aramaic term for 'Daddy' or 'Papa' - a warm, intimate way a child would address his father. Jesus used it in Mark 14:36 when He prayed, 'Abba, Father, all things are possible for you,' showing His close, trusting relationship with God. By saying the Spirit leads us to cry 'Abba! Father!', Paul shows that our access to God is not formal or fearful, but deeply personal and secure. This cry is more than words; it is the instinctive expression of a heart that knows it is loved and safe, echoing the very heartbeat of Jesus’ own prayers.

The Spirit doesn’t just live in us - He prays through us, calling out to God with the same intimate cry Jesus used, making our relationship with God deeply personal.

This truth transforms how we live: we’re not trying to earn God’s love, but responding to it. And it warns against reducing faith to rules - like the Galatians were tempted to do - because no list of dos and don’ts can replace the living relationship the Spirit creates. This inner cry of 'Abba' is the mark of true sonship, and it prepares us for Paul’s next point: if we’re children of the free woman, we must not go back to slavery.

Living as God's Beloved Children

Because the Spirit leads us to cry 'Abba! Father!', we can live every day with the confidence that we are deeply known and dearly loved by God.

This wasn’t the norm in the ancient world - religion often meant fear, rituals, and trying to appease distant gods. But Paul says followers of Jesus can call the Creator of the universe 'Daddy' not because we’re good enough, but because the Spirit lives in us. That intimate relationship is the heart of the good news: we’re not earning favor, we’re enjoying family.

This personal connection with God through the Spirit prepares us to understand Paul’s urgent warning - why would anyone trade this freedom and love for old, lifeless rules?

The Spirit's Cry and Our Shared Sonship in the Family of God

This intimate cry of 'Abba! Father!' isn’t unique to Galatians - it’s echoed in Romans 8:15-17, where Paul says, 'For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.'

These verses show that the Spirit’s work of confirming our adoption is central to the Christian life across Paul’s letters. It means every believer, regardless of background, has the same access to God as Jesus Himself - no one is a second-class citizen in this family.

When we cry 'Abba, Father,' we’re not just speaking personally - we’re joining a chorus of believers led by the Spirit, all claiming our place as heirs of God’s promise.

This truth should transform how we live together as a church: with deep respect, patience, and love, because we’re all equally loved children and co-heirs with Christ - no one needs to prove they belong.

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