In the opening lines of Galatians Paul reminds us that it is by God’s gracious will that Jesus gave himself to rescue us from the present evil age.   Our religious self-effort plays no part at all in this rescue.  It is entirely God’s initiative.  Through his Son, God’s dynamic presence came on the scene with liberating power.  And yet, his power is displayed in human lowliness and weakness.  That’s the way the powers of this dark age are defeated and rescue happens.

Jesus is the inbreaking of the new age right in the middle of the old, so there are now two ages – the old and the new. In the old age, we humans were in bondage to sin and death.  With the inbreaking of the new age, however, there is a “new creation”, a new era of freedom in newness of life. Now we say, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Everything is made new in Christ. 

By his Spirit, Jesus encounters us personally so that we come to know God participating in this new age.  However, we must stress that even this personal knowing is entirely down to God’s initiative. As Paul says to the Galatians, “But now that you know God—or rather, now that you have been known by God” (Galatians 4:9).  God is the primary mover, and human beings are the receivers who simply respond gratefully to God’s gracious action.  And we respond by the enabling of God’s Spirit.