…before Christ came…we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Galatians 4: 3b-7 (NLT)

Many people I know might consider Christians to be slaves to a set of religious laws—certainly not free. But Paul says the opposite is true. He contends God bought our freedom from slavery with the life of his Son, Jesus, and in so doing adopted us as his children.

The good news: We’re free! We’re children of God! We can cry out, “Abba, Father!” to God and he responds as our perfect Father—the Father of all fathers! We are heirs of God!

This is only good news if you can recognize your bondage.

Do you strive for recognition, driven to perform for the accolades of people?

Are you bound by an addiction which at first promised you ecstacy and resulted in your ruin?

Do you sit in darkness, without hope or purpose in this world?

Are you running endlessly for the carrot at the end of the pole—fortune taunting you with empty promises?

Does suffering or sickness define your life, are you a victim of depression or despair?

Are you madly spinning plates, trying to keep your home/work/family/status suspended, fearful of dropping one and failing all?

I repeat, the good news is :

We’re free! By grace we have been saved through faith, it is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone.

We’re God’s children! In all circumstances, we can cry out, “Abba, Father!” to God and he responds as our perfect Father—with love, faithfulness, and compassion. He gives us the power to have victory over anything which binds us. We are more than conquerors because we have God’s Spirit alive in us! (Romans 8:37-39)

We are God’s heirs! Our future is full of hope, peace, joy, victory, health, love, confidence, because our King Jesus is coming back and God will re-create our world and dwell in it with us. And there will be an end to death, suffering, and war. (Revelation 21)

We are eternally loved by God!

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 (ESV)