Adopted into the Family

Adoption is a subject that’s very near and dear to my heart. Before the pandemic hit, our family was planning to adopt. It’s still not out of our minds, but God has slowed us down.

Earthly adoption provides a beautiful spiritual picture of what God does for us. He brings us into his family. We become heirs with Christ. We aren’t just people who have been forgiven by God, he lavishes his affection on us calling us sons and daughters. I agree with Packer when he says, "To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is a greater."

If we pause and dwell that on the fact that God would choose to make us part of his family, we fill find ourselves overwhelmed if we truly know our own hearts. We are not just enemies made friends, but enemies made sons and daughters. And how little do we speak of the fact that Jesus Christ is our brother! This is no little matter!

I found Packer’s discussion on the Holy Spirit especially noteworthy in this chapter. "For the vital truth to be grasped here is that the Spirit is given to Christians as ‘the Spirit of adoption,’ and in all his ministry to Christians he acts as the Spirit of adoption. As such, his task and purpose throughout is to make Christians realize with increasing clarity the meaning of their filial relationship with God in Christ, and to lead them into an even deeper response to God in this relationship."

So often we neglect the work of the Spirit in our lives, but he assures our place in the family and moves us to represent the family well. What a blessing it is to be part of God’s family! Who do you need to invite to join our family this week?