Adopted Into God's Family

Ephesians 1:1-10

1 PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

To begin with brothers and sisters, Christian Friends, Well Wishers, and Saints of God we are going to talk about Adoption.

Simply put Adoption is a change in Family. In terms of Christianity it means that we now belong to the Community of Christians. The book of Ephesians is an interesting biblical book, in that it reveals some great truths about God’s grace towards his people through His Son Jesus Christ.

Ephesians gives us the inscription of the Origin of the Church in the Father’s eternal counsel, and the Son’s Blood shedding sacrifice, also in the Sealing of it all by the Holy Spirit.

One of the best ways I know how to describe the biblical truth associated with Adoption, is by letting me tell you this little story.

There was an orphan who was constantly getting into trouble. He was stealing away in the night, stealing stuff and things, stealing other orphan’s possessions, simply put he stole a lot. And one day a rich man noticed Billy because he had stolen out of one of the rich man’s stores. The rich man said to the orphanage, “I want to adopt that little fellow there”. The head master said, “no sir you don’t want him , he ‘s the worse child we have. He’s always in trouble”. The rich man said, “I know and that’s why I want to adopt him”. The Head Master said, “Ok! but I’m warning you Billy is a whole lot of trouble.

The rich man took Billy home to his fine estate.The manor was so big until you could get lost in it. The servants welcomed Billy and showed him his room. Billy had never had his own room before. The servants showed Billy a closet full of new clothes and new shoes and all of them were his perfect size.

The servants said freshen up Billy and we will call you when dinner is ready. Billy started putting anything and everything of value to him in his little raggedly clothes. The rich man could see it all on camera. When Billy came down stairs for dinner. The rich man said Billy how do you like it here so far, Billy said it is nice. This is the biggest house I’ve ever seen. The rich man said good because this is your home now, and everything in here belong to me and I’m going to allow you to have some of it too. Billy said really.

The rich man said yeah Billy it’s your too. The rich man said and Billy you don’t have to carry around all the things from your room, because all of the servants know that that is your stuff. All of the stuff you have in your pockets belong to you already. The rich man said, from the day that I adopted you I made provisions for everything in your life. All of this is yours.

Billy said man is this some kind of joke, because nobody ever cared about me, nobody ever took time with me, nobody ever bought stuff just for me, everything was hand me downs, and I never had my own bedroom with servants to come and see what I wanted. The rich man said that’s why it’s called Adoption. Billy Adoption means that you now have a change in family. You’re in my family now, and this is your home. And Billy cried tears of joy and accepted the rich man as his adopted father.

Brothers and sisters this is what God does for us. Jesus covers us with His blood and the Father sees Jesus’ blood over our lives and adopts us into the Christian Family. So Here’s an official definition of Adoption. Adoption is an act of God whereby he makes us members of His Family. God leads, guides, and directs us toward adoption. Listen the scriptures say in Romans 8:14-17 for all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God that’s (adoption). None of us recieved the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but we have recieved the spirit of sonship,( Adoption.) When we cry Abba Father The bible says it is the spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, 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, (Adoption).

And since we are related spiritually to one another, we must be partakers together into God’s family. It is so important , it is so significant and it is so pertinent that we recognize the great privilege of Adoption. Here’s why, Regeneration is change of heart which has to do with our spiritual life within.

Then there is Justification, which is a change in state and it has to do with our standing before God’s Law. And the great difference between Regeneration and Justification and Adoption is that Adoption has to do with our relationship with God as our Father, and the great many blessing given to us by our Father especially eternal life. This is so important because as in the story of the rich man adopting the little orphan, the rich man didn’t have to adopt the orphan and provided great blessing to the orphan but the rich man wanted to. Our God wants to adopt us.

Lets’s look at the theme text in Ephesians 1:1-10

Let’s pull out of the text what the text is saying to us.

1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted.

To God’s holy people living in Ephesus, believers in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1.The opening of the Epistle or the letter follows the pattern of identifying the writer and the readers. Just as Colossians 1:1 PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The identification of Paul as the author is exactly the same as Ephesian 1:1-2

And here are some questions for our main focus

1. In verse 1 Who is the writer of Ephesians? Paul is the writer and Paul in verse 1 makes sure that the readers know that he’s the writer and that he is compelled and commanded by God to the apostle.

2. In verse 1 Why did Paul use the first person pronouns?

Paul uses first person personal pronouns to describe himself so that there is no ambiguity, in other word anybody reading the epistles that Paul wrote will know the author.

3. In verse 2 Who are the people in the text?

The letter tells us that the people in Ephesus are the saints the believer’s in Jesus Christ. They are God’s people.

4. What is a salutation ?

A salutation is a way of greeting God’s people and Paul in his salutation declares grace and peace to the people of God. This is a blessing being pronounced over the people Paul pastors. Paul speaks life into the membership and

5. In verse 2 Who are the blessing coming from?

Paul makes sure that they knew that their blessings came from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

6. In verses 3,4, 5 &6 What blessings has God given Us and Why?

The bible says that God have given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. Simply put God has chosen us before the foundations of the world to be partakers in His divine will.

And why? God did it because He loves us and because it pleases Him and brings praises to God.

7. In verses 7&8 What makes us have forgiveness of our sins?

By the blood of Jesus Christ that He willingly shed on the Cross at Calvary.

8. In verses 9 &10 How did God’s secret plan work?

God’s secret purpose was that at the right time in history God allowed His only begotten Son Jesus the Christ to become the Federal Head of the Church because Jesus gave His life for the Church.

9. How were we chosen to be God’s people?

In Christ we were chosen and it was from the beginning and it is because when God agrees with His plan God is the only One who can decide to makes His plan work out.

10. What is Adoption again? Adoption is an act of God whereby he allows us to become members of His Christian Family.