“God didn’t adopt you because He had to. He did it because He wanted to.“
One of my favorite doctrines. It is one of the foundational truths and links within the soteriological framework that brings much assurance and comfort to believers.
During the time of the Roman Empire when a person was adopted, they gained full rights and privileges of a biological heir. HE COULDN’T BE DISOWNED! Those adopted became a permanent part of a new family. This is what adoption is to the new believer – ARE A PERMANENT PART OF A NEW FAMILY, THE FAMILY OF GOD!
With adoption my standing has changed and is secured because God predestined it- NOT ME! When I was a vagabond in this world, an orphan of darkness, God through his perfect grace and love redeemed me through and adopted me into HIS family. It was all him, it was all grace, it was all mercy, and it was all secured through Jesus Christ.
R.C. Sproul – “Nobody is born into this world a child of the family of God. We were born as children of wrath. The only way we enter into the family of God is by adoption, and that adoption occurs when we are united to God’s only begotten Son by faith.”
Without adoption we would be without a “forever home” but praise God for his perfect eternal plan for redeeming and securing his elect and adopting us into his family and making us joint heirs with Christ. You are accepted into the beloved.
IT WAS PART OF THE FATHER’S ETERNAL PLAN
God the Father planned in eternity predestinating us unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ. Paul tells us in –
Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Predestination takes us back to before the worlds began, even before you and I were formed in the womb, God –according to the good pleasure of his will – had determined to make you, his child, an heir of redemption through adoption. It was all the plan and work of God – NOT MAN- to predestinate us to the adoption of children by his free grace.
Adoption makes us his children and God our Father.
This wasn’t through some meritorious act on our part; it was purely of grace. Adoption is according to the good pleasure of HIS will. God does as he pleases! It was God’s good pleasure to save, justify, sanctify and adopt us into his family. It is a legal declaration by the author of the universe that those justified have been made a PERMANENT member of God’s family.
The means of securing our adoption is ONLY through the Lord Jesus Christ. Its Christ’s mediatorial work that secures us in adoption. An important distinction must be made between regeneration and adoption, and it is this – regeneration changes our nature, adoption changes our standing before God.
One last note here on predestination- Predestination is always in reference to the people of God and not to the reprobate. Adoption is no different in example where these words are found it is always in the context of the children of God. Adoption is the unique and exclusive privilege of God’s elect.
Who is to have authority in the matter of gracious adoption? The children of wrath? Surely not; and yet all men are such! No, it stands to reason, to common sense, that none but the parent can have the discretion to adopt. ~ Charles Spurgeon
THERE IS THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION –
Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. – See also Galatians 4:4-5
Two things to consider, there is the spirit of bondage meaning we were enslaved, we were in bondage. We were in bondage or enslaved to our fallen nature, it was ruled by the spirit of corruption and death. In addition to that we were in bondage to Satan. Because of the Spirit of adoption, he is no longer our master Jesus Christ is!
The Spirit of adoption carries with the meaning of liberty especially when contrasted with the spirit of bondage. The Spirit of Adoption teaches us that we are now free to worship and serve God “TO ENJOY GOD” without fear of wrath or judgement. With the Spirit of adoption, the law goes from being a foe to a friend. The Bible goes from being a book of rigid rules to a book of life. With Spirit of adoption God goes from being an enemy to being a friend and Father. With adoption Jesus is not seen as just another prophet or teacher, but as the Son of God, the Saviour of Sinners.
The preciousness of this doctrine reveals to us that when God adopts you, you are no longer a spiritual orphan you are a child of the King a full heir with all the rights of sonship filled with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places free to enjoy all that God has blessed you with including God himself.
J.I. Packer as quoted by John MacArthur said that adoption has rightly been designated “the highest privilege that the gospel offers and the apex of grace and privilege.”
Privileges of Adoption –
Other than some of the more obvious ones and those mentioned above there are privileges that go along with being adopted into God’s family.
- We are indwelt by the Spirit of God where now we can cry Abba Father! We can now relate to him in more meaningful way.
- We have the privilege of coming under the umbrella of his protection, providence and provision.
- We are uniquely God’s children and have instant access into the throne room of his grace to find grace and mercy in a time of need.
- We share in a unique universal brotherhood of believers where our common interests center around and, on the person, and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All of the hopes and promises of Christ rest on this truth. What unique and blessed position we now have with God and not just to be called children of God, but to be treated as such. This precious doctrine will always hold a special place in my heart, and I hope it does yours.
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