When an only child in a wealthy family looses both parents that child naturally inherits the entire estate. That is if the child is “of age.” If the child is not an adult he or she becomes the ward of the estate and a guardian is appointed to oversee the child’s affairs, including the child’s finances. Paul point out that such a child has no say in his life and has no money unless it is given to him by the estate trustee. Paul then correctly points out that the child is no better off than a slave within the estate as, like the slave, he has no personal rights and no access to any of the wealth of the estate.

He goes on to point out that the Jews who claimed Abraham as their father allowed themselves to be enslaved by the law of Moses and were thus missing out on their inheritance – the blessings of Abraham. He goes on to point out the stupidity of going back to the slavery of the past when you have know the freedom of Christ.

God sent His Son to buy our freedom from slavery and adopt us into His family.

He then gave us His Spirit within us so that we would know Him as Daddy. We became God’s child and His heir all because of Jesus. Why would we ever want to go back into a life of slavery or worse, back into an orphan’s existence under a guardian with the rights and privileges of a slave? Paul was baffled by that question and we should be as well, because, even though we are children of the King, too often we live under the oppression of our own devices

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, March 8, 2026. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons, which covers the Book of Galatians, is A Cry for Freedom: Grace that Is Still Amazing. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/a-cry-for-freedom-galatians-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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