Sermon date: 3-16-03

Goal: To communicate the overall privilege and joy of being in God’s family

Introduction- express why the subject of adoption is so precious to me.

Adopted by the Father

Introduction:

My wife, Ruth and I were married in 1988, and one of our primary desires as a couple was to have children. However, the Lord had other plans. After many years of prayer and a few cats and dogs came 1994—the year Ruth and I began thinking seriously about adopting. We were anxious about the whole process but wanted nothing more than to be parents. In fact, we were willing to go just about anywhere to find our child, little did we know that we would end up going literally half way around the world to find our precious daughter. After all of the legal paper work process, we made the trek to China and in June of 1995 where we officially adopted our daughter, Sarah.

The whole topic of adoption is very precious to me for obvious reasons. Another reason why the topic is so beautiful to me is the truth of adoption taught within the Bible. Did you know, for instance, that we were all spiritual orphans at one time? Have you ever stopped to think about that fact? However, the great news is that all who have been born-again by the grace of God, have been brought into His family through adoption. This much-overlooked concept is paramount to a healthy view of God as a Father. I think that J.I. Packer summed up the teaching of adoption quite nicely in his book entitled Knowing God where he writes:

“Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.” J.I. Packer Knowing God pg. 182

Your grasp of adoption is my goal today!

Our outline will be as follows:

A brief, biblical definition of adoption

I.       The NEED for our adoption- we were all enslaved orphans

II.      The COST of our adoption- the death of our elder brother

III.     The JOY of our adoption- familial relationships (with God as Father and each other as brother and sisters)

(Transition to A biblical definition)

 A BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF ADOPTION

          A. The Bible speaks of adoption in three ways:         

1. Natural.  Adoption is the legal process by which a man might bring into his family and endow with the status and privileges of a son, one who was not by nature his son or of his kindred.

a. Thus Pharaoh’s daughter adopted Moses Ex 2:10 and Mordecai adopted Esther in Esther 2:7

2. National. That relationship which God was pleased to establish between himself and the Israelites in preference to all other nations

              a. God adopted Israel Ex 4:22; Ro 9:4

3. Spiritual. The nature and condition of the true disciples in Christ, who by receiving the Spirit of God into their souls (Redemption, salvation, being born-again, saved) become sons of God.

          a. This aspect of adoption will be our emphasis today.

B. Adoption is not justification

1. Justification is a forensic idea, conceived in terms of law, and viewing God as judge… But contrast this, now, with adoption. Adoption is a family idea, conceived in terms of love, and viewing God as father. In addition God takes us into His family and fellowship, and establishes us as His children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with God the judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the father is a greater. From Knowing God by J.I. Packer

2. “Justification, writes Robert Peterson, occurs in the criminal division of the court, while adoption takes place in the family court.” “Adoption” he continues,  “is another way of speaking of the application of salvation”. From Adopted by God

(Laying that basic groundwork, I want you to step back and look at the whole idea of salvation through these family terms. In addition, I have a question for you: why in the world do we need adopted in the first place? Why? Because we have an incredible dilemma! Let me explain!)

I. THE NEED FOR ADOPTION

(There are three basic reasons the first is)

A. We were all born into the wrong family

                (Note: The NT assumes there is more that one spiritual family in the universe)

1. To show the above point we must first establish this fact. There is a two family concept throughout the NT.

a. Matthew 13:36-40  

Here the Lord Jesus uses a simple earthly farming analogy to describe a heavenly reality. He also adds these familial terms to describe spiritual realities. So in verse 38 we read “the sons of the evil one” and who is this evil one to whom these sons belong? vs. 39 “and the enemy who sowed them is the devil”

So we begin to see the two-family concept unfold. See the following:

1. Two Sowers: Jesus and the devil

2. Two types of seed: good seed and the tares

3. Two offspring:

a. “sons of the kingdom”                         

b. “sons of the evil one”

b. John 8:31-44

Jesus continues this concept of using familial terms to describe spiritual realities in John 8:31-44. Notice again the contrast that Jesus establishes between “My Father” and “your father”. Then notice what results from their fatherhood vs. 44 “you are of your father the devil (key prepositional phrase), and you want to do the desires of your father”. Again, we see the two-family concept in the following:

1. Two fathers: God and the devil

          2. Two offspring:

                                                a. Children of God

                                                b. Children of the devil

 (Am I alone in this observation? NO! Transition to Commentaries)

Jn. 8:44 People’s New Testament commentary

Ye are of your father, the devil. There are two households: that of God, composed of his children; and that of the devil, composed of his children. All who hear the voice of Christ become God’s children by adoption (# Ro 8:15-17), and all who refuse to hear him, do so because they belong to the devil’s household and hear his voice. They "will do the lusts of their father."

John 8:44 John Gill

“Ye are of your father the devil  Not of his substance, but by imitation and example; and as being under his authority and influence, his instructions and directions, and ready to follow after him, and obey his commands;”

(May I give you one more verse to make my point?)

c. I John 3:7-10

Here the apostle John uses the same methodology as Jesus. That is, he uses familial terms to describe spiritual realities. John cannot be any clearer than in verse 10. “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious…”  So, again we see the following:

          1. Two fathers: God and Satan

          2. Two offspring:

a. Children of God

b. Children of the devil

My point runs like this:

There is a need for adoption… because

We exist in a two family reality

There are two fathers

There are two sets of children

(But there are two more reasons for the need of our adoption)

B. We cannot, on our own, leave this family

                   1. We cannot adopt ourselves WHY?

a. Ephesians 2:1 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course (literal: BEING) of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the “sons of disobedience”. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were BY NATURE children of wrath, EVEN AS THE REST.”

NOTE: Everyone is held captive by the evil one in their natural, earthly state and must have a supernatural release from his clutches or each person would be doomed to stay in his family forever. 

2. We do not have eyes to see that we are in the wrong family

a. Reference Elizabeth Smart. She thought she was in the right family. She did not even recognize her need.

C. Our natural family does not want us to leave

1. The “prince of power of the power of the air” does not easily give up on one of his own. He will use his resources to keep people from coming to God the Father, the same way Elizabeth’s captors did.

Do you see it? Do you see the desperate situation that humans find themselves? The evil one has spun a wicked web around the minds of mankind. He continues to spin his web of deception from generation to generation. Until God intervenes, every individual is doomed to the destructive ways of Satan.

However, there is good news! There is very good news! Our Father has a plan! Our Father has a SON! That son was sent to redeem the Father’s children! However, there was a cost!

(Transition to the cost of our ADOPTION)

II.  THE COST OF OUR ADOPTION

A. Jesus the Holy Son, had to leave His Father’s fellowship and die    as our elder brother. He sacrificed Himself so that you and I could       live and gave His life so you and I could participate in fellowship        with God.

B. Family question:

·          Do you want to be part of the family of God?

·          Would you like to be adopted from your natural family into God’s family?

·          How do we receive this ADOPTION?

C. Family answer:

·          How do we receive this ADOPTION? By Faith!

·          Faith in what? Faith in the Elder brother and what He did and not what you can do!

Ephesians 2:8,9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

That is how you become a child of God, through adoption. Remember our definitions:

Natural.  The legal process by which a man might bring into his family, and endow with the status and privileges of a son, one who was not by nature his son or of his kindred.

Spiritual. The nature and condition of the true disciples in Christ, who by receiving the Spirit of God into their souls become sons of God.

TRANSITION

(There is wonderful joy waiting for God’s adopted children)

III. THE JOY OF OUR ADOPTION

A. Our adoption results in freedom from our bondage

1. Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

Note: Paul assumes what Jesus and John taught. He uses the family analogy by stating that we were in “bondage”. To whom were we in bondage? Satan. However, God in His abundant mercies through His precious Son’s ultimate sacrifice sent to us His Spirit within our hearts and ADOPTED US! The result is freedom! DO YOU SEE IT?

I SAID FREEDOM! Freedom from bondage! Freedom from the tyranny of sin! Freedom from addictions! Freedom from self! Freedom from doing the bidding the evil one! We are FREEEEEEE! Hallelujah, brothers and sisters!

Bondage/Adoption contrast

(Note: this is in the outline)

Spirit of bondage                                Spirit of adoption

Spirit is dead                                                Spirit is alive

Living by the flesh                                        Living by the Spirit

Present reality                                              Present/future reality

Leads to slavery                                           Leads to liberty

Results in fear/dread of God                         Results in “abba father” relationship   

Evidence that we are not sons                      Evidence that we are sons

Final destinty? Hell                             Final destiny? Heaven

 (Transition to the second joy)

B. Our ADOPTION results in spiritual family relationships

1. With God (our spiritual Father)

a. We have an ABBA Father relationship with God.

1. Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

2. Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

3. Mark 14:36 And He said, "Abba, Father”, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."

a. Translators are quick to point out that ABBA is not a Da-da type of word, but a daddy type of word, a term that denotes intimacy not infancy.

b. We can call God by the same intimate name that Jesus used had while on this earth.

2. With each other

a. Through adoption we enter into the Family of God

1. Ephesians 2:19 “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

a. This is why we call each other brothers and sisters.

          b. Through adoption we have a new home : The CHURCH

1. Ephesians 3:14 “For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name…”

a. Our new home is manifested in two realms:

                                                1. Present reality: The church militant

                             2. Future reality: The church triumphant

(Transition to conclusion)

 CONCLUSION

Our understanding of adoption should result in a greater love for our heavenly Father and our fellow brothers and sisters in the family of God.

This spiritual fellowship is beautiful now, but it is only in its

“firstfruits” stage. Brothers and sisters there is coming a day when we

will put aside this old flesh and will inherit a new body.

Romans 8:23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Our souls have been adopted but there is coming a day when our bodies will be adopted as well. If we think it is good now… we haven’t seen anything yet!

I trust you have seen:

          - Your need for your adoption

          - The cost of your adoption

          - The joy of your adoption

May our heavenly Father be praised for His wonderful mercies!

Let us Pray

Closing Hymn #268 God, Our Father, we adore Thee

Benediction from Jude 24

Now unto him that is able to keep, able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and forever. Amen.