What do we mean by"Adoption?"
The word "Adoption" means to take another child and bring it up as your own child. When people adopt a child they invite it into their home, give it their name, address and their possessions, but there is no way they can give the child their nature, any child always keeps the original nature of their parents.
For the Believer "Adoption" is the act of God by which He gives each of His children the position of an adult in His family. The act of adoption is not the way the sinner can get into the family of God. The only way is to be spiritually born into that family, to be born again, regeneration.
An important point of this is that a Believer is considered to have adult status and privileges in the Family of God immediately from the point at which they accept Jesus as their Saviour, as a result this means that the Believer cannot use their time since receiving salvation as an excuse for being a poor Christian.
In Romans 8:14-17 Paul lists many of the special rights or advantages which come with adoption:-
- Lead by the Spirit.
- This passage indicates that the Believer is happy to be lead by the Spirit, only an "adult" can walk, so Paul is not referring to a "baby" as they need to be carried. Look at Romans 8:4,5 to see what path is to be walked, a path of obedience, not following the desires of the flesh.
- Freedom in God.
- Romans 8:15; Gal 4:1-7. Under the Law we had to obey, a prisoner of the Law. God has now sent His Spirit to make us adult sons and daughters in His family, heirs to His plans, not a servant who has to obey.
- Unfortunately there are many Christians who still live under rules and regulations, a legalistic life, "do not touch, do not go." This does not mean that the Believer is without law, but the relationship to God is of love, a desire to please Him, freedom to live for Him, not by rules.
- Able to speak directly to God.
- Romans 8:15, No baby is born able to speak, but a believer can speak to God as if He was a human father, "Abba, Father, (Abba has a similar meaning to our word daddy, papa.) Able to speak in prayer, worship, praise, telling the world of their wonderful Father.
- We know of God’s promise.
- Romans 8:16, The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God; We each knew as soon as we took Jesus as our Saviour that we were adopted into the Family of God
- Inheritance
- Romans 8:17. There is a fifth fact of adoption, Scripture tells us that the Believer, even as a new born
believer, is joint-heirs with Christ, all that we inherit comes through Jesus Christ, two names are on each Believers account, the Believer and Jesus, we have access to all the mercy, glory and riches of Christ. This is why we come in the Name of Jesus in prayer.
- The special benefit of suffering.
- Romans 8:17. One major effect of joint-heirs is that we may be called upon "to suffer with Him," why? So that "we may be glorified with Him." God wants each Believer to grow up, this needs times of testing and strengthening of faith, this may even involve suffering so that finally the Believer will be ready to share His Glory. Jesus suffered for each Believer, our suffering will be nothing compared with suffering of the sinless Son of God who died in our place, becoming sin for us.
Adoption is not a feeling, it is a fact, we must all believe that it is true. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of adoption, claim the promise of God in faith, work and live as a member of the family of God. |
