Adoption

From: Doctrinal Definitions: A Handbook of Doctrinal Terms & Expressions in the New Testament

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Duration: 8min

• 6 min. read • grade level: 10

A term used in Scripture in connection with Israel (Rom. 9:4⁴Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; (Romans 9:4)) and the Church (Rom. 8:14-15, 23¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:14‑15)
²³And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23); Gal. 4:5-7⁵To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. ⁶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. ⁷Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:5‑7); Eph. 1:5⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (Ephesians 1:5)), but in vastly different ways. In connection with Israel, “adoption” refers to them being set in a privileged place in relation to God among the nations of the earth (Ex. 4:22²²And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: (Exodus 4:22)). But in the Christian sense, “adoption” has to do with a child of God in the family of God being set in the favoured place of the Son Himself, through possessing the indwelling Holy Spirit. It goes beyond that of acceptance to take in the believer’s sharing in the privileges and the liberty that only a son could have in the presence of God.

The word “adoption” in the Greek literally means “son-place.” (The J. N. Darby Translation footnote on Romans 8:15¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15) states, “Adoption is the same word as ‘sonship’ in Galatians 4:5⁵To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:5).”) "Sonship" is a distinctly Christian blessing. That is, it is a special blessing that God has reserved for Christians only. Others in His family—Old Testament saints, the coming Jewish remnant, redeemed Israelites from the ten tribes, converted Gentiles in the Millennium, etc.—are not in this favoured place before God. All such are children in the family of God, but in the dispensation of grace only Christians have the place of sons.

Sonship is the highest position of blessing that a creature can have in relation to God the Father. Angels were called “the sons of God” in the Old Testament (Gen. 6:2²That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. (Genesis 6:2); Job 1:6⁶Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. (Job 1:6)), but since Christ rose from the dead and ascended on high, taking Manhood to the place in which He Himself stands before God, they no longer have that appellative. “The sons of God” (Rom. 8:14¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14)) is now a term that is reserved exclusively for Christians, for they have a superior place of blessing and privilege before God above all other blessed creatures. God could have put us in the place of the elect angels, or even lifted us to the lofty position of an archangel—and we would have been thankful for it. But He did something far greater and more blessed than that—He has set us in His own Son’s place, with all the favour and privileges that come with having that place!

The amazing thing about it is that God planned this great blessing for Christians “before the foundation of the world,” and it is “according to the good pleasure of His will” to bring it to pass (Eph. 1:3-6³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: ⁴According 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: ⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:3‑6)). It actually brings joy and satisfaction to His heart to have a company of sons before Him in the very place of His own Son! As “sons of God” we share:

• The Son’s place—acceptance (Eph. 1:6⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)).

• The Son’s life—eternal life (John 17:2²As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. (John 17:2)).

• The Son’s liberty before the Father (Rom. 8:14-16¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Romans 8:14‑16)).

• The Son’s inheritance (Rom. 8:17¹⁷And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)).

• The Son’s glory (Rom. 8:18¹⁸For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18); John 17:22²²And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: (John 17:22)).

It is commonly thought that “adoption” is an action of God that brings a person into His family. However, this is not what Scripture teaches. There is only one way into God’s family; it is by new birth (being born again). The adoption of “sonship” has to do with one who has been born again (and thus is a child of God in the family of God) being elevated or upgraded to a special place of privilege and distinction within the family. As mentioned, it is to be placed in the very position that the Son of God Himself has before God! This occurs when a person believes the gospel of his salvation and is sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)). Hence, a person becomes a child of God in the family of God when he is born again, but when He receives the Spirit by believing the gospel, he is placed as a son (the adoption of “sonship”) in the family.

People with a Jewish background would probably understand the way in which adoption is used in Scripture more readily than those who come from a Gentile background. In a Jewish family, when a boy reaches the age of 13, his parents have a "Bar mitzvah" for him, at which time he is formally upgraded from being a child in the family to that of a son. Thereafter he enjoys greater liberties and privileges in the household. The "Bar mitzvah" does not bring the boy into the family, but upgrades him to a favoured place in it. It is likewise with adoption of the Spirit in God’s family.

The Apostle Paul teaches this in Galatians 4:1-7¹Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; ²But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. ³Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: ⁴But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, ⁵To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. ⁶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. ⁷Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:1‑7). He differentiates between "children" and "sons" in God’s family, using a Jewish household to illustrate it. Children, in the sense in which he uses the term in this passage, are viewed as having a diminutive place in the family. He correlates it with the place that believers had in Old Testament times. But with the coming of Christ to accomplish redemption and the sending of the Holy Spirit, believers in that old economy who received Him as Saviour received “the adoption of sons” and thus were upgraded or elevated to the Christian position of "sonship." They left the position of a minor, and came into the favoured place of “sons” in the family of God. (The Apostle John, however, does not use the word “children” in the same diminutive sense as Paul does in Galatians. In John’s writings, children are viewed as having the Holy Spirit and therefore in the full Christian position – 1 John 2:20; 3:24; 4:13²⁰But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20)
²⁴And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1 John 3:24)
¹³Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. (1 John 4:13). Even those whom John designates as “little children,” which are new converts, are seen in that place – 1 John 2:18¹⁸Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18). John calls them children because the emphasis in his epistles is on eternal life and the relationship that we have with the Father in affection, which “children” portrays. Thus, Christians are viewed in Scripture as both children and sons. Occasionally, the KJV erroneously translates “children” as “sons” in John’s writings, and this can be confusing—e.g. John 1:12¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12); 1 John 3:1¹Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1 John 3:1)).

While God blesses all who are in His family, He is sovereign and can bestow special favour on some in His family above others, if He chooses. This is what He has done in choosing believers from this present dispensation (Christians) for sonship. There are four main places in Scripture where sonship is mentioned; each reference focuses on a different aspect of this great Christian blessing:

• Galatians 4:1-7¹Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; ²But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. ³Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: ⁴But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, ⁵To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. ⁶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. ⁷Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:1‑7) emphasizes the privileged position we have that is above the other blessed persons in God’s family.

• Romans 8:14-15¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:14‑15) emphasizes the special liberty we have before God, having access into His presence at any time and being able to address Him as our Father, with an intimacy that no other blessed creature had ever known—crying, “Abba, Father.”