Adoption

<<to take on as one’s own>>

If a child is adopted into a family he or she is often loved and cherished to the same degree as if they were the adoptive parents own biological child.

The Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter adopted the Jewish baby Moses (Ex 2:10). God adopted the people of Israel as His treasured possession calling them sons (Deut 7:6; Rom 9:4). Even though the words “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” were spoken to the OT Jews we “have been brought near through the blood of Christ” and become part of the family of God (Jer 31:1; Hos 1:10; 2 Cor 6:18; Eph 2:13).

Man lost his ‘sonship to God’ through sinning in the Garden of Eden, and came under Satan’s authority. However, God the King of kings adopts as ‘spiritual sons’ all who come to Him through faith in Christ and receive His Spirit (Jn 1:12; Rom 8:14-17; Gal 3:26, 4:4-7; Eph 1:5). The privileges and responsibilities of His family include corrective chastisement as we await our eternal inheritance (Heb 12:5-11).

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 Jn 3:1,2). Doesn’t that make you rejoice? We who were sinners doomed to a lost eternity, unable

Thank God He is in the adoption business

to help ourselves, were rescued by Jesus and taken in as children of the creator to share in the blessings of the indwelling Holy Spirit as a deposit awaiting the glories of heaven (2 Cor 1:22; 2 Tim 1:14).

See also: salvation, sons/sonship.