God’s Children through Faith

²³ Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

²⁴ Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. ²⁵ And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

⁴ But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. ⁵ 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.^{[a] 6} And because we^[b] are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”^{[c] 7} Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.^[d] And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.