Adoption I. An Adoption Story II. Believers as Adopted Children of God A. An image used to help describe the relationship of believers to God B. Romans 8:14-17 1. Paul indicates that those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God 2. Sons as by adoption in verse 15 C. Romans 8:22-25 1. This adoption to be most fully expressed in the "redemption of our bodies" 2. In verse 24, "saved in this hope"-- something not yet received 3. Reference to the resurrection D. Romans 9:4-5 1. In speaking of Israel, Paul indicates that "the adoption" belongs to them 2. Consider Ezekiel 16, especially verses 1-7 3. Adoption imagery, therefore, even used to explain God's relationship with Israel E. Galatians 4:4-7 1. Somewhat similar to Romans 8:14-17, but more specific 2. Jesus came to redeem those under the Law to receive adoption as sons 3. Reconciliation, relationship understood in terms of adoption F. Ephesians 1:3-6 1. God as predestining us in love to adoption as sons 2. Demonstration of such being part of the eternal plan (cf. Ephesians 3:11) G. The image of adoption, therefore, thoroughly present in the New Testament, and an important means by which we are to understand our salvation H. What does it mean? III. The Power of the Image of Adoption A. Imagery 1. Many times people are left scratching their heads trying to understand how we can be children of God and yet adopted children at the same time 2. After all, in Luke 15:11-32, believers are portrayed as biological sons of the Father 3. Yet we must remember that this is imagery-- the vehicle is less important than the purpose/meaning! 4. Both are images attempting to help us understand our relationship with God 5. Therefore, they are not contradictory-- they are emphasizing different truths B. Why Adoption? 1. But why would God use the image of adoption? 2. There are many good reasons for us to consider C. Adoption establishes a familial and legal relationship where one did not previously exist 1. How can it be that a child that is not the biological child of his or her parent(s) can become their child and receive all the legal benefits of being their child? 2. Such is accomplished through adoption! 3. There are other situations in which a child is taken care of by parent(s) without all the legal benefits of inheritance and the like (e.g. foster care) 4. In adoption, however, the child is legally recognized as a legitimate offspring of the parents even though there may be no biological relationship-- the child is reckoned as much a child as if they had been a biological child 5. On a spiritual level this is consistent with one perspective on the story 6. John 8:34, 41-47: those who sin are slaves to sin, are as children of the Devil 7. Romans 3:23: we have all sinned, fallen short of God's glory 8. In this perspective, we have all become sons of the Evil One, and will receive the "inheritance" of the Evil One if we do not change (cf. Romans 6:23) 9. Through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, we are able to be adopted by God as His children if we turn from evil and toward God (cf. Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:5) 10. By becoming His children through adoption, we are reckoned as if we had been "biological" children, and can receive the inheritance like the "biological" Son (cf. Romans 8:17, Galatians 4:7) 11. Thus we can be delivered from sin and death in order to obtain eternity and glory (Romans 8:1-2, 18)! D. Adoption is a choice by grace 1. Simply put, there are very few "oops" adoptions like there might be "oops" babies! 2. There is no inherent sense of compulsion or obligation to adopt-- it is a free will choice of the adoptive parent(s) 3. They must want to adopt and want to have the child! 4. It has nothing to do with the merit of the particular child-- it is not as if they "deserve" to be adopted or not to be adopted 5. Likewise, there was no compulsion or obligation for God to have us to be reconciled to Him 6. Nothing would have stopped Him from leaving us to fend for ourselves and be condemned to hell (Romans 3:23, 6:23) 7. It is not as if we deserved to be saved or adopted by anything we are or did (cf. Romans 3:23, 4:4-5, Ephesians 2:8-10) 8. Yet God chose, by His grace, to adopt us through the life and death of Jesus by faith (cf. Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:16, Romans 5:5-11) 9. We must never think that God is obligated or compelled to love us or to have adopted us as His children! E. To be adopted is a choice 1. For children who are a little older, to be adopted is a choice also 2. Children of a certain age cannot be forced into an adoption-- they must also consent! 3. So it is with our adoption as children of God-- God does not force anyone into that relationship! 4. If we are going to be adopted by God as His children, we must agree to it-- believe, repent, be baptized, obey (cf. Acts 2:38, 16:16, Romans 6:16-23) F. Adoption can transcend race, ethnic, linguistic, etc. barriers 1. When people have children biologically, the children reflect at least the race and ethnicity of their biological parents, and oftentimes their nationality and language also 2. The only way anyone can become a parent of a child of a different race or ethnicity is through adoption 3. God's plan was for His manifold wisdom to be reflected in His church, and part of that wisdom is that Jew and Gentile, man and woman, master and slave, Greek and barbarian, etc., are all part of that church (Ephesians 3:6, 10-11, Galatians 3:28) 4. Adoption, therefore, is the appropriate image-- we all enter into the Kingdom through adoption, whether male or female, Jew or Gentile, black or white, American or foreign, etc. G. Thus we can see the power of the image of adoption-- it accurately represents our relationship with God! IV. Adoption A. What is the relationship between our spiritual adoption and physical adoption? B. Some seek to push physical adoption 1. Recognition that we are all different, have different roles (Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27) 2. There will be some in the Kingdom who never marry or have children (1 Corinthians 7:6-7, 26-27) 3. There will be some in the Kingdom who marry and have their own biological children, and there will be some who have both biological and adopted children, and some who will have adopted children 4. We should not make anyone feel guilty about doing something that is not for them to do! C. Nevertheless, adoption should be acceptable and encouraged! 1. While adoption itself is never explicitly commanded, having concern for and taking care of the distressed and dispossessed is (cf. Galatians 2:10, James 1:27) 2. It is always good to reflect in our lives the same attitudes and attributes that God has demonstrated to us 3. When we adopt a child we reflect the adoption we have received from God to be His children 4. That is a good thing, and as Christians, we should encourage the good (Galatians 5:22-24)! D. We do well when we remember what God has done for us! 1. Just as we want to be known as full children of God without any qualifiers, so adoptive children are as much children of a parent as biological children 2. Just as we want to be full children of God even though our race and ethnicity may not be the same as that of Jesus of Nazareth or other Biblical figures, so adoptive children are as much children no matter their race or ethnicity 3. As we praise God and are thankful to Him that we have been adopted, so we should encourage those who adopt in their work E. Adoption is indeed a blessing! V. Conclusion A. We were all lost in sin, abandoned, not knowing the way B. Yet God loved us and desired for us to become His children C. He sent His Son to live and die so that we could be reconciled to Him D. We now can be adopted as His sons and daughters and receive the inheritance in the resurrection and eternal life E. Adoption, therefore, is a great blessing for which we should be thankful F. Let us praise God for the opportunity to be adopted as His children! G. Invitation/songbook