Adoption is the act of taking voluntarily a child of other parents as one's child; in a theological sense, the act of God's grace by which sinful people are brought into his redeemed family. In the Old Testament, adoption was never common among the Israelites. It was done by foreigners or by Jews influenced by foreign customs. Pharaoh's daughter adopted Moses and another pharaoh adopted Genubath. - Ex. 2:10; 1Kin. 11:20 - Furthermore, there is no Hebrew word to describe the process of adoption. When the Pharaoh's daughter adopted Moses, the text says, 'And he became her son.'

In the New Testament, the Greek word translated adoption literally means 'placing as a son.' It is a legal term that expresses the process by which a man brings another person into his family, endowing him with the status and privileges of a biological son or daughter.

By New Testament times, Romans exercised a great deal of influence on Jewish family life. One custom is particularly significant in relation to adoption. Romans law required that the adopter be a male and childless; the one to be adopted had to be an independent adult, able to agree to be adopted. In the eyes of the Law, the adopted one became a new creature; he was regarded as being born again into the new family - an illustration of what happens to the believer at conversion.

Saint Paul used this legal concept of adoption as an analogy to show the believer's relationship to God. Although similar ideas are found throughout the New Testament, the word adoption, used in a theological sense, is found in the writings of Paul. Paul's emphasis was that our adoption rests with God, who predestined us to adoption as sons. However, Gentiles believers have also been given the 'Spirit of adoption' which allows them to cry out, "Abba, Father."

Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, "Abba, Father!" The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory. - Rom. 8:14-17 -

From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free. - Rom. 8:22-23 -

Now before we came of age we were as good as slaves to the elemental principles of this world, but when the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and enable us to be adopted as sons. The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, "Abba, Father" and it is this that makes you a son, you are not a slave any more; and if God has made you a son, then he has made you heir. - Gal. 4:3-7 -

Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence, determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ, for his own kind purposes. - Eph. 1:4-5 -

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God's children;
and that is what we are. - 1John 3:1 -

Saint Paul also used the term to describe Israel's place of honor in God's plan: The privileges of Israel.

What I want to say now is no pretense; I say it in union with Christ - it is the truth - my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came from Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen. - Rom. 9:1-5 -

God's adoption of the believer also has a future dimension, the assurance that the believer's body will be resurrected.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.


HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -