Adoption

“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.”  -Romans 8:14-17 ( ESV).

Adoption is the legal process by which a person (or persons) takes on parental responsibilities for another person’s child.  In the Old Testament we see examples of Mordecai taking his uncle’s daughter, Esther (see Esther 2:15) and Moses taken by the Egyptian princess when found in a basket on the water where his mother had hidden him to keep him from being killed.  We read in the Near Eastern Code of Hammurabi, an ancient set of laws, that provision was made for adoption.  In the New Testament, Paul wrote of the process by which a person becomes a Christian as being adopted by God.  In Galatians 4:3-7, in Ephesians 1:3-6, and again in Romans 8:14-17,  we read how adoption is applied when persons have been redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ.  Adoption takes place when the Spirit of the Lord woos an individual and he is chosen by Christ to be a child of God.  This adoption means the redeemed person has all the rights and responsibilities of a child.

Recently a fine two-year old named Chance was adopted by my grandson Nathan and his wife Kayla.  Prior to the adoption, they had been foster parents to the child for more than half his life.  When all factors came together in the right manner, they were able to proceed with adoption and Chance became Chance Jonathan Jones. They have already a daughter born to them, seven-year old Brenna Elizabeth.  Now both the children have all the rights of having Nathan and Kayla as parents—the one born to them and the one adopted. 

In spiritual adoption the Holy Spirit in the believer assures that the person who turns to the Lord is fully accepted as a child into God’s family.  In our adoption into the family of God, we are heirs of a heavenly home and a future with the Lord.  William and Gloria Gaither wrote a gospel song entitled “The Family of God.”  The words express the joy of our position as God’s adopted children:

“I’m so glad I’m a part of the fam’ly of God—

I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!

Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod;

For I’m part of the fam’ly, the fam’ly of God.”

Prayer:  Thank you, God, that your grace provides a way we can cry, “Abba!  Father!’  We are joint heirs with Jesus of abundant life on this earth and eternal life in heaven.  And that is all because You adopted us as your children.  Amen.  –Ethelene Dyer Jones  01.05.2014.