Christine Caine: Why You Can Trust Where God is Leading You Sermon

God’s Perfect Timing and Our Freedom in Christ

At times, it may feel like God is taking too long to bring the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for. But it’s important to remember that God sees what we cannot. If something hasn’t happened yet, there is a reason. That’s why Paul wrote in Galatians 4:1-3 that as long as an heir is still a child, they are no different from a servant, even though they own everything. Instead, they are under guardians and trustees until the time set by their father.

Paul used this analogy to explain our spiritual condition before Christ. Before Jesus came, we were all slaves—enslaved by the spiritual forces of this world and trapped under the power of sin. For the Gentiles, this meant being under the influence of worldly principles, while the Jews were under the guardianship of the Law. Paul was warning the Galatians: if they returned to following the Law after receiving salvation in Christ, they would be choosing slavery over freedom.

Why would someone who has received full inheritance and freedom in Christ willingly go back to the burdens of the Law? Why would an heir, who now possesses all that belongs to their father, return to their previous state of servitude? Paul’s message was clear: in Christ, the Galatians were already part of God’s family. They didn’t need to adopt Jewish customs or follow the Law to belong. Both Jews and Gentiles are united as one family in Christ—not through religious traditions, but through faith.

That said, Paul never claimed that the Law was bad. After all, it was God’s Law. But its purpose was temporary. The Law served as a guardian until Jesus came. When Christ arrived, God intervened in history to change our relationship with Him forever. Because of Jesus, we are no longer slaves—we have been adopted as children and heirs of God.

Now, some might wonder about the phrase “adoption as sons.” If you’re a woman, you might ask, “What about me? What about my daughters? Are we included?” Absolutely! This is not a gender issue—it’s a legal one. In biblical times, the inheritance was legally passed down to sons. That’s why Paul used the term “sons” to emphasize our full legal rights as heirs of God. This applies to men and women alike. Through faith in Christ, we all receive the full inheritance of the Father.

Paul goes on to say: “When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). I love that phrase—“when the time came to completion.” It reminds us that God is the God of perfect timing.

Maybe you’re still waiting on God for a breakthrough. Maybe it feels like He is delaying. But trust this: God’s timing is never wrong. If it hasn’t happened yet, He has a purpose. He is good, He does good, and He will work all things together for our good and for His glory. So don’t lose faith—keep praying, keep believing, and keep expecting. God is always faithful.

When God sent Jesus, He chose the perfect moment in history. The world was under Roman rule, experiencing an era known as Pax Romana—a time of relative peace that allowed for the spread of ideas. A common language, Greek, made communication easier, and roads throughout the Roman Empire allowed for widespread travel and commerce like never before. The conditions were ideal for Jesus’ arrival and the rapid spread of the Gospel.

Jesus was born under the Law to redeem those enslaved by it. The word redeem means “to buy back” or “to set free from slavery.” Through His sacrifice, Jesus literally purchased our freedom. He became like us so that, through faith, we could become like Him. He took our sins so that we might receive His righteousness.