4:3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:3-7 ESV)
These verses are very precious. They are precious because you could argue that they tell the whole story of the Bible. Christians are people who have the grand privilege of being sinners who can call God Father (As Jim Packer helpfully comments in Knowing God).
These verse show the outworking of the grand, gracious and loving character of our great God. In the next few posts I hope to share some reflections on children's and families ministry. I'm in the process of thinking these through as I serve in my church. I wanted to start with the character of God, rather than going straight to the imperatives of the scriptures regarding families. These imperatives will be important for sure, but it is important to start with who God is and what he has done for his wayward creation. In order to think about how we are to live, Christians do not just take listening to the commands in the scriptures, but we also reflect on God's character as revealed in Jesus.
In my next post I'll thinking about what are we aiming to do in children's and families ministries. Indeed I'll, be reflecting on what my aim is as a parent.
