God chose Israel to be his covenant people.  Nevertheless, Paul says, that both Israel and the Gentiles were slaves under the domain of darkness (Galatians 4:3).   But God sent his Son into the world to liberate Israel and the world so that we might receive adoption to sonship (Galatians 4:4-6).  The Father’s Son was sent as an Israelite under the law.  He was also sent to participate fully in the whole human plight under the domain of darkness.  He did so, that we may now participate in all his privileges, as sons and daughters of God.  In union with the son, we are adopted as sons and daughters with a new identity as God’s family.  So, our identity is no longer found in who we are in ourselves, but in WHOSE we are as dearly loved children of God.

All this depends on the divine initiative.  God sent his Son so that we might become sons and daughters of God.  And God sends the Spirit of adoption into our hearts so that we might experience sonship as we cry abba Father with Jesus the Son.  In the Spirit alone, we know our true identity derives from outside ourselves and is received as an undeserved gift. So, now, in the Spirit, we are to live attentive to the truth that we are radically known and loved.  And in gratitude, we are to live responsive to this gracious calling of God.  For we know that this gracious calling of God, does not come from ourselves, in any way, but all is received as the pure gift of the Father, through his Son and by his Spirit