I was sitting in church yesterday morning, thinking of my last post and appreciating all of the kind comments that have been made regarding it (thank you for your affirmation!!!). I began to think of scripture that speaks of adoption and realized how often I have been able to make those connections since our adoption journey began. It seems that when you enter the adoption world, all of a sudden "adoption verses" start jumping out at you. I think this is because adoption truly is a real-life enactment of the gospel message. In fact, the Bible speaks of us as God's "adopted" family when we receive the way of Christ as our salvation.
In Ephesians 1:4-9, the apostle Paul tells us this about God:
4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons [and daughters] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ."(Ephesians 1:4-9, NIV)
Do you see it? Do you see the similarities? To be adopted into God's family, we also had to first be orphaned. The difference is, instead of costing us everything (like our future son's adoption will have cost him), it cost Him everything. Let me explain.
God's nature is holy. Our nature is sinful. For that simple reason, we are separated from Him. Unless we receive Him in our life, we will be eternally separated from Him. We are orphaned.
If I stopped there, the case would seem pretty hopeless, wouldn't it? But, these verses in Ephesians tell us that He chose us before the creation of the world to be adopted into His family. But, did you notice the cost of our adoption? In order to be grafted into God's family, our sinful nature has to be reconciled. God knew that our own merit would never suffice. But, He loved us so much, He sent HIS son -- God from God, Light from Light -- to die for us, so we could live. When God raised Jesus from the tomb three days after his crucifixion, He conquered the penalty of death we would surely have been required to pay. He had paid a ransom for our lives. Our adoption cost Jesus everything.
Just like our future Ethiopian son will be grafted into our family and loved, not because of his merit, but simply because he will be our son, when we are adopted into God's family, we are loved by Him through no merit of our own, but simply because we are His sons and daughters. It is in that relationship that we are able to experience freedom from the burden of our sinful nature and instead know His blessing and good pleasure.
If you have never understood what it means to be orphaned by our sin or adopted into God's family by receiving Him, I'd love to talk with you more about it. Please feel free to email me.
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