On Adoption
“While it costs us a lot to adopt children, it cost God the blood of His own Son.”
- Rick Morton and Tony Merida, Orphanology
“Adoption graphically and intimately describes the family character of Pauline Christianity, and is a basic description for Paul of what it means to be a Christian.”
- Trevor Burke, Adopted into God’s Family: Exploring a Pauline Metaphor
“Forgiveness isn’t an end in itself. The point of forgiveness is to remove the barrier that stands between us and God so that He can give us His Spirit and bring us into His everlasting family.”
- Darrell Bock, Real Lost Gospel
On God as Father
“What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father.”
- J.I. Packer, Knowing God
“There is no one concept of God which dominates the theology of Paul more than [the fatherhood of God].”
- Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel G. Reid, Dictionary of Paul and His Letters
The quotes above give insight to theological truths of our relationship with God. We’ve been bought at a price, through the death and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ to be welcomed into the family of God. The definition of “family” can be confusing here. It can be seen as the acceptance and welcome into the church, the community, or the body of Christ. There is truth to this statement. But I believe adoption adheres to a more profound truth. As Christians, we believe in the Trinity, God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Among these three “persons” of God, there is perfect unity, glorifying the other. The words “Father” and “Son” point to a familial bond within the Trinity. Often times in the bible, we are referred to as co-heirs of the kingdom (Romans 8:17) and co-heirs refers to the position of a child to receive inheritance from a father, so in other words we have the same inheritance promised to CHRIST Himself! In other words, we are sons and daughters ALONG WITH CHRIST HIMSELF! It says in the bible that we will be glorified with Christ. Because of sin, we were far from the Lord, but because of the price paid on the cross, we are given the title of SONS and DAUGHTERS of Most High God! Isn’t this amazing? Does this help in your perspective of calling God, Abba Father, knowing that it was at the cost of His Son, that we are adopted AS HIS OWN and called sons and daughters with Jesus? This is GREAT NEWS that compels and allows us to live lives of faith, hope, and love… of victory!
Starting today, many of us are heading out to our annual Summer Retreat for Timothy Youth Group. The topic is “The Father’s Heart” and I believe wholeheartedly that our amazing God desires to reveal who the youth are in His eyes, as His own sons and daughters. As they become more and more aware of Who God is and who they are to God because of Christ Jesus, I know that at a young age, they can live lives in total surrender and abandonment to the One who loved and saved them. I believe among us, we have the next King David’s, Apostle Paul’s, Billy Graham’s, Hudson Taylor’s, Jim Elliot’s… and will do even GREATER things than them. Please pray for us.
From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
August 18, 2013