The Transformative Power of Divine Adoption

 

Summary

The doctrine of adoption is a profound and often overlooked aspect of Christian theology. It is a doctrine that brings immense comfort and encouragement to believers, yet it is seldom discussed. Adoption, in the biblical sense, refers to the act of God by which He confers upon us the status of sons and daughters. This is not merely a legal declaration but a transformative relationship that places us in the family of God. The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, frequently refers to this concept, emphasizing that through faith in Jesus Christ, we are given the spirit of adoption, allowing us to cry out, "Abba, Father."

The term "son" in Scripture is used in various ways. It refers singularly to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and is also used for angels and human magistrates. However, the most significant use is for those who are spiritually adopted by God. This adoption is not universal; it is reserved for those who believe in Christ. Contrary to the notion of the universal fatherhood of God, Scripture makes a clear distinction between those who are children of God and those who are not. This distinction is crucial, as it underscores the unique relationship believers have with God through Christ.

Adoption is distinct from justification and regeneration. While justification is a legal declaration of righteousness and regeneration is the impartation of a new nature, adoption is the conferring of a new status. It is a judicial act that bestows upon us the privileges of being members of God's family. This includes bearing God's name, receiving His protection and provision, and being heirs to His promises.

The results of adoption are manifold. It frees us from the spirit of bondage and fear, grants us the spirit of liberty, and assures us of God's fatherly care, including His discipline. As heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, our inheritance is secure and incorruptible. This doctrine reminds us of our eternal destiny and the indescribable glory that awaits us as children of God.

Key Takeaways:

- The Doctrine of Adoption: Adoption is a divine act where God bestows upon believers the status of sons and daughters, granting them the privileges of being part of His family. This is not a universal status but is reserved for those who have faith in Jesus Christ. [06:22]

- Distinction from Other Doctrines: Adoption is distinct from justification and regeneration. While justification declares us righteous and regeneration imparts a new nature, adoption confers a new status, making us heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. [23:37]

- Privileges of Adoption: As adopted children, we bear God's name, receive His protection and provision, and are assured of His fatherly care. This includes both His blessings and His discipline, which are signs of His love and commitment to our growth. [40:40]

- Security of Our Inheritance: Our adoption guarantees an inheritance that is incorruptible and secure. As heirs of God, our eternal destiny is assured, and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. [44:08]

- Living as Sons of God: Understanding our adoption should transform how we live, encouraging us to embrace our identity as God's children and to live in a manner that reflects His love and grace to the world. [47:48]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:09] - Introduction to the Recording
- [00:41] - Resuming Biblical Doctrines
- [01:15] - The Work of the Holy Spirit
- [02:21] - Justification by Faith
- [02:55] - Introduction to Adoption
- [04:11] - Scriptural References to Adoption
- [06:22] - Definition and Meaning of Adoption
- [07:39] - The Term "Son" in Scripture
- [10:42] - Divine Adoption of Believers
- [13:05] - Universal Fatherhood of God?
- [17:18] - Our Sonship vs. Christ's Sonship
- [23:19] - Adoption as a Judicial Act
- [27:11] - Children vs. Sons of God
- [37:33] - Proofs of Adoption
- [39:56] - Results of Adoption
- [44:08] - Security of Our Inheritance
- [46:27] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Doctrine of Adoption

Bible Reading:

1. Romans 8:15-17
2. Galatians 4:4-7
3. Ephesians 1:5

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Observation Questions:

1. According to Romans 8:15, what spirit have believers received, and what does it enable them to do? [04:56]

2. In Galatians 4:4-5, what purpose is given for God sending His Son, and what status do believers receive as a result?

3. How does Ephesians 1:5 describe the process and purpose of adoption for believers?

4. What distinction does the sermon make between the terms "children of God" and "sons of God"? [27:28]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the concept of adoption in the sermon differ from the idea of the universal fatherhood of God? [13:05]

2. What are the implications of being "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" as mentioned in Romans 8:17? How does this affect a believer's understanding of their relationship with God?

3. The sermon mentions that adoption is distinct from justification and regeneration. How does understanding these distinctions help in comprehending the full scope of salvation? [23:37]

4. How does the assurance of an incorruptible inheritance, as discussed in the sermon, impact a believer's perspective on their eternal destiny? [44:08]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your personal understanding of being adopted into God's family. How does this identity influence your daily life and decisions? [47:48]

2. The sermon emphasizes the privileges of adoption, such as bearing God's name and receiving His protection. How can you actively remind yourself of these privileges in times of fear or doubt? [40:40]

3. Consider the distinction between being a child of God and a son of God. How does this understanding challenge or affirm your current spiritual journey? [27:28]

4. The sermon discusses the security of our inheritance in Christ. In what ways can you live with more confidence and assurance in this promise? [44:08]

5. How can the understanding of God's fatherly discipline, as a result of adoption, change your perspective on challenges and trials you face? [42:16]

6. The sermon encourages believers to live as sons of God, reflecting His love and grace. Identify one specific way you can demonstrate this identity in your community this week. [47:48]

7. Reflect on the sermon’s message about the spirit of liberty that comes with adoption. How can you cultivate a mindset of freedom in Christ in your daily interactions and choices? [40:13]

Devotional

Day 1: Adoption as a Transformative Relationship
Adoption in the biblical sense is not merely a legal declaration but a transformative relationship that places believers in the family of God. Through faith in Jesus Christ, believers are given the spirit of adoption, allowing them to cry out, "Abba, Father." This profound relationship is reserved for those who believe in Christ, distinguishing them from those who are not children of God. The unique relationship believers have with God through Christ is a source of immense comfort and encouragement, reminding them of their place in God's family. [06:22]

Galatians 4:4-7 (ESV): "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."

Reflection: How does understanding your adoption into God's family change the way you view your relationship with Him today?


Day 2: Adoption as a New Status
Adoption is distinct from justification and regeneration. While justification is a legal declaration of righteousness and regeneration is the impartation of a new nature, adoption confers a new status. It is a judicial act that bestows upon believers the privileges of being members of God's family, making them heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. This new status is a profound aspect of Christian identity, emphasizing the believer's secure position in God's family. [23:37]

Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."

Reflection: In what ways can you embrace your new status as an heir of God in your daily life?


Day 3: Privileges of Being God's Children
As adopted children, believers bear God's name, receive His protection and provision, and are assured of His fatherly care. This includes both His blessings and His discipline, which are signs of His love and commitment to their growth. The privileges of adoption remind believers of the intimate and caring relationship they have with God, encouraging them to live in a manner that reflects His love and grace to the world. [40:40]

Hebrews 12:5-6 (ESV): "And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.'"

Reflection: How can you recognize and respond to God's fatherly care and discipline in your life today?


Day 4: Security of Our Inheritance
The doctrine of adoption guarantees an inheritance that is incorruptible and secure. As heirs of God, believers' eternal destiny is assured, and nothing can separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus. This assurance provides believers with a profound sense of security and hope, reminding them of the indescribable glory that awaits them as children of God. [44:08]

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV): "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."

Reflection: What steps can you take to live with the confidence and hope that comes from knowing your inheritance is secure in Christ?


Day 5: Living as Sons of God
Understanding adoption should transform how believers live, encouraging them to embrace their identity as God's children and to live in a manner that reflects His love and grace to the world. This transformation involves a daily commitment to embody the values and character of God's family, serving as a testament to His transformative power in their lives. [47:48]

1 John 3:1-2 (ESV): "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is."

Reflection: How can you intentionally reflect your identity as a child of God in your interactions with others today?

Quotes



Here again we have a most glorious subject there is no subject perhaps which is more encouraging and more comforting to the believer than this Doctrine of the adoption and yet we must point out as we've had occasion to point out as we've considered many of these other doctrines that for some inexplicable reason it's a doctrine that we very rarely hear of. [00:03:19]

The Apostle is there referring to his Kinsmen according to the flesh the Jews, the Israelites. I'll show you in a moment why I put that particular quotation before the next which comes from the eighth chapter of the epistle to the Romans and in the 15th verse for ye have not received the spirit of bondage against fear says the Apostle but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry ABA, father. [00:04:41]

The term son is used in the plural of angels and uh one gathers from the way in which it is used of angels and the context that it is so used because the angels are God's favored creatures and because in the matter of intelligence and in certain other respects they are like God himself. [00:08:45]

There are those for instance who would teach us that all mankind are the sons of God they believe in what they call the universal fatherhood of God and the universal Brotherhood of all men they say that the scripture teaches that the whole of mankind constitute the children of God and the sons of God. [00:13:01]

Our first answer is that these very scriptures which are quoted clearly refer to the relationship of God to all men in creation and in Providence only you read those passages which I've quoted at your leisure and you'll find that they're all General they simply think of God's relationship to men in terms of creation and in terms of Providence. [00:16:04]

In becoming the sons of God we do not become identical with the Lord Jesus Christ he is the god men very God of very God and perfect men perfect God perfect men we are not made Gods when we become sons of God we do not become God in the sense that our Lord was. [00:21:20]

We can describe it therefore as that judicial Act of God by which he confers or bestows upon us the status or the standing of sons that is the real meaning of adoption and I'm anxious to stress and to emphasize the fact that it is a distinct and a special movement or Division if you like of the work of the holy spirit in the application of redemption. [00:23:20]

Adoption is not the same thing as justification it isn't even a part of justification it's quite separate in justification you remember we found that declares us to be righteous it's a declaratory act it's a forensic act he declares that our sins are forgiven and that he accepts the righteousness of Christ upon us he puts it upon us. [00:24:46]

By adoption then we become the sons of God and are introduced into and given the Privileges that belong to members of God's family that's adoption now once more unfortunately I must turn aside and say something negative I'm going to put it in the form of a question does this adoption apply to all Christians or only to some Christians. [00:26:44]

We enjoy the present protection and consolation which God Alone can give and the provision that he makes for his children the very hairs of your head are all numbered nothing can happen to you apart from him oh think of those gracious and glorious promises which are given to the children and which we prove to be true in experience. [00:41:25]

If God has adopted you into his family if you are a child a Son of God your destiny is secure it's certain things future nor things that are now nor all things below nor above can make him his purpose forego or sever my soul from his love it's a guarantee if if God has taken me into the family I'm not only a child and a son I am an heir and The Inheritance is absolutely certain. [00:44:34]

Isn't it a tragedy that it's neglected that men and women stop at forgiveness or even at sanctification and fail to realize that this is the thing that ever reminds us directly of our relationship to God and of the wonderful inheritance the Indescribable Glory for which we are destined saved unto this adoption of children not merely forgiven not merely declared righteous not merely I say having this new nature above Beyond in addition declared to be the children of God sons of God. [00:45:31]

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Transcript
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