Adopting two boys from Russia opened Russell Moore’s eyes to the privilege of being a child of God. People would ask, “Are they really brothers?” “Have you met their real mom?” Moore simply replied, “Of course they’re brothers. They’re both in our family. And their real mom is my wife.”
Moore’s experience with his sons mirrors how God brings us into fellowship with Himself. For every believer in Jesus enters the family by adoption and by being supernaturally reborn as a child of God (Galatians 4:6). Adoption isn’t an adjective describing a second-class kind of Christian. It’s a past tense verb, describing how we became part of God’s diverse family.
Romans 8:15-17 describes two benefits of adoption. “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ . . . Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (NIV).
If you are a believer in Jesus . . .
God is your Father. The Creator of the universe chose you to be His child. He didn’t choose you because you were special. His choice makes you special. You may talk to Him whenever you want, and He truly desires to hear from you. You’ve been both adopted by Him and born into His family (1 John 3:9). All believers have experienced rebirth through salvation.
You are His child. God isn’t being gender-exclusive when He says you have been adopted “to sonship.” In the first century, many cultures held that only sons had the right of inheritance. Your Father wants you to know that whether you’re a son or daughter you will inherit His kingdom—for you’ve been adopted by Him!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Job 1:1-22
More:
Read Ephesians 1:3-14 to learn more about the benefits of being adopted by God.
Next:
How has your adoption by God changed the way you view yourself? What privilege of being His child do you need to remember today?
marino4him on May 8, 2015 at 7:16 am
In todays devotion My Daily Journey, it stated that I wasn’t chosen because I was Special but “His Choice makes me special” , I have to say I agree but also disagree. When I consider this from the perspective of my Adamic Sin Nature yes my value to our Lord has nothing to do with self effort or achievement – or some inordinate proud arrogant perspective that God is so impress with that He has to select me…. in this I agree. However, when we talk about God’s virgin look at our value, it is that we are created in His Holy Image, as Creator His value for me and all mankind is that He created me to be part of Him and reflect His Glory! For this was man created but was marred in the garden of Eden. Our value to God, mankind’s value to God didn’t change, Adam and Eve did….we did…our value for Him changed…but to Him we are still of great value and worth. Therefore, when we consider this mystery of His choosing us, the mystery of election, the mystery of His Love in the motivation of this choice of us; it’s never been about our worthiness or unworthiness. His value for us IS and has been buried deep in His Love for us being created in His Image and His unfailing pursuit of rescue for all mankind to restore us back to the original position and purpose we were designed and created for…To Glorify Him and His Son Jesus. Therefore, I disagree we became special because of His choice for us, although yes an element of this is true, God’s value for us was that we were always special to Him created in His image, buried deep in the mystery of His Holy Love! As it is written…”For God so…Loved the World that He gave His Only Son Jesus…” JN3:16 Oh the depth of the mystery of His great Love for us! We can never fully understand this but we can choose to accept it by faith in the person of His Son Jesus the absolute demonstration of this, His Love for us!
Mike Wittmer on May 8, 2015 at 7:51 am
Thank you for this comment, marino4him. I agree with you. We all are special because we are made in the image of God. Perhaps I wasn’t clear, but I was speaking in the context of adoption, why one child has the privilege of being adopted and another remains an orphan. We were not chosen to be adopted by our heavenly Father because we