Joseph Prince - God Has Many Names but This Is His Favorite (01/26/2026)
Through the gospel, believers are no longer slaves or minors (nepios) under the law's guardianship but full adult sons (huios) with sonship and heirship through Christ. God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying "Abba, Father," freeing us from fear and bondage to enjoy intimate sonship. The law was temporary like elementary principles (stoikion) until Christ came to redeem us, fulfilling it so we walk by the Spirit in love, producing greater righteousness inwardly—not by effort but by grace.
From Slaves and Minors to Sons and Heirs in Christ
Let's go right into the Word of God. And we look at Galatians chapter 4. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father. Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
As we go into Galatians chapter 3 and 4, how the Apostle Paul says that we are now sons, and no more infants. We are no more a minor. So, the idea there is that He's talking to fellow Jewish believers. And when He talks to fellow Jewish believers among the Jewish believers in Galatia, He used the term we. Amen? When He's talking to the Gentile believers in Galatia, He says you. And you'll find this throughout the Scriptures.
And He tells them, when we Jewish people, when we were infants, and the word there in the Greek is nepios, when we were infants, a minor, a young child, God put us under the law. Alright? God put us under, like for example, the Greeks and the Romans, a wealthy man would have many servants, and one of them that he trusts the most will be in charge of his son.
The Law as Guardian Until Christ Came
And the Bible says, it's like same thing, the law was our guardian until Christ came. Notice there's an until. The law is not forever. Amen? The law, actually the Bible used the word stoikion, the elementary principles, the ABC. That's what stoikion means in the Greek.
If you look it up, the word elements, and the same word is used when Paul says, I believe Paul is the author of Hebrews. In Hebrews, he says that when the time you ought to be teachers, one needs to teach you again, the first principles. The first principles, the ABCs of the faith. Amen? And that is the law.
So God put us, when we were infants, God put us under the law. And that's why children need to be told. A lot of rules and regulations for children, right? But not for an adult. Amen? But as long as the heir of that household, the man has an only son, but his son is only five years old, six years old, he must be taken care of by a guardian.
And the guardian will make sure he wakes up on time, he goes to the gym, right? He works, you know, he builds his body, make sure that he's disciplined in what he eats, and the guardian will make sure. So he's under a lot of rules and regulations until he becomes an adult.
The Bible says, the time appointed by the Father. And that's the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So for 1500 years, God put Israel under the law. The ABCs, the stoikion, the fundamental principles. Amen? And they were children back then. Paul says, when we were children, we were under the law.
Fullness of Time: Redemption and Sonship
But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who are under the law. Okay? And then now we have received what? Sonship. And the word is no more nepios. The word is now huios in the Greek, which is full-grown adult son.
And a full-grown adult son does not need these rules and regulations. It doesn't mean that he's lawless, but he keeps the spirit of what those things mean. In fact, he keeps it with gladness. It's like, you know, if he goes to a factory or company or where, you know, the father might be, you know, an owner of many corporations.
When he goes in there and he works there, it's a different spirit from all the workers. He's conscious if they don't switch off the light when they leave. He's conscious that they don't unnecessarily waste money. I mean, why? Because he has a stake. He's going to be the heir of all these corporations. Amen?
And so, he serves in a different spirit. It's not a matter of just keeping the law. It's a matter of the spirit of it, which is love. Love is the fulfilling of the law. Amen? So, when you're under grace, amen, you don't become lawless. Amen? But you walk in the spirit that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. Notice, in us, not by us. Amen?
As we walk after the spirit, the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us. Amen? You'll do more than not steal. You will give. The law never says to give. Praise God.
The Spirit of Sonship: Crying Abba, Father
So, here it says in Galatians 4, because you are sons, you are huyos. Huyos. Now you are huyos. Grace has come. Amen? You have believed the gospel and now you are sons. God has sent forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father.
Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Wow. Praise God. Notice that once you are a son, God sends His Spirit into your hearts, by which you cry, Abba, Father.
And it's crucial. You understand this. Romans 8.15 tells us that you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption or sonship as sons, by whom we cry, Abba, Father.
And I believe that this fear is the mother of all fears. If you, and this idea of fear here is actually fearing God in the wrong way. In the Old Testament, they had this fear. And that's why it says, you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.
The King James says, you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. So, the word again means once upon a time, they were under this fear of slavery. That was when they were nepios. Amen.
Like the Bible says, as long as you are a child, you do not differ from a slave. Amen? A slave has rules and regulations and a slave cannot enjoy what the landlord, the owner has. Amen? Likewise, a son, he cannot enjoy what the father has. Amen? As long as he is a child. Amen. And he is under rules and regulations.
