Galatians 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
As someone who was in the US Military, I know what it is like to move across the country and around the world. I think I have lived in twenty six different locations. That is twenty six different USPS change of address cards. I have lived in Wisconsin, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Germany, New York, Missouri, Texas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Kuwait, Iraq, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida. Wow, that’s a list.
With each of these moves there was a change in status. I became a resident of each of these places, and some of them multiple places and times. Sometimes I had to get a new driver’s license and car registration, address labels and new checks with the updated address.
For some of these moves I was single, and for the majority I was married. Again, a change in status. For some I was a civilian, and some I was in the Army. For some, our children were in the house, and some times we moved on our own. Change.
Paul speaks about a change in status for the recipients of his letter. They had been orphans, separated from the God who loves them. They were then adopted and given all the rights of a firstborn son, a full inheritance. Orphan to inheritance; that is a change in status.
But they weren’t living out this change of status. They were still living like they were orphans. They had not dropped some of their old habits like idol worship. What a shame!
Sometimes we see the opposite happening today. We read about a wealthy person who is now living on the streets, homeless. They have resources available, but for whatever reason, they choose to not access those resources. They live contrary to their actual status.
We also read about the person who has lost all their wealth, but continues to live like they have wealth, racking up debt that will never be paid. They live off their connections and former influence. They keep their change in status secret from the world. They aren’t willing to acknowledge their change in status.
We who have put our trust in Jesus have a change in status. Just like the readers of this original letter, we have gone from the orphan to heir to the fortunes of Heaven. But how are we living?
This is the problem. With one side we say we are free from sin, but then we engage in sin. We say that Jesus in the answer to life’s problems, and then we try to solve the problems on our own, by our own strength and in our own way. In short, we live as if we were still orphans.
Paul instructs us to live like heirs. This involves honoring our Father with every moment and energy that we have, just as if our earthly father were the wealthy philanthropists, and we were eager to carry on their work, in their same spirit of generosity. We must live this change of status.
So, in what areas of your life are you not living our your change of status? Maybe today is the day to begin living as an heir.
The Arnold Journey 