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Word of the Week: Adoption

Some of the greatest people I know have fostered and adopted little ones into their home. There is just something right and wonderful about a family making a home for a child in need.

Adoption is a glorious concept. Theologically, adoption is the aspect of salvation whereby God brought us into his family.

Paul highlights adoption in the book of Romans.

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Romans 8:14-17 (emphasis mine)

In the Old Testament, God’s people were a specific nation. God chose Abraham and his descendants (Isaac, Jacob, and the patriarchs), to be his people. To be identified with God in the Old Testament was to be a part of the Hebrew people. But even in the Old Testament, there were promises that God’s people would include more than a race (Hosea 1:9-10; Psalm 96).

In the New Testament, God fulfilled these promises in the doctrine of adoption. God adopted those into his family who were not previously part of his family. This is the promise for every believer. We are now children of God (John 1:12), and as children of God, we are heirs of God (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Upon hearing they were adopted through Christ, the first believers would have been astounded. According to Roman law, when someone was adopted into a family, they could never be disinherited. A biological child could be disinherited, but not an adopted one. Used in this context, the doctrine of adoption is not only glorious, but it is also guaranteed. God will never disinherit us once he’s chosen us for his family.

Adoption is a great blessing that reflects the love of God for us.

Justification is the basic blessing, on which adoption is founded; adoption is the crowning blessing, to which justification clears the way. J. I. Packer (quoted in The Preacher’s Catechism, 97). 

J. I. Packer (quoted by Lewis Allen in The Preacher’s Catechism, 97). 

Because we have been declared right with God through justification, we can be made into sons and daughters of God. God adopted us into his family, giving us a family. We belong to Someone, our Heavenly Father. We have the greatest big Brother, Jesus Christ. And we have a universal family, all our brothers and sisters in Christ.

But not only does adoption give us a family, adoption makes us heirs of God. We will share in the abundance and wealth of our Heavenly Father. Sinclair Ferguson describes our inheritance this way:

According to the Law, as Paul knew, the firstborn son received a double inheritance, while all the others received a single portion (Deut. 21:17; cf. 2 Kings 2:9). But neither the Father nor the Son binds Himself to the limits of the Law. Paul declares: “[We are all] heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). Do you see the implication? All that belongs to the last Adam is for us. As the early church fathers delighted in saying, Christ took what was ours so that we might receive what was His. All that is His is ours: “All things are yours:… the world or life or death, or things present or things to come-all are yours. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:21-23).

Sinclair Ferguson, In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life (kindle edition, locations 1015-1019)

You may or may not have much in this life. But if you have been adopted into the family of God, you have all that belongs to Christ. As adopted heirs of the One True King, we are rich.

  • The blessing of adoption should make us grateful. God adopted us. He chose us to be part of his family. That is a glorious thought.
  • The blessing of adoption should make us joyful. We have God, and God has us. We can rejoice no matter our circumstances in life because we belong to the God who rules all things.
  • The blessing of adoption should make us evangelistic. God doesn’t want a small family. The bigger, the better. The more, the merrier. We should share the good news of Christ because all who repent and believe receive the gift of being children of God.
  • The blessing of adoption should make us generous. God owns everything, and as his children we inherit what he has. We can be generous with what he has blessed us with, for there is so much more to inherit.

Photo by Mayur Gala on Unsplash

Covid-19: 9 Reasons I am Thankful a Year Later

It was a year ago when the Covid-19 lockdowns became real. On top of the pandemic, this past year was full of political division and difficulty. Words that could describe 2020: uncertainty, turmoil, division, isolation, distancing, death.

All of us have been affected by 2020. Some of us felt the struggles of isolation and depression. Some of us became sick (with Covid-19) or other illnesses. Some of us faced the very real challenges of grief and losing a loved one. For all of us 2020 was challenging. For many 2020 was difficult. For others 2020 was devastating.

If you are reading this, regardless of the difficulties you’ve had this past year, you have some things for which to be thankful.

We don’t have to be thankful for everything we’ve experienced, but we should remain thankful in what we’ve experienced. The apostle Paul penned the following words from prison to a church that needed reminding about being thankful.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-8 (emphasis mine)

In reflecting on this past year, here are some of things that I’m thankful for.

During this past year, God taught me to be more thankful for time. A friend of mine observed that it seemed March 2020 happened just yesterday and on another hand that it happened 10 years ago. I’m sure we can all relate to his sentiment. As I was reflecting on this, God reminded me that he created time, is outside of time, and is not bound by time. God gives us time as a gift to spend. 2020 was a year that reminded me the privileges of time with the Lord, time with family, and time with others.

