Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
We will complete verse 5 in this post as we deal with another very broad topic that Paul brings before us. This is the subject of a believer's adoption into the family of God. It is another of the "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places" that have been given to each believer because of our faith in Jesus Christ.
Adoption is another very important topic for us to understand.
I do not know what your childhood and home life was like growing up. I only know the environment I grew up in and it was not Christian. However, I can say with confidence to each of you this day, that God in heaven will adopt you into His family and He will be a Father to you. You can enjoy a new relationship in the family of God no matter how dysfunctional your home is!
The Greek word "uihothesia" is translated "adoption" and it is a word packing a powerful meaning for a born again believer in Jesus Christ. This word refers to each believer receiving the indwelling Spirit of God and being made a child of God and a part of the family of God.
Why do we need to be adopted by God?
John 8:42-44 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43) Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Jesus spoke these words of stinging rebuke to the religious conservatives of the Jewish people. They thought that they were okay with God because they were descendants of Abraham.
Herein lies the fundamental problem for all unbelievers. They do not love Jesus Christ because God is not their Father. Nor do they hear and heed the word of God because they are not rightly related to God through Christ.
If God is not their Father then who is? Jesus answered that question as well. Christ stated it bluntly, "Ye are of your father, the devil." Sadly, this is true of every single person on earth who is not born again and this is why adoption into the family of God is so important.
We are children of the devil by birth.
Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Paul made it very clear in Ephesians 2 who we were in the sight of God, before our conversion to Christ. We walked according to the dictates of the devil. We were called the children of disobedience because we seek to satisfy the lust of our flesh. We lived godless lives because we were not rightly related to God and were correctly characterized as children of wrath.
Paul was well versed in Roman adoption. The word translated "adoption" refers to the Roman process of legal adoption. If a Roman had no sons to inherit his estate, or if he felt that his son was unworthy, he could try to find someone who would be a worthy son, and then adopt him.
Infant adoption was rare in Roman culture. Rather, older boys or young adults were most commonly adopted. Following is a list of the main features of Roman adoption that help us understand what Paul meant by using this particular Greek word.
- The adopted son would have all his debts cancelled.
- The adopted son would receive a new name.
- The adopted son would be entitled to all the legal rights and benefits of a natural born son.
- Adoption was irrevocable.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7) Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Jesus Christ came to redeem all who would believe from the curse of the law and when we exercise repentant faith in Christ, God adopts us. We receive this tremendous privilege and blessing of adoption by God at the moment of our salvation.
We receive the adoption of sons, which was mirrored in Roman law. God sent His Spirit to indwell us when we were regenerated and now we are no longer servants to sin. We are fully adopted by God the Father and it cannot be revoked.
Our debts are cancelled.
Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
We used to be spiritually dead in trespasses and sins but God quickened us through the new birth, bringing spiritual life into our heart. The phrase "having forgiven you all trespasses" means that our debt of sin was cancelled. Christ fully paid for our sins on His cross.
The phrase "blotting out" refers to the Greek custom of cancelling a certificate of debt (loan). Normally, this was done by making a large "X" written over the certificate of debt. However, you could still read the terms like the amount of debt and the rate of interest to be repaid.
Therefore, Paul used a different word translated "blotting out." It means to obliterate the writing of debt by wiping it out, erasing it, and then completely covering over it in a white lime plaster that was opaque. This is what Jesus Christ did for us at His cross. He took our lifetime debt of sin and nailed it to the cross and wiped it away by His precious blood. Praise God.
We receive a new name from God.
Isaiah 62:2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Paul tells us that we are a new creation in Christ and that old things pass away while all things in our lives are made new. These texts speak of receiving a new name.
Jacob's name was changed to Israel. Abram's name was changed to Abraham. Sarai's name was changed to Sarah and Saul's name was changed to Paul. There are several other examples in scripture of God giving people a new name but these are sufficient to illustrate this point.
We are entitled to the same legal rights & benefits of a natural son.
Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17) And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
2 Corinthians 6:16-18 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
When we are born again, we are made joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Whatever He inherits, we inherit. We are to live for the glory of God because we are now His children. God is our Father because we are rightly related to Him through faith in Christ.
Adoption is irrevocable.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 10:27-29 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
God has conferred the gift of eternal life to all born again believers. (See also Romans 8:38-39; 1 John 5:10-13). Our salvation is anchored to the work and person of Jesus Christ. God grants eternal life to all who believe and we will live with Him for all of eternity. Read the text from Psalm 103 carefully because it describes our new relationship with Jehovah through Christ.
Psalm 103:8-18 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9) He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10) He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11) For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13) Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14) For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.15) As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16) For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. 17) But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; 18) To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
Thoughts to Ponder...
We looked at this vast and important subject of adoption of each believer into the family of God. We also learn that this the blessings including adoption, are given to us because if is God's will to do these things for believers. It pleases Him to do this for us!
We learned of our need to be adopted by God because the devil is our father, by birth. It may not be very comforting to think of ourselves in this light, but that is what God's word says. We are born with a sin nature and are separated from God.
We learned when we are born again, that God is now our Father and He wiped out our debt of sin through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ on the cross. We also receive a new name from God and a full inheritance with Jesus Christ.
Last, we learned that adoption by God is eternal and secure.
I pray that these truths bring great joy to each one of us. We are in the world but we are no longer of the world. We have been born from above by God's Spirit. We have a new home in heaven waiting for us.
May our Lord teach us how to live for His kingdom and for His glory right now, wherever we are so that lost people around us see the vast difference Jesus Christ makes in us. Help us to be ready witnesses of Christ and to worship God in Spirit and in truth.
Bob
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