So, the Bible says he does not differ from a Okay? But here, friend, when you look at this, you did not receive the spirit of slavery back into fear. It's referring to all covenant saints. But for us today, you have received the spirit of sonship by which we cry, Abba, Father.
Approaching God as Father – The Name He Reveals
This is crucial because today, there are people who try to put in us, yes, God is a father, but God is God. He is Almighty God. As if they are closer to God and as if they are more reverent towards God.
Now, friend, the greatest attitude you can have to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob today, and we don't use that term under the new covenant. I'm not saying you cannot use that term. I'm just saying that the Father is most pleased when you approach Him as Father because you are a son.
We can learn all but the names of God. El Elyon, Elohim, Yahweh Sidkenu, Yahweh Medeshkem, and Yahweh Rohi, all the names of God. But the name that He wants to be known is Father. The name that Jesus came to reveal is Father.
And He prayed in His high priestly prayer that, that I've revealed to them your name, Father. Amen? That your name, that the love by which you love me may be in them. Isn't that beautiful? Amen?
So, own this spirit of sonship. Amen? And exercise it more and more. The way we are led by the Spirit is this spirit of sonship. Amen? We need to be conscious of it. Amen? Tune into it. Praise the Lord.
So that our hearing God's voice, or leading, I should say. Amen? Many times, it's not a voice. It's a leading. Amen? There is a voice. My sheep hear my voice, Jesus said. But most of the time, it's a bearing witness. Amen?
That's how the Holy Spirit leads us. And He says, For as men as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the huios sons of God. Adult sons of God. Notice, adult sons can expect to be led by the Spirit. Nepios, no. Under the Old Covenant, no. Amen? They are led by laws. Amen? By rules and regulations.
But for us, we are led by the Spirit. And the Spirit will never tell you to violate the Ten Commandments. No, no, no, no. In fact, following the Spirit will cause you to fulfill even more.
Like the Ten Commandments says, Don't steal. You will end up as a giver. You'll be a blessing to others. Amen? In fact, the law says, an eye for an eye. But following the Spirit, you will be a blessing even to those who curse you, those who persecute you, those who do harm to you even.
You'll pray for them, that God will bless them. And then you find satisfaction when you do that. Amen? Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.
Led by the Spirit: Bearing Witness as Sons
You know, people that come against you and all that, or who rub you the wrong way, you know, who may say things to hurt you and all that. Just think of them like sandpaper. All right? They are sending you. Amen? At the end, they rub you the wrong way. No problem. Just bite your time because you will end up polished and beautiful and refined. Hallelujah.
They will end up useless. Amen? So, pray for them. Amen? The reason Jesus says pray for them is because, you know, there'll be consequences if they do harm to a child of God, anointed of the Holy Spirit. Right? And we are all anointed of the Holy Spirit. We are children of God.
So, we got to pray for them that nothing bad happens to them. I know some of you are thinking, I want something bad to happen. No, that's not the Spirit of the Son. Amen? The Spirit of the Son is to Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Amen?
All of us, God had mercy on us before we knew Jesus. Amen? Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.
So, here the Spirit of the Son, and look at the context again in the entire context. After verse 15, it says, the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
The number one way God leads us. Number one way guidance comes to us. Of course, primarily is the Scriptures, right? But in the Scriptures, you can also, without the Holy Spirit, you can actually go wrong and start focusing on things that actually children, when you were a child, you focus on. Amen?
Today, I teach a lot from the Old Testament. Pastor Prince teaches about 60 to 70% of his teachings are from the Old Testament. But what happened is that, you know, people don't realize that there are so many treasures in the Old Testament. The old is the new concealed. The new is the old revealed.
Okay? And Jesus Himself, how did He expound from the law and the prophets? Things concerning Himself. So, when I teach the law, I bring Jesus out of it. That's the primary reason for the law.
Romans 10 4 says, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. At the NIV, the New International Version says, Christ is the culmination of the law. Amen? So that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Culmination means it's finished. It's come to an end. People say, you know, Jesus says, think not I'm come to destroy the law. I'm not come to destroy, but to fulfill. I agree. I agree completely.
He didn't come to destroy. He came to fulfill. Even the smallest letter, and all the crowns, and the strokes, and the tithels. He came to fulfill every one of them. And you know what, friend? It is fulfilled.
Christ is the culmination of the law. Amen? He did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. Question, is it fulfilled? Now, now that we are sons. Yes. Romans 10 4 tells us very clearly, Christ is the culmination, the fulfillment. In the end, King James says, of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Amen! Hallelujah! Praise the name of Jesus.
Notice that the number one way the Holy Spirit leads us is to bear witness with our spirit. He bears witness with our spirit. Hallelujah! You know, bearing witness is the word sunmatureo. And it means, it's two words together with matureo, witness. He witnessed.
Now, for the Holy Spirit to bear witness, that means there must be an action executed. God does not guide a parked car. Alright? GPS does not work. The voice doesn't activate. Alright? Doesn't give you directions when you are stationary. Amen?
You do nothing, there's nothing to bear witness. Right? It's only when you step out. Amen? He bears witness. Uh-uh. Alright? You don't feel that's right. You say something, uh-uh. That's not right. Or you say something and you feel good. Amen? The Spirit of God is telling you, go on. Amen? You're on the right track. Praise God.
All of you know, you are a child of God. You have this witness. Amen? And the number one area that he, the first area that he tells us, he bears witness with us is this verse, that we are children of God.
The Spirit bears witness with us that we are children of God. And this word children is not nepios. It's the word technon, which is a affectionate term for children, a general word for children.
The Two Covenants: Hagar and Sarah as Illustration
Now, let's go on. Let's go to Verse 21, tell me you who want to live under the law. Do you know what the law actually says? Now, here, the Apostle Paul, the entire book of Galatians is because the believers that he once preached to who got saved under his ministry, and then later on he left them.
After for a while, he heard that some Jewish teachers came amongst them and said, yeah, it's wonderful to believe in Jesus. That's fine and good. But now you need to learn about the law.
And when Paul heard that, Paul says that anyone that preached any other gospel, you see, friend, it's Jesus alone that saves. Christ alone saves, my friend. It's not Christ plus the law. Christ plus the Ten Commandments. Christ plus any of your performance. No, no, no, no, no. It's Christ alone.
So when Paul heard it, the purity of the gospel was being compromised and many of them, in fact, he asked them in the book of Galatians, where is that sense of blessedness? In fact, at one time, because of my persecution, I was beaten. My eye was black and blue. You would have gouged out your own eyes and given your eyes to me. You have so much love and there was a sense of blessedness.
Where is that blessedness now? It's gone. Why? Because you have steered away from the purity of the gospel. You have steered away from grace. And Paul says, you are so soon removed from Him who called you into the grace of Christ.
That means what? The grace of Christ is a true gospel. He says, I'm amazed that you are so soon removed from Him who called you into the grace of Christ into another gospel.
So some of these Jewish teachers came and taught them, okay, it's okay to believe in grace. Grace is good. In fact, you are saved by grace, but you need to keep the law now. Okay? And Paul says, no, no, no, no. Okay? Paul says that is a false gospel. Amen? And that will cause you to come under the curse.
Paul pronounced a double curse in chapter 1 of Galatians on anyone who does not preach the true gospel. Amen? The Bible says, if there was a law which could have given life, verily, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But no, no one can keep the law. And the law is not of faith. And the men that do of them shall live in them.
And the Bible says, in fact, for as many as are of the works, not break, the law. But for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. You have to keep all or else you come under the curse.
The moment you take a position on the law for blessings, for justification. Amen? To be right with God. Amen? You think you are pleasing God. The moment you take that position, you come under the curse. Amen?
The Bible says, the righteous by faith shall live. Hallelujah. Amen? And that's why I love preaching about the righteousness by faith. Because this is the essence of the gospel. Hallelujah.
So Paul finally used this argument. Since you like the law so much, guys, let me tell you this. You who desire to be under the law. Do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons. Name me the two sons.
Isaac from his wife, his lawful wife, Sarah. And Ishmael. Remember Ishmael? Ishmael came first from his servant, Hagar. Okay? So one from his slave wife, there's Hagar. And one from his freeborn wife. And that is Sarah.
The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. Okay? The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. In the King James, It says, born after the flesh.
So, after the flesh, we have this idea to walk after the flesh means sexual sins. No, no. In fact, you start in the flesh, then you end up in sexual sins because the flesh means your human effort. The more you try, the worse it is. Amen.
So, the Bible says that born after the flesh means to be born in a human attempt, human effort. So, when Abraham's body was dead and Sarah's womb was also dead. Amen. God promised Isaac. Isaac would come.
So, Isaac was born, okay, the son of a freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfilment of His promise. And that was with resurrection power. Amen? So, Isaac was born when naturally, Abraham and Sarah could not have a child. Amen? Their body was now dead.
And the Bible says, I love this. Ladies, listen. The Bible says that through faith, in Hebrews 11, Sarah received strength. And the word strength in the Greek is dunamis, dynamite. Where you get the word dynamite? Dunamis.
She received strength to conceive seed. And receiving this strength did something to her. Her body. It causes her to be fruitful. It causes her to be renewed in her youth. And this renewal is not something spiritual, friend. Alright? It's both spiritual as well as physical.
Why do I say physical? Because, remember, a Philistine king saw her. And these Philistine kings, they go by their eyes. They don't go by spiritual sense of her beauty. No, no. They have no spiritual sense. Amen? He came by his eyes. And he saw that Sarah was beautiful at the age of 89. Think about it. At 89.
I understand it when she was younger, but now 89 years old. So, something happened. And he brought her into his harem. What I'm trying to say is that God renewed her youth. So much so that even a heathen king wanted her for his harem.
Two Covenants Illustrated: Bondage vs. Freedom
Let's go on. So, these two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. It's very interesting. Paul is a rabbi of rabbis. Amen? He sat at the field. Gamaliel, a top Jewish rabbi in his day. And he knows about the interpretation and all that.
And this is the highest form of, one of the highest spiritual interpretation. He saw these two women as two covenants. Alright. These two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants.
The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people receive the law that enslave them. So, this Hagar is actually Mount Sinai. Where did the Ten Commandments come from? Mount Sinai. Amen? All the laws came from Mount Sinai. And this Mount Sinai is Hagar. Alright.
And the result is what? Where people receive the law that enslave them. The King James says, it's gender of bondage. And now, Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia. Because she and Jerusalem and her children live in slavery to the law.
And Paul says, that's why my Jewish people right now, they are in slavery. Why? Because they are under the law. They are going back into infancy. They are going back. They are actually backsliding in the sense of that word. They have fallen from grace. And he says that it's bondage.
But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman. And she is our mother. Who is your mother? Who is your mother?
As Isaiah said, Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth. Referring to Sarah, because she was barren all her life. Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labour. For the desolate woman now has more children.
Amen? Under grace, she will have more children than the woman who lives with her husband. Let me tell you this. Because I was saying, when you were under the law, how many people do you have that followed the law? Around the world. It was confined to Israel.
But now, the children of grace is all over the world. Amen? Includes the Jews and Gentiles from every tribe, every tongue, every language, every nation of the world. Amen? Under grace, you are produced so much more.
In fact, this verse is taken from Isaiah 54 that comes after Isaiah 53 that talks about our Lord Jesus Christ and His sufferings where you find surely He has borne out of diseases and carried out of pains. And we esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgression.
And it goes on all the way to, with His stripes, we are healed. All that is in Isaiah 53. Isaiah 54, verse 1 says, Rejoice, O barren woman. The only response God wants you to do, amen, to have is rejoice.
You rejoice over a finished work. You rejoice because you see something. Amen? And God is saying, in the next verse, following verses, alright, God says, Break forth on the right hand and on the left. Get ready for growth. Amen? Lengthen your cords. Amen? Enlarge your tents.
I believe there is a word for some of you. Amen? God is saying, prepare for that miracle. If you're believing God for a baby, start buying baby clothes. Amen? You're believing God for a male child. Amen? Start buying boy clothes. You don't have to wait. Amen? Until the baby is there. Start preparing for growth.
Show God your faith, man. God is saying, alright, start preparing. Enlarge your tents. Amen? Strengthen your stakes. Prepare for the miracle. Prepare for growth. for the children of the desolate woman, the barren woman, the children of Sarah. We're more and more than the daughters of Hagar. Amen?
I believe this. People who believe that it's only by grace we are blessed. Only by grace we are justified. Everything is by grace. How can we take the credit? How can we be proud? It's people who feel like it's part grace and part my effort. We must do our part.
No, our part is to believe what has been done. Amen? And then even the performance of our service and our ministry and our duties come out of the empowering first. It is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
He gives you the willingness and He gives you the performance. So give Him all the glory, friend. If God wants to have all the glory, I'll say this reverently, let Him do everything. Amen? For you, in you, through you, as you rest in Him.
And you know when it's by grace, and you know it's by grace, and you know that you don't deserve it, you will just readily give Him all the praise and all the glory. It will be spontaneous from your heart. Amen? Hallelujah.
Closing Prayer and Invitation
If today's program has blessed you, and you want to learn how to stay grounded in the Lord through life's challenges, request Joseph's book, Anchored, yours for a gift of any amount to the ministry. Click the link in the description to get started.
As you read Anchored, as you read Anchored, I believe that you'll find the peace and stability that you've been searching for in our Lord Jesus. God bless you.
If you are new to the Gospel of Grace, Pastor Joseph Prince would like to send you a free copy of his book, Destined to Rain. Click the link in the description to get started. Just pay shipping and handling. Available to U.S. residents only.
The Lord Grant you supernatural favour. God increase the favour that is already on your life this coming week. You will see manifestations of favour and you'll remember this prayer. Amen? New levels of favour this coming week for you and your loved ones.
And the Lord lift up his countenance on you and your loved ones and Grant you shalom, peace, wellbeing and wholeness. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And all the people said, Amen.