We recently had the opportunity to share about our adoption in our monthly church newsletter, "Growing In Grace." Jill, who wrote the article, did a great job expressing her heart and thoughts behind our adoption of Joshua, as well as share about the role and place of spiritual adoption too. What Jill wrote was such an encouragement and reminder, we wanted to share it with you too -
Enjoy!
Eric and I are in the process of adopting Joshua, our precious little boy, from South Korea. Though we have not yet met him, we have been praying for him since before he was born. We have seen his picture as he grows, learned of mile-stones such as walking and starting to talk, and celebrated his first birthday, wishing he were here with
us. I am amazed at how much love I have for Joshua, and how I think of him as my son. Daily, my love for him continues to grow. I desire to hold him, nurture him, play with him, laugh with him, comfort him, and ultimately to teach him about Jesus. I am reminded how on a very small, earthly scale, this is what God has done for me, and for you, on a level greater than any of us can understand. It gives me a new glimpse of God’s incredible love for us, of His desire for each person He created to trust Him, rely on Him, love Him, and respond to His incredible love.I am adopted, and so are you, if you are a follower of Christ. God uses the term adoption to describe our relationship as believers with Him. Romans 8:14-18, says “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be re- vealed in us.” And verse 23, “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (NIV)I often think of myself as a child of God. But what exactly does this mean — to receive the Spirit of sonship, to be heirs of God, to wait eagerly for our adoption as sons? In Roman culture, similarly to today, someone who was adopted lost all rights in their old family, and gained all rights and privileges in their new family. This included becoming an heir to his father’s estate. This is true for us as children of God. He has given us the greatest treasures — His Son, forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life!
We are also told that as a co-heir with Christ, we will share in His sufferings. For some believers, this means persecution or even death. For all, it means living differently. Sometimes we will suffer as we give up our own rights, serve others, and choose not to conform to the world. And yet, in the midst of our sufferings, we can focus, not on this world, but on our future in heaven, and the glory that will be revealed in us.
This is the future aspect to our adoption — the part we eagerly await — for Christ’s new Kingdom to be established, and for our future change when we receive our glorified bodies, when we will be like Christ. This is why we are able to hope, and to look forward with perseverance for deliverance from sin and its results — suffering, disease, and death. What an amazing Father we have! So incredible, we will not understand the riches of His gifts until we are with Him in heaven!
Joshua has seen pictures of us, but he does not really know us yet. Soon, he will meet us. He will have many tears and sadness of missing all that he has known in these first years of his life. But he will also start to trust us, rely on us, respond to our love for him, and call us “Daddy” and “Mommy.” He will be adopted, with the full privileges of being our son.
Have you been adopted into the family of Jesus Christ? Have you talked to your Abba, Father today? Have you thanked Him for the incredible gifts He has given you as His child? Are you sharing in His suffering in order that you may also share in His glory?
May each of us daily keep our focus on who we are as children adopted by God, our Father, eagerly waiting for Christ to return, for His Kingdom to come, and for our adoption to be complete! And may we tell others of God’s amazing love and pray that they might be adopted into His family!
