You may not adopt an orphan, but you will most certainly give of yourself to others, expecting nothing in return. 49 The Greek word for adoption (huiothesia), in fact, occurs only five times in the New Testament, all of which are in Paul’s letters. When you think about what God has done for us through Christ, do you think about adoption? Is there better news? You have a global family. This is a family, however, that we are not born into. 247-248 The image of “adoption” tells us that our relationship with God is based completely on a legal act by the Father. The whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. Adoption is the gracious and merciful right (John 1:12) bestowed upon unworthy sinners through which a person is given admission into God’s family. Adoption is the very heart of the gospel. Adoption is rooted in God’s eternal plan and inexhaustible love. It’s a beautiful picture of God’s love for his people. First, the doctrine of adoption is closely related to the doctrine of assurance. God is a father who graciously adopts believers in Christ into his spiritual family and grants them all the privileges of heirship. Robert Dabney argued that adoption is “the strongest proof” of our justification.2 Robert Webb may have put it best: When we approach Him in the intensity of worship, we gather up all the sweetness involved in Fatherhood and all the tenderness wrapped up in sonship; when calamities overcome us and troubles come in like a flood, we lift up our cry and stretch out our arms to God as a compassionate Father; when the angel of death climbs in at the window of our homes and bears away the objects of our love, we find our dearest solace in reflecting upon the fatherly heart of God; when we look across the swelling flood, it is our Father’s House on the light-covered hills beyond the stars which cheers us amid the crumbling of the earthly tabernacle.3, And it wasn’t just professional theologians who appreciated this doctrine. God simply captivated us with the biblical theology of adoption. 103:13). When Jesus told His disciples that following Him would mean losing everything, He encouraged them with promise of a new family: Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life (Mark 10:29–30). Grace Beyond and Above. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit , groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies . Covering topics including Adoption, Contemporary Christianity, Covenant Theology, J.I. Adoption is a grace beyond and above justification. They repeatedly rejected God’s law and His love. The word adoption, during the time and context in which St. Paul spoke, referred to the Roman concept of adoption. God, for reasons known only to Himself and for the purpose of bringing Himself glory, sovereignly (Psalm 37:39; Lamentations 3:26) chose from eternity past (Ephesians 1:5) to miraculously and eternally save those who are by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3) and makes them His very own children and co-heirs with His own Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:16-17). John Dagg called it a “blessing of grace [that] rises higher than justification.”1 A judge, he said, can acquit you; it takes a father to adopt you. God was at work, bringing a fallen people near Him. In ancient Rome, adoption had a … Ephesians 1:3-6 King James Bible. In justification, God acquits sinners of all the charges against them. 41:8) but also His own sons and daughters. What God did next still sends a thrill up the Christian’s spine. 5:17). Sadly, Israel failed. God the Father, through God the Son and by the power of God the Spirit, does so much more. He is forever their Father. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. This biblical teaching strongly opposes the mindset of our culture that assumes everybody is a child of God. But Adam severed that relationship when he sinned, leading God to cast them out of the garden, away from His presence (Gen. 3:24; Rom. The word Adoption implies that we are neither God's children by birth nor by rebirth directly. The Christian life is hard, but it comes with a home—a local church. Not only has God given you a global church, but He calls you into a local church. & Husbands and Fathers. If you struggle with the assurance of your salvation, run to God who adopted you. 8:15–16). Because they are your brothers and sisters. Slaves William and Ellen Craft clung to the doctrine of adoption when they ran away from their masters: “When the time had arrived for us to start, we blew out the lights, knelt down, and prayed to our Heavenly Father mercifully to assist us, as he did his people of old, to escape from cruel bondage; and we shall ever feel that God heard and answered our prayer.”4. MATT SLICK LIVE RADIOCall in with your questions at 877-207-22763-4pm PST; 4-5pm MST; 6-7pm ESTWatch on FacebookPast Shows Radio PodcastRadio Show SurveySubscribe to CARM Radio, CARM wishlistWant to help CARM in a different way?