Are You Adopted?

Here is an interesting thought: Only adopted children go to heaven! I was thinking about the biblical doctrine of adoption today. In Ephesians 1:4-5 Paul said:

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will ….”

Look at the parallels of adoption from a human perspective and from a biblical perspective. If we are going to adopt a child it is us who chooses the child. It is in love that we choose to adopt a child, not through anything meritorious that the child has done. We may have many reasons or motivations for pursuing the adoption, but the question arises whether we can use that analogy to understand the biblical doctrine of adoption. Sure we can … if we want to have a limited and heretical view of the doctrine of adoption. Biblical adoption is far different from human adoption.

Look at what Paul said again. When did God choose us? Before the creation of the world, before we ever existed. Before anyone ever existed. If you are called by God, then he created you to be his adopted child. Paul said “he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ.” In human adoption someone else brings the child into the world and is unable or unwilling to care for the child. This comes to our attention and after learning about it we may pursue an adoption of the child. A completely different situation from biblical adoption.

The difference is far greater than that though. Who were we before we realized our adoption into God’s family? Who were we before we were graciously granted the gift of salvation? Paul goes on to tell us in Ephesians 2:1-5:

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

See who we were? We were living as enemies of God, under his wrath. Think of a time of war. How about World War 2? How many Americans were lining up to adopt German or Japanese children? Thinking about adopting now? Have you considered a child growing up in an Muslim orphanage in Saudi Arabia? How about adopting children of a recently killed terrorist? Better yet, how about adopting an avowed terrorist teenager from the Middle East? For most of us the thought never would have occurred to us. We don’t even consider adopting the children of our enemies or children who are our enemies, but God did. You see, we were the enemy, and for those of us who are children of God, he adopted us.

How awesome is the love of God? How awesome is the doctrine of adoption in the Bible? The idea that a holy and just God, the Creator of the universe would choose you or me, while we were enemies, vile sinners, to be his chosen children? That he would work with us day by day to make us more like him? Doesn’t it make you want to praise him and thank him for the incredible gift he has given us as children of God?

Let’s show him our love by how we live. Let’s be imitators of our loving Father. Let’s do what he told us to do in his Word, because we love him. Let’s not live like we are still enemies of God. Study his Word daily that you might know how he calls you to live.