Our Beliefs: Adoption

How would you feel if this had happened to you?

The following is a true story:

I used to know a couple who owned a large mansion, lots of land and part of the river dee in Aberdeen. They were unable to have children of their own and used to foster kids. One time they had this lovely little boy who was really quite shy and obviously came from very difficult circumstances. During the foster period, I saw him grow in confidence and he even began to smile a lot. I remember him out with his new daddy and the landcover helping with the work on the large estate.

Well, this couple decided to adopt the boy and they took him in and literally overnight he became part of the family and sole heir to that huge estate and all the property and land that came with it. Wow isn’t that just incredible!

Would you have liked to be in that little boy’s shoes? One moment, his life looked hopeless and then boom it all changed; he was now part of a loving, caring family and what an inheritance!

You know, if we put our trust and faith in Jesus, that dream like situation becomes an actual reality for us. This is why Adoption is such a huge benefit of salvation and as we will see not only gives us strength for today but a hope to hang onto for the future to pull us through these tough and difficult times as we go through life’s journey.

Like any doctrine (teaching), as a Christian we base everything on God’s Word. So, let’s look, together at what we discover.

Before we go any further, if you are a woman reading this, I need to explain that when the bible refers to sonship or being sons, this absolutely applies to you too. All the rights that a son had; being heir etc that applies to all believers regardless of being male or female. I know it must be hard to get one’s head around it, especially if singing something like “Now I am your son, I am adopted in your family. I can never be alone, cause Father God you’re there beside me….” But, hey, we men have to get our heads around being a “bride of Christ”!

We are described as children of God by a new birth (John 1:12-13) but God also speaks of us as adopted.

Two major passages of Scripture to consider will be these two but we will discover others later on as we go a bit deeper.

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Romans 8:14-17

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

ADOPTIONS ARE PLANNED IN ADVANCE & INVOLVE CHOICE

You know, I can think of one huge difference between a child that is born into a family and one that is adopted. The parents don’t get any choice at all when a child is born; they have to accept what comes; they cannot determine the sex, looks, hair colour etc. etc. On the other hand, with an adopted child, the parents can get to choose who exactly, they want to adopt.

Therefore, it should be hugely encouraging to us to know that we have been chosen.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. (Ephesians 1:4-5).

WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE DOES GOD LOOK TO ADOPT?

God went out of his way to choose the lowly, despised & unwanted.

Bothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:26-27)

Ephesians 2:3

We . . . were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 

ADOPTION IS COSTLY

The incredible thing for us is that our adoption didn’t cost us anything.

Did you know that in England, in 2020 it was estimated that the cost to apply to adopt was generally in the region of £10,000-£15,000. There are also additional charges that apply in intercountry adoption to process paperwork with the governments both here and abroad, as well as travel and accommodation costs( Metro.co.uk – 07/10/2020)

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)

It cost God a lot to adopt us:

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,

but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

ADOPTION INVOLVES THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE CHILD

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4-6)

“There were legal realities God had to deal with. His own justice and law demanded that we be punished and excluded from his presence for our sins. Righteousness was required and punishment demanded. God had to satisfy his justice and his law in order to adopt sinners into his family. This he did by the life, death, and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ.” (John Piper)

ADOPTION IS PERMANENT

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

ADOPTION PRIVILGES

Access to the father at any time and we can call him “Abba”. (Romans 8:15)

We are the recipients of the fathers love. (1 John 3:1)

Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers. (Hebrews 2:11)

We have an inheritance. (Romans 8:17, 1 Corinthians 2:9)

We are part of the universal family of God. (Ephesians 2:19)

ADOPTION IS ONLY PARTIAL AT PRESENT

The whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:22-23)

This final point leads us nicely onto another benefit of salvation which is Glorification and will be the subject of the next blog post.

Here is a song, in connection with our adoption, that has over the years really blessed me: