Adopted into God’s family

“He did this by predestining us to adoption as his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will—to the praise of the glory of his grace that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son” (Eph. 1:5-6 NET).

Grace is adoption into God’s family as His sons, in the status of Jesus Christ His Son! The scripture above teaches us that God predestinated our adoption through Jesus Christ. Child or Son of God is not a biological heredity, but a spiritual one. It is God manifest in the flesh, revealed as a Man. It is so important for us to understand the exceeding riches of the grace that is in Christ.

Human parents adopt a child by going through legal procedures to assume that responsibility. We have come to understand that your father is not just the person by whom you were conceived (biological), but also the one who raised you up and played the role of a father (functional). Human fathers adopt a child by taking up the functional role of a father, although they are not the biological father. This is not the case with God. God adopts His children in a completely different way: by giving them His child’s nature! He is God the Creator! He is not just assuming or legally agreeing that you are His child. You are indeed His child, so the scripture says: “The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children” (Rom. 8:16 NET). The Spirit looks at you and says, “Wow, you really look like your Father!”

MEDITATE

Meditation gets God’s Word out of your head and into your spirit. You meditate by pondering and muttering God’s Word. Say to yourself, “I am indeed a child of God.”

APPLY THE WORD

Let the consciousness of this adoption be ingrained in you. You are not an ordinary human being. Think about this frequently today, and thank God for it. No matter what circumstances you are facing, be intentional and remember that you are a child of God, and that all the privileges of that status are yours!