07/22/2022
I once heard a man who had just lost both of his parents make this statement in the midst of his grief, “now I am an orphan”, and I thought to myself “for those who believe in God that will never be true.” Jesus Christ came to redeem us from sin, and to abide in us, but He came to do much more than simply introduce us to His Father, He came so that we would be adopted by Him… in Jesus we have become more than orphans that our Lord has charitably taken in… we have become His true sons and daughters; the sons and daughters of a loving God, and made His in every way.
“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.”
Galatians 4:4-5 ESV
Together with our spouse we can choose to have children, but we never really know what they will look like, or what their personality will be until after they are born. We wonder if they will be lovers of art, scientists, musicians, called by God, or any of an infinite number of possibilities. These, and a myriad of other questions, will remain unanswered because although we have chosen to give birth to them, we can’t choose the individual they will become. But God can do this, and does so by giving us the traits He desires, and in this way chooses who we will become. He has known us as His children from before the foundation of the world.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”
Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV
As parents and children we are also given another amazing gift, we are given agape love, and that is not just the love of one person for another, but a love that will bind us together with God, our Father, at the deepest levels possible. We are chosen, and God knows us intimately for who we are long before He calls us to Him… before He calls us by our name, and makes us his heirs.
“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.”
Ephesians 1:11-12 ESV
The man I overheard saying that he was an orphan didn’t understand that he would never be an orphan if he would only believe. Nor did he understand the fullness of adoption. Satan would like us to believe that being adopted children makes us less than Jesus, but that is not true. We are heirs and joint heirs with Christ, and by His own admission we will do the things that He does, and more. After all, Jesus did nothing of himself because all came from God.
All things are from God…
““I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
John 5:30 ESV
We are joint heirs…
“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 8:16-17 ESV
And we will do what Jesus does…
““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
John 14:12 ESV
Earthly adopted children are likewise told by the dark one that they are less, and he will go to great means to make them believe this, but nothing could be further from the truth. They were loved, chosen, and then through great sacrifice, are raised by their adopted parents like any biological child would be. An earthly adoption changes more than a child’s last name… it changes their parent’s names on their birth certificate too. In this way they, like the children of God, become new in every way.
Are we ready to be adopted by God? Do we understand the full impact of His choosing us, and the effort that goes into this process? Can we possibly understand the price that was paid for us, the pain, suffering, death, and resurrection that had to take place? Do we understand how much He loves us? Perhaps we can look at the earthly process of adoption and get a glimmer of this.
““I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”
John 14:18, 20 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for loving us, making a way through Jesus so that you could adopt us, and then choosing to take us into your holy family as full sons and daughters, and the brothers and sisters of your only begotten son Christ Jesus. Help us to understand what this means on earth, and in heavenly places Father. Help us to see the love you have had for us from the foundation of creation, and which knows no bounds. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God, Father, and Abba. Praised be your name for all those you have adopted both physically, and spiritually, and for the mercy and love shown by every man and woman who has ever chosen a child to make their own. You call us to Jesus, and then transform us by your grace into His image. You give us souls to tend to, and tell us not to lose them, provide us Father with every gift of the Spirit we will need to fulfill this mission, and raise our children to know you. Wash us in the blood of Jesus; cleansing us as you teach us to be as He is. Give us wisdom so that we can prepare our children to call Him Lord, and you Father. Let none be lost, or made to feel less as we bring them to you… ready for baptism, and to be pleasing to you now, and for all eternity.
“For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.”
Psalm 27:10 ESV
Rich Forbes