I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.
Usually, when someone says, “I mean…”, the following words make everything clear. Read these two verses and be the judge. In one sense, Paul used an analogy that is true of the present day. Child heirs usually have their inheritance in trust until their 21st birthday or thereabouts. That trust is managed by a financial advisor. That is not hard to understand. Paul’s use of inheritance language also makes sense because we become heirs with Christ. In another sense, who are the guardians and managers in Paul’s analogy and what does that mean for us?
Come to Cape Community Church tomorrow and we will dive deep into the waters of slavery and freedom and how the difference between the two points us to the truth of the gospel. We will find out how much better it is to be called a son than a slave. We get that too but when we apply that to God’s love for us, it makes a big difference. Tomorrow may be the day you are finally released from bondage and set free as an heir of a rich fortune. Unlike the unhappy examples of Gloria Vanderbilt and others, the joy of this new status has no downside. I mean…
You are a child of God.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church