Freedom from the “babysitter” to live freely in the Spirit through Jesus Christ.

Galatians 4:1-5

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.” Galatians 4:1-2

Paul is using the illustration of a child whose parents are rich, and one day, the child will inherit a lot of wealth from the parents. The child could be as young as a newborn. A child is incapable of caring for themselves and has babysitters, care keepers, and guardians watching over them. Regardless of how much the child stands to inherit, the child is no different than a slave who is under the authority of others.

“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:3-5

Being in bondage to the elements of the world is referring to two things:
First, the Jewish people having their spirit and heart in bondage to over 613 laws of the Old Testament. They were like a child who were living under the babysitter of the laws of Judaism, babysitting their carnal human nature. When God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the babysitter was no longer needed because people could live freely within the Spirit. Christ Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Himself was born under the law, with Joseph and Mary being His guardians who had stewardship of Him. His parents had Him circumcised on the eighth day after His birth, as required by the law of Judaism [Luke 2:21]. As we know, Jesus was led by the Spirit of God and was chased away by the Jewish leaders, who conspired to have Him crucified. By His death on the Cross, He redeems every Jewish person who believes in Him and adopts them as the children of God. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…” John 1:12

Second, Paul [through the Holy Spirit] is speaking to everyone else in this world whose spirit and heart are in bondage to the materialism, pleasures, and offerings of this world. The population of this world are being baby-sitted by the beast that has power over physiology to give them what to speak, do, think, and feel. That beast enlivens the image of the beast to speak and live through people as they are groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do. Jesus Christ came to extend the grace and mercy of God to us so that in this atheistic world, our belief in Him is our Salvation and eternal life. He calls us His own. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11