Adopted: Why God Chose This Language To Describe His Unending Love For You

⁴ But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.^[b]6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,^[c] Father.” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8

I am very drawn to this adoption language that Paul uses in these texts. Several years ago my wife and I made the decision to adopt and these texts have leapt off the page to me ever since. I believe God chose adoption language for a reason:

Adoption is a process that results in blessing. There were times in the adoption process that we were frustrated, discouraged, and worried but all of that melted away when we brought our children home. The process ended with the blessing of two incredible children.

Jesus underwent a process to ensure our adoption as sons and daughters. He left heaven. He was born and lived a life. He endured temptation. He started a ministry. He went to the cross. He rose from the dead. The end result of the whole process was blessing. We are able to call God our Father. We have an inheritance set for us in heaven. We have received the Holy Spirit who changes us and empowers us. We have received grace upon grace. We are blessed to be His children.

Adoption is a language of choice. I have had multiple friends through the years that described their conception as a happy accident. No one has ever accidently been adopted. It requires home studies, planning, effort, and lots of paperwork.

Your adoption as a son or daughter was planned by God. He made a choice to send His son Jesus for our salvation and redemption. Jesus made a choice to go. When God saw what our sin was doing to our relationship with Him, in short, He made an adoption plan. He executed His plan and He achieved His goal. This ought to make us feel extraordinarily loved by God. He chose us! This truth also motivates us to accept His invitation to be adopted and join His family.

Adoption is a language of timing. Almost every adopted family that I talk to has an overwhelming sense of God’s timing in their adoption. I will say that in both of our adoptions we can see how God’s timing and plan was at work the entire time to unite us with our children and make us a family. This is easier to see in the rear view mirror then the windshield. In the windshield it requires faith to believe God is at work.

This is true on a macro level. There came a time when the Father decided to send the Son to earth. For God, this was the perfect time for His son to be born to a woman, under the law to redeem those under the law that we might receive sonship. Why was that the perfect time? That truth lies in the heart of God alone.

I believe timing works on a micro level as well. God has been at work in your life personally so that you might see His Son and accept His invitation to be adopted into His family. He works through circumstances, people, and the Bible just to name a few ways. Again, this ought to make us feel extraordinarily loved that God is going to these lengths to adopt us as sons and daughters.

Through faith, and by grace, you are invited to be adopted into God’s family. He is a good Father who gives good gifts. My prayer is that you would see His love, accept His invitation, and enjoy Him.