“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15).
Why did Paul use the word adoption? For years what came to my mind was some kind of second class citizen. As much as I may be loved, adoption conjured up the thought I was’t really born into the family. I knew it wasn’t true, but it was in the back of my mind. Yet, I knew by the scriptures that I am literally born into the family of God:
“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:22-23, emphasis mine).
So, we are literally born into the Kingdom of God.
“He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Corinthians 6:17).
And, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:27).
What became new? What became a new creation? The spirit man. It wasn’t our minds and it wasn’t our bodies it had to be our spirits. Our spirit was made new; it was born again.
So, what has this to do with adoption. Let’s look at this scripture:
“We trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).
God is the savior of all men! Does that mean all men will be saved and spend eternity with God? No. He also writes, “Especially of those who believe.”
What does that mean?
What Paul is describing is both the legal and experiential. Legally God has provide salvation to all people, but not all people have received salvation; in other words, not all people are born again.
What does this have to do with the adoption of God? Paul is highlighting the legal price God paid to adopt us. Let’s look at what Paul wrote in more detail:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘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 joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:14–17).
God paid the price for us to be His children; to be born again. God didn’t and couldn’t legally just snatch us out of the Kingdom of Darkness and translate us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son. There had to be a legal process, or God could rightfully be accused of stealing humanity. Jesus paid the price for our redemption, or we could say adoption. We legally belong to God. We’ve been adopted into His family. The legal purchase provided access for the experiential. The experiential is being born again and conveyed into the Kingdom of God: “And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.”
Adoption of The Body
“For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:22–23).
Paul continues and says we’re waiting for the adoption, that is the redemption of our bodies. Legally the whole package is paid for: our spirits, souls, and bodies. But we’re waiting for the completion of our redemption: When our bodies are raised up in the resurrection glorious, incorruptible, immortal, and spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:35–50). We have the “first fruits of the Spirit” meaning we have the Holy Spirit and are born again, but we’re waiting for the completion of the plan of God.
Adoption For The Jews
“I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen” (Romans 9:1–5).
The adoption pertains to the Jews according to the flesh. In fact, salvation is “for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16). The reason why we have Jesus is because of God’s work through the children of Abraham. They have a right to the adoption.
No Longer A Slave
“Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:1–5).
This scripture now makes more sense. Prior to Jesus, those in covenant with God were not born again. They were kept under strict guidelines because spiritual they were dead in sin. But when the adoption came, when they could be legally born again, they were no longer slaves but sons.
It helps me to think of it this way: Kindergartners on a playground are fenced in and watched carefully. They may be heirs of vast estates, but they are not mature enough to inherit what belongs to them. Yet, when they become adults, they are not longer fenced in and watched by guardians; though they are held to higher standards, with greater responsibilities and harsher consequences for poor judgement, there’s also greater rewards and more personal freedom.
We, as the adopted, cry out “Abba, Father,” because we’re no longer slaves within the fence of the law. We’re not without law. We actually are held accountable to a higher law, as we are now God’s adopted children and heirs. We are in His son Jesus Christ.
Predestined Adoption
“Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself” (Ephesians 1:5).
What does that mean? So much confusion for many. Yet, it’s simple enough. Those who accept Jesus are predestined to become children and heirs of God. We are to be adopted into the born again family of God when we accept Jesus.
Conclusion
Being adopted into the family of God isn’t becoming a second rate citizen or some kind of step child. Just the opposite. We become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We are legally and fully redeemed. We are born again; translated from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of His beloved Son. Through Jesus we are predestined to resurrection and eternal Kingdom.
God’s peace be with you all.
Stay vigilant and prepared.
A Journal of Edification and Exhortation 