I Am Adopted

We continue on our journey to understand our identity. The point to this is to give you an understanding of value. Not a puffed up vain sense of value that has it’s roots in the idolatrous notion of self-esteem where we look at ourselves and try to puff ourselves up. But in looking at ourselves through the eyes of God. How does the creator see us?

When you are in Christ, this means that God has decided to adopt you. This should give us a sense of value, not that you have done something great to deserve it, but just as a Rochefeller is born into a wealth family, not becasue of anything that the child has done, so you have been adopted into the family of God.

When I think of this, it makes me consider the process of adoption. What do you do when you decide to adopt?

Process of Adoption

Chosen

First think that takes place, you choose a child to adopt. Whether that is through spending time with them or whatever methodology you choose. You must make a choice, not the child, you.

Kids who are adopted are very blessed in some ways, their parents have made a decision to choose to love that child.

v.5

This shows that God had determined to adopt us, not us making the choice to be his children.

1 John 4:10 (ESV)

10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:19 (ESV)

19 We love because he first loved us.

What is our response?

What should the logical response be?

Gratitude towards God.

Love towards God.

He didn’t have to choose us, there wasn’t anything in us great or worthy of salvation.

Are we?

Are we so grateful that we desire to spend as much time with the one who we love…or do we think it’s boring to read our bibles, boring to listen to sermons, boring to fellowship?

Just like an adopted child, the response we give is not always the response God deserves.

Paid For

When you go to adopt a child, there is a financial exchange that takes place.

1 Peter 1:18–19

18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

When we were adopted by God, there was a financial transaction that took place.

This is something that isn’t alway lived out by believers.

We have been paid for.

1 Corinthians 6:19b–20

19b You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

After being purchased, there is an expectation of the one who purchased us.

What is our response?

Do our lives show that we are sold out for righteousness?

That our job is to be glorifying God in our lives!

With abortion, are we picketing and yelling at others to show the love of Jesus, or are we trying to find a different way to minister to them?

Are we letting them know, “if your pregnant, we can help.” We here to love you, and help you through this scary time so that your child might live, and you will know the love of God.

We are free from sin, but we are servants of Jesus. We need to live for our Father, with a worldview that comes from scripture, not the culture.

Given a New Name

Naming something means exercising dominion over it.

It shows ownership over that which is named.

Naming also has to do with identity. Your name is who you are.

A new name, means we have a new identity.

Who we were

John 8:44

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The devil was our father.

Jesus said the son follows the father’s desires.

There desire was to stand against the truth.

There are allot of people who stand against the truth these days.

Isaiah 56:3-5

The foreigners were excluded from joining the people as were eunuch’s

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Though you may be someone who was excluded from the people of God. By holding fast to God’s covenant, by doing things that please Him.

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God will give us an everlasting inheritance, and a name that will never be cut off.

A name that identifies us, as a child of God.

What is our response?

My mom used to always say, “remember your a Picklesimer.”

Live in a way that represented the family well.

Do we represent the name of Christ well?

Do we uphold the name Christian?

Provided For

When you adopt a child, it is then your responsibility to provide for that child.

Doesn’t mean life will be luxurious, but you will give them a home to live in, provide clothes, food.

By being adopted by God, do you understand that He is taking responsibility for your provision?

Matthew 6:25–27

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

God is clearly saying that He will provide for you, you don’t have to worry.

This doesn’t give us a license to be lazy.

2 Thessalonians 3:10

10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

God clearly saying, you must work. But with that being said, God guides our steps to the right jobs.

He tells us how to be good stewards of our money to make sure that it goes the distance.

What is our response?

Are you anxious about what the future holds?

You understand that God says He is in control of the future?

Do you understand that anxiety is actually a lack of faith in God.

We must wholly trust in our provider.

Disciplined

When you adopt a child, your duty before God is to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord

That means not little terrors.

This would be easy if all kids were angels....unfortunately they are all little sinners.

Because of this, we must discipline them.

Sometimes discipline is taking away privileges, sometimes it is time out, sometimes it is spank done in love not anger to correct behavior.

Proverbs 13:24

24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Whoever doesn’t discipline, hates their kid.

Moreover they will resent you when they get older if they are not disciplined.

Like a loving father.

Proverbs 3:11–12

11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof,

12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

God disciplines us out of love.

What is our response?

When you go through hard times in your life, examine your life to see if your life is right with God.

Is there anything that you need to repent of?

Things in this life many times are trials, but sometimes it is discipline.

You take a loan out on a car or house that you cannot afford, you ask God to bless that decision, meanwhile finances are getting tight.

People get mad at God for not bailing them out on their problems… but sometimes God is letting you suffer through it, as a form of discipline, so you might learn.

You are always stressed about the situations taking place. You know God says that He will never leave you. He will take care of you. But it doesn’t stop your stress from consuming you....and now you have an ulcer.

Maybe you were with some friends, had a few to many beers. You drive home a direction that never has cops…except this time. You get nailed with a DUI.

When we continue to transgress the commands of God, as a loving father God will let things happen to us, to show us why that is a bad idea.

If you are a child of God, if you are living in sin, it will be found out, you will be caught for He disciplines the children He loves.

An Inheritance

How many families have been torn apart by the dividing of the inheritance?

When a family member dies, they fight over who gets what.

Ephesians 1:11-12

We have an inheritance…but not one on this earth.

Families sometimes wait for someone to die to obtain their inheritance, but in order for us to obtain our inheritance, we must die!

The inheritance that we have obtained, is heaven.

Mean for Us?

The best is yet to come!!

Keep our attention and focus on our true treasure, on heaven when Jesus is seated.