During this past year, God taught me to be thankful for the difficult things. In Scripture, the people God used most often faced difficult circumstances in life. Noah spent more than 100 year building an ark. Abraham left his home. Joseph was sold as as slave and falsely sent to prison. Moses was a refugee in the wilderness. Job. David. Jesus. We could go on, but the biblical data is clear. God uses difficult circumstances to shape and mature us. The isolation, suffering, grief, uncertainty, and division of the past year have been challenging and at times devastating. But in the hands of the Master, these circumstances can also form us spiritually. I’m thankful for how God used the stresses, uncertainties, and difficulties of this past year to point me to him.

During this past year, God taught me to be more thankful for my family. For so many families, distance learning and the loss of extracurricular activities have been difficult. But my wife has been a hero playing the role of teacher, mom, wife, and director of a non-profit. Family life together figuring out school, work, and family day-by-day has been a challenge. But God gave me an exceptional wife who managed the details of this past year spectacularly. We put the boys back in school recently, and I’ll confess that I miss them at home during the day. The pandemic year spent at home together is a time we are certain to never forget.

During this past year, God taught me to be thankful for frontline workers. Here are some of my heroes from the past year: teachers, anybody working in the hospital, and all those working at grocery stores and in the transportation industry. I’m sure I’m leaving other frontline workers out, but for any of us who were able to isolate safely with resources, there are many people for whom we should be thankful. I’m grateful for the teachers who were forced to adapt from in-person to remote to in-person to modified. And next time you think about it, whisper a prayer of thanks for those in the hospital that dealt with the tragedies and deaths of this year. If you had food and necessities during your isolation remember that someone packed, shipped, stocked, delivered, or prepared it. It is easy to take our frontline workers for granted. Don’t. Be thankful for those who had to work when everyone else was told to stay home.

During this past year, God taught me to be thankful for my church family. God called me to be a pastor, and I love my calling. But this year has been uniquely disconcerting. Shutdowns, reopening, disinfecting, distancing, online worship are things they don’t teach you in seminary. But during this entire year, our church family at Wilkesboro Baptist has remained gracious and encouraging. Our church generously gave more than our budgeted needs, participated in online worship, continued serving community mission partners, and prayed for our church and staff. We’ve had no major arguments, frustrations, and fusses. I’m grateful for a church family that’s been supportive, generous, and involved during this challenging year.

During this past year, God taught me to be thankful for the little things. I never thought I would miss seeing people smile. But with everyone masking up, one has to look closely at the eyes to see a smile. I’m grateful for the waves, elbow bumps, and greetings that have replaced hugs and handshakes. I’m grateful for moments in the sunshine and the little things that God does to remind me of his presence. It is good for us to pause and be thankful for the little things in our daily experiences.

During this past year, God taught me to be thankful for good books. Someone once said that we are most shaped by the people we meet, the places we go, and the books we read. With limited opportunities to meet new people and travel during this pandemic, reading is one thing that I could do. This past year gave me the opportunity to finish Francis Schaeffer’s complete works, subscribe to audible.com membership to engage with books when I’m unable to sit down, and to read many other books. In addition to Schaeffer’s works, here are a few favorite reads from my pandemic year. Favorite philosophy/theology book: Pagans and Christians in the City, by Steven Smith. Favorite commentary: Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope (Preaching the Word Series), by Philip Graham Ryken. Favorite biography: Leonardo da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson. Favorite leadership book: Eat That Frog, Brian Tracy. A book that challenged me: Dopesick, by Beth Macy. Most inspiring book of this past year: The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom.

During this past year, God taught me to be thankful for good friends. I needed my friends this past year. God gave me good pastor friends to help navigate the changing responsibilities of pastoring in a pandemic. God gave me friends who would just listen and friends who just needed me to listen. While in-person interaction with friends has been different during this year, contacts and conversations have been just as necessary. I’m thankful for those friends that have encouraged, inspired, and challenged me.

During this past year, God taught me to be thankful for his unchanging mission. There are many everyday circumstances that have changed during this pandemic. But “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Our mission to lead our neighbors and the nations to follow Jesus is changeless. Since moving worship services online, we’ve had the opportunity to reach more people with the message of the gospel. God sent unbelievers to our church, and during the course of the year we saw some of them become Christ-followers. We continue to witness God at work in the lives of others. It is important to remember that while many things in our daily experience have changed, the most important things remain the same.

What are some of the things you are thankful for from this past year? What are some of the challenges you’ve overcome during this past year?

Photo by Simon Maage on Unsplash