Benefits to Being Adopted by God

When it comes to a powerful Christian belief for our well-being, one that stands near the top is Adoption.  People routinely struggle with thoughts like, "Does God accept me?" and "How would I know for sure?"  In ancient Rome, a person was adopted even as an adult into a family.  They were in case law, actual heirs.  This is hard to grasp for us, that it was common to have adults adopted then.  As part of adoption, a new parent would expect the adopted son or daughter to hold to their values/goals.

Paul uses by the Holy Spirit's leading the analogy of what they were familiar with, to contrast and compare with what God was already up to (indeed in Old Testament, God had already mentioned this doctrine many a time, but Paul 'illustrates' it in his culture for the church).

You and I now live for God's goals/values/purposes, if we are in God's family by faith.

One must place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, believing He died for their sins on the Cross.

This doctrine "adoption" is found in many places in the New Testament and Old Testament.  In the New Testament, we hear that we are "heirs" along with Jesus of an inheritance, Romans 8.  And we have not a spirit of slavery to the world / it's lord / it's ways, but a "spirit of adoption" to God through faith in Jesus.  We are called family, aka "sons" in Romans 8.  And the result is we will be "glorified" that is we inherit in heaven.

Practically you need to remind yourself that God accepts you by faith, today.  You are secure.  God is looking out for you.  And this was done already, so you are already legally declared adopted.  There's no abandonment of you.  God is a good Father, not a fickle person with confused whims.  If adoption is "forensic" in nature, we rest in God's declaration, not our declaration.  In other words:  if you decide to trust Jesus as your Savior, you are in God's family by trust in what Jesus did working that out which is already accomplished.

And you now have a new way to view your reason to live for God.  A benefit is we are motivated to serve God out of love.  You are set free.  Out of love, you choose to live God's values that the Son of God Jesus revealed in His life.

Beyond this, you are made into a new family image, and we now choose to live it out in love for our new family and honor of our new family name.

Do you rest today in God's adoption of you?  Do you find joy in identifying with His plans?  Are you full of peace from God instead of worry knowing He will not forsake His own?  I hope you are.

And eventually we will be glorified, and in heaven with the Lord Jesus.

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