I never saw the correlation between Romans 8 and Galatians 4. It’s all about the Spirit. God wants us all to be led by His Spirit.
As heirs, we then can access everything. But, if we are immature, we get to own it but with no access. We have guardians who manage it for us. But, our inheritance is a promise – not under law but rather under covenant from God. Galatians 3 18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
I saw commentary that the Romans 8:14 “son” refers to a mature son – not a “child” that we see throughout scripture.
Maturity opens the door to our inheritance. It’s more than just not pissing off other believers because of your prideful, religious beliefs that you force down the throats of others. This is about accessing all that is available to us – authority, power and abundant life, which includes natural resources as well as supernatural.
Romans 8
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Galatians 4
Sonship in Christ
4 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
LORD, I hope you find me now mature and able to steward the inheritance that You have for me. Release it now, if it is so. Thanks, Jesus. Let me always be led by Your Spirit.
Galatians 3:15-24
15 Dear brothers and sisters,[i] here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement or Last Will & Testament, so it is in this case.
18 If the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it … as a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given?… The law was designed to last only until the coming of the child, Jesus, who was promised.
23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under a Guardian, a Trustee, who is 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, a Trustee of the promise 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 Trustee.