As we make our way to the end of the book of Mark, Jesus has set his face toward the cross. He will continue to move toward the cross until all is accomplished and we celebrate his glorious resurrection at Easter. So, as we move toward the end when Jesus died a criminal’s death, we want to ask this big question - “what did Jesus accomplish at the cross?” And what does this mean for us? To help us marvel at God’s kindness to us in Christ, we want to highlight some theological words that capture different aspects of the cross’ significance. The words in this brief series all end with “-TION.”
Today we’ll highlight ADOPTION (uh-dop-shun).
INTRODUCTION
A few years ago, I came across this news article:
“A homeless man supposed to be living on the streets of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia fled police who were bringing him news of a $6-million inheritance. Tomas Martinez, 67, apparently thought the police were about to arrest him for his alcohol and drug habits. The man disappeared without a trace, causing Bolivian newspapers to speak of him in 2000 as a "new millionaire paradoxically not knowing his fortune.”
The first time I read this, I couldn’t believe it. What a tragedy! If only he knew who he was and what news was being brought to him! And as I thought about it, I began to realize that many Christians may not be much different than this man in the way they relate to God. Many believers live with a similar sense of guilt and shame by and large because they do not know the magnitude of God’s love for them and what it means to be adopted into his family by faith through Jesus Christ.
In his book “Children of the Living God,” Sinclair Ferguson wrote:
“The notion that we are children of God, His own sons and daughters … is the mainspring of Christian living … Our sonship to God is the apex of creation and the goal of redemption.”
Similarly, J.I Packer wrote this shocking statement:
“If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father...‘Father’ is the Christian name for God. Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.”
So, what is it about the doctrine of adoption that is so essential to the Christian life? Well, Galatians 4:7 describes a progression from being a slave to sin to a child of God. It says that a Christian is no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. When believers fail to live in light of their sonship, they will assume a slave mentality with regard to their relationship to God. The doctrine of adoption can mean the difference of living in fear, bondage, and shame or love, freedom, and honor.
WHAT IS ADOPTION?
Theologian Wayne Grudem defines adoption as:
An act of God whereby he makes us members of his family.
The word used for adoption literally means to receive “the placement as sons.” This is a legal term.
In the Greco-Roman world, a childless, wealthy man could take one of his servants and adopt him. As soon as the adoption was final, he stopped being a slave and received all the financial and legal privileges as the son and heir. Though by birth he was a slave without a relationship with the father, he now receives the legal status of son.
Though there are similarities with human adoption, there are some striking differences that make divine adoption shockingly glorious.
One point of contrast is that we weren’t just some nice servants obediently working in the house of a benefactor who needed an heir. Rather, we were active rebels in direct defiance against the God of the universe who does not need anything from us!
A few years ago, I came across a story that captures a small glimpse of the scandal of our divine adoption:
In 1994, an ethnic genocide occurred in Rwanda that left thousands dead and deep relational wounds that would last for decades. A pastor went to visit years later and was afforded an interview with a woman, named Adele, who had survived the massacre. Her husband was a pastor. During a raid on their town, she and her husband attempted to hide in a church from the rebels. However, they were discovered and when the rebels found that Adele’s husband was a community leader, they murdered him before her eyes before turning to kill her. She suffered a machete blow to the head and was left for dead among the other bodies. It was 3 days before she was discovered by some townspeople collecting bodies for burial. Adele was nursed back to health over the course of 3 years. She was tempted to be a bitter and resentful widow. However, she chose to go to the prison in order to minister to those who had been arrested for murder. Adele became known as the mother of that prison. She brought in food. She brought in clothing. She ministered lovingly to the prisoners.
Adele recounted the next part of the story saying, “one day a young man named Luis fell at my feet...he was weeping and kissing my feet...as I looked down at his face, I saw that he was the young man who rushed in with the machete and killed my husband. He was the young man who put this scar on my head...he looked up and me and said, ‘Adele, would you forgive me?’ I pulled him up and I embraced him and said, 'In the name of Jesus, I will forgive you.’...my heart was racing, but I knew that Christ had forgiven me and that I could forgive this murderer. I began studying the Bible with prisoners, and Luis came to the Bible studies. He made a decision that he would follow Jesus and be baptized...On the day of his baptism, he stood with me and said, “Adele, I brutally murdered your husband. I put a knife mark, a machete scar, on your head, will you forgive me?”...I forgave him. The grace of Christ was flowing through his life. He was a new young man. After three years, the government let him out of prison for good behavior. But he had no place to live because Luis had his father and mother murdered in the genocide. I said, 'Luis, you come and I’ll adopt you as my son.’ And for the last couple of years, he has been living in my home. Pastor, would you like to meet Luis?’” At this point of the interview, Luis walked into the room and Adele embraced him and said, “He is my adopted son today.”
This story helpfully displays the posture of God toward sinners. When we repent of our sin and put our trust in Christ, we are not only declared righteous by God the Judge, we are adopted into his family. R.C. Sproul distinguishes our justification and adoption this way:
In justification, God forgives guilty sinners and accepts them as righteous in His sight only on account of the blood and righteousness of Christ. In adoption, He brings those who were once enemies into the family of God—giving them an eternal inheritance. In this way, the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection bring sinners from the law court to the living room.
It is a striking display of scandalous grace. The God of all creation not only forgives his enemies, but gives his life so that his enemies might be adopted - secured as a beloved child within his family and receiving the riches of Christ’s inheritance.
SCRIPTURAL EXAMPLES OF ADOPTION
The theme of adoption runs throughout the Bible, but the following represent a sampling of God’s adopting love of sinners:
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. - John 1:12
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are 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. - Romans 8:14-17
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. - Galatians 3:25-26
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. - 1 John 3:1-2
PRIVILEGES OF ADOPTION
Wayne Grudem helpfully identifies 5 privileges of adoption:
One of those privileges is being able to relate to God as a good and loving Father. When Jesus taught his followers to pray, he told us to pray, “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). God is not a distant or angry god, but rather a God who has compassion on his children (Psalm 103:13). And the blessings of heaven are laid up for the children of the God of Heaven. As Christians, we are sons and daughters of God, our Father.
A second privilege we enjoy as adopted children of God is being led by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14 says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” We are no longer tossed about in the world with no rudder to guide us. Instead, we have a sure course and personal guide in the Holy Spirit as a child of God.
A third privilege we have relates to God’s discipline. The author of Hebrews wrote, “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (Hebrews 12:7). So God disciplines us because we are his children. If we weren’t his, he wouldn’t care about us. But he does.
A fourth privilege, though it may not seem like a privilege, is that we can suffer as Christ did as a child of God. Paul wrote, “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.” (Romans 8:17). In this passage, we can see suffering and the adoptive relationship tied together. As Jesus suffered, we too have the privilege of suffering like him.
A fifth privilege is being a member of God’s family. There are many families, groups, parties, affiliations, clubs, and other organizations, but no other family is eternal. God’s family is forever, which makes it unique. On many occasions, fellow Christians are referred to as “brothers” and “sisters” in Christ (Romans 1:13; 1 Corinthians 1:10; James 1:2). Our family in Christ is a tremendous blessing to us as individuals as we are a blessing to others in the family. This was made possible through our adoption.
CONCLUSION
It’s been said that “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” What then should we think about the character of the God who turns slaves into sons through faith in Christ?
Sinclair Ferguson wrote:
"...the knowledge that the Father has bestowed his love on us, so that we are called children of God - and in fact are his children, will, over time, prove to be the solvent in which our fears, mistrust, and suspicion of God - as well as our sense of distance from him - will eventually dissolve.”
