So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. Galatians 3:26
After meeting the Queen of England at a ball in Scotland, Sylvia and her husband received a message that the royal family would like to visit them for tea. Sylvia started cleaning and prepping, nervous about hosting the royal guests. Before they were due to arrive, she went outside to pick some flowers for the table, her heart racing. Then she sensed God reminding her that He’s the King of kings and that He’s with her every day. Immediately she felt peaceful and thought, “After all, it’s only the Queen!”
Sylvia is right. As the apostle Paul noted, God is the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15) and those who follow Him are “children of God” (Galatians 3:26). When we belong to Christ, we’re heirs of Abraham (v. 29). We no longer are bound by division—such as that of race, social class, or gender—for we’re “all one in Christ Jesus” (v. 28). We’re children of the King.
Although Sylvia and her husband had a marvelous meal with the Queen, I don’t anticipate receiving an invitation from the monarch anytime soon. But I love the reminder that the highest King of all is with me every moment. And that those who believe in Jesus wholeheartedly (v. 27) can live in unity, knowing they’re God’s children.
How could holding onto this truth shape the way we live today?
What does it mean to you to be an heir of Abraham? How could you invite others to become part of the family?
King of kings and Lord of lords, You are mighty and glorious. Thank You for stooping down to love me and for welcoming me as Your child.
INSIGHT
In Galatians, Paul explains the importance of the law given to Moses but also tells his readers the law is powerless to save anyone. He wrote, “A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16). Then he says, “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (v. 21). So what purpose does the law serve? Paul uses the analogy of a guardian appointed for orphans: “The law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we’re no longer under a guardian” (3:24–25). Paul concludes, “In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (v. 26). This fits beautifully with Paul’s metaphor of adoption to depict our permanent relationship with our Father (see Romans 8:15, 23; 9:4; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5).