Adoption - Embraced By God
February 20, 2022 Sunday Evening Study

As we have been doing different studies together on Sunday evenings, most of you have been able to learn along with me as I am studying theology in seminary. And when we boil it all down, theology is really a set of doctrines that describe what we believe about certain things as a church. For instance, we just went through a series on evangelism because we believe the doctrine of salvation - the fact that we are sinners, saved through the acceptance of grace by placing faith in Jesus and repenting of our sin. That’s what we believe, so we tell others the truth of that doctrine as well so that they might also be saved.

For these three weeks, we are going to talk about the doctrine of adoption. I chose this doctrine for a couple of reasons in the midst of the many doctrines I am studying this semester. Firstly, it is a very good transition from the evangelism series we just finished. Secondly, this doctrine is something that struck a heart chord with me - something that shows us the nature of God, and I believe that even as we focus on all of the stuff we do as believers, it is good also to reflect on the greatness of God and the blessings He gives us - of which adoption is a fantastic example.

The doctrine of adoption is basically this: Adoption is an act of God whereby He makes us members of His family. There is a lot of scriptural support for this doctrine, though it stems from the Gospel of John, which we have been studying on Sunday Mornings. John 1:12 reads “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” This adoption is something which is an outcome of our saving faith - it requires our surrender to God before we are adopted into His family, and this is the main familial distinction between those saved and those who are not. 

There are three aspects of adoption that we will investigate together over these next three weeks, beginning tonight. Tonight we will look at adoption as the gift of a loving Father - a change from our past circumstances as part of God’s saving grace. Next week we will investigate adoption as a status we share - a way of living today as a result of our adoption. In the third week we will discuss our adoption and the promises that come with it - our future as heirs of Christ. We will discuss becoming a child of God, living as His children, and receiving an inheritance from Him.

The idea of adoption is not something that is foreign to us. I know that there are families in our church who have been through the process of adopting children, so have a very clear understanding of what it entails. My wife Eleia was adopted by her dad when she was 2 ½ years old when he married her mother. Most of us, when we hear the word adoption, that is what we think of - an addition to the family outside of traditional circumstances, and truthfully, that is a very good portrait of how the doctrine of adoption works. 

Yet, before we unpack that idea, I would like you to take a leap with me as we consider the broader meaning of adoption. When you actually look up the word, there are two definitions provided by the Oxford dictionary - the first being what we have already discussed. The second is this: the action or fact of choosing to take up, follow, or use something. How many of you have heard the term “early adopter?” This is a term used in technology to describe people who will begin to use new and untested technology earlier than most. These are usually the folks that wait in line for the latest and greatest of whatever is coming out next.

In this sense, adoption is the act of accepting or embracing a change from one’s traditional expectations. It is essentially accepting something new into your environment, and experiencing a mutually beneficial relationship with that change. This definition fits within our doctrine of theology as securely as does the traditional definition, and it is an exciting thought.

To be adopted means to be specifically chosen. Nobody is accidentally adopted into a family. For those who have been through the process, there is significant time, resource, and paperwork involved in the adoption process. In fact, the process can be so expensive and time consuming in our world that the tragedy is that most families cannot even see it as an option. In Eleia’s case, her dad chose to go through the process of adopting her - he did not have to do so, as he became a legal guardian upon marrying her mother. They were both members of the same family unit at the point of marriage, but he chose to adopt her as well, saying “This is my daughter.”

This reflects very closely to what God does for us. When we repent and place our faith in Christ as Lord, we are saved by being born again, regenerated. We are justified by Jesus’ atonement - we are in a right legal standing. Yet God adopts us as His children - He makes the statement “This is my child.”

To be adopted means to have privileges. One of the privileges immediately available to a child who is adopted into a family is an opportunity for relationships with family members. As we are adopted into God’s family, one of the greatest privileges is our access to God as a loving and generous Father to us. We have the ability to share our lives with Him, just as a child does with new adoptive parents. We have the sense of someone harboring concern for our well-being - knowing that we matter. Consider what that means to a child or a sinner who has never felt that they mattered to anyone.

When a person is adopted into a new family, although there is a lot of adjustment and growing pains, eventually that child will begin to inherit and demonstrate the values set forth by the family. With time, they will be led by the direction of their new parents and those closely tied into their lives. As God’s children, we experience the same effect on our lives and behavior as we are given the privilege of being led by the Holy Spirit and the privilege of understanding the things of God that only His children can know.

Adoption is an act of love and compassion. In many cases, the need for adoption for a child comes with very difficult strings attached. There is often an ugly history that leads to a child in need of a new family, and many of these things must be accepted and dealt with head on before a calm and settled family dynamic is even possible. The Bible says that each believer is adopted as a child of God. We are messy, angry, and broken beings. Anyone who has ever been around children can attest to this being a perfect parallel to toddlers. Yet, we are loved and met with an invitation to join the transformational step: becoming God’s child. This is a very direct reflection of the adoption process - the invitation for a home and love is extended and it changes your life.

God shows us his love through adoption of us into His family as a loving and protective Father. At the moment of salvation we are regenerated or born again, and we are justified and made righteous by His righteousness. Yet, adoption is personal. It is Jesus seeing the flaming wreckage we were dragging behind us and embracing us as His children - worth the cost and given full access to Him. And we are therefore called to “Be imitators of God therefore, as dearly loved children.” (Eph. 5:1)

As we move forward with this series, next week we will discuss our response to this adoption - how we live as children of God. This plays out through our obedience to Him and our interaction with others - both inside and outside of the family. Let’s pray.