Adoption - Family Matters
February 27, 2022 Sunday Evening Study

Last week we introduced the doctrine of adoption - the action taken by God wherein we become a part of His family. We talked about what that adoption means, and a bit of what that act looks like. Specifically, we discussed how this adoption means that we were specifically chosen to be a part of God’s family, that it comes with specific benefits and privileges, and how it was an act of love and compassion on God’s part. This week we are going to investigate what this adoption means for our lives, taking a deeper look at the privileges and the responsibilities that come with being a member of God’s family. We will look at what our response to this adoption ought to be, and learn how we can use our adopted status to further the Kingdom of God.

We experience God’s love as members of his family. 1 John 3:1 makes it very plain “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” His love for us further shows us that He has an understanding of us - an insight into the innermost thoughts, desires, and fears, and He extends His love to us unconditionally with a forbearance reserved for loved family members. In this way He provides for us all the we need in life while still recognizing and accepting our imperfections: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14)

By adopting us into His family, God has imputed on us the privileges and protection associated with that family. He cares for His family with the perfect image of the Father, supplying all needs and requirements for each member to live the life to which they were called, relying upon the strength of His name to sustain them when carrying out His will. Viewing this experience through the human view of adoption, we conjure pictures of family including living in harmony together (mostly) and sharing of our resources, recognizing the well-being of the family before turning concern to the outside world. Just as a father might work to provide for his family before looking into charitable enterprise, so too are we provided for by our adoptive Father in heaven.

Our adopted status is our defining quality. Paul speaks in several of his letters about our status as children of God as our defining characteristic as believers. As the world deals with division and separation due to race, gender, socio-economic status, and other things, Paul makes the point that in Christ, as new creations, we all belong to the same family, and are on equal footing. “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:26-28)

The implications of this truth as presented by Paul are as relevant today as they were then, for many of the same reasons. In a world divided by almost anything by which we can divide ourselves, the adoption into the family of God should bring unity to all believers, regardless of background or any other factor. This however brings responsibility upon the believer to respond with obedience to God in recognizing our need to treat each other like family, regardless of circumstance. This goes back to Jesus’ instructions to the disciples in the upper room before His death where He taught them that they must serve each other, even going so far as to say that their love for each other will define them as His followers. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34–35) A family is set apart from others by the love they show to one another - a love we are expected to extend to all those who share the same adopted status we carry.

God gives “many good gifts” to those He has adopted into His family. Matthew 7:11 states “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” In the same way that we ask our earthly fathers for gifts and blessings in life, so too will God give to those who ask. Yet just as our earthly parents are tasked with the responsibility of knowing what is best for us as we grow, God will give according to His will and best intention for the lives of His children. When we accept Christ, are regenerated as new creations, justified and made in right legal standing before God, and then adopted into His family, we are given gifts that will not only enrich our relationship with the Father, but also to do the work of the Kingdom through our individual gifts of ministry.

Perhaps the greatest gift given to His adopted family is the presence of and leading by the Holy Spirit in our lives. We know from Jesus’ teaching to the disciples that the Holy Spirit is our advocate here on earth, much as Jesus Himself was for the disciples in His day. It is through the Holy Spirit that our gifts are made manifest - both internally and externally. Internally, we are given the ability to understand, at least in part, the teaching of Jesus’ words - things we, along with the disciples, were unable to comprehend before the coming of the Holy Spirit. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 12:4. Externally, we are given gifts which allow us to work within our adopted family to complete the task assigned to us by God - each with unique gifts to serve the purpose to which we are called. Could I please have a volunteer read verses 4 through 11?

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (1 Cor. 12:4-11)

As members of God’s adoptive family, we are given these gifts, as Paul says “for the common good.” This means to the good of all - within the family and outside of the family. WIthin the family to support each other, encourage each other, and help each other as we serve outside the family so as to increase its members.

Adoption comes with some pretty powerful implications for our lives. While it is only one of many, it is an action that profoundly displays God’s love for us as members of His family. While we already discussed adoption as a loving action by the Father, this shows His continuing love for us as He continues to meet our needs in every way. Our status as children of God then becomes our defining characteristic - the thing that breaks down all of the walls of division we use to separate ourselves from each other. And through this adoption we are given unique gifts - gifts which grow our personal relationships with God and with each other, as well as equip us to work together with each other to take up God’s mission to preach the Gospel to all nations and expand the family into which we have been accepted.

Next week we will investigate the promises that come with being a part of God’s family - the “yet to come” part of God’s Kingdom. Let’s pray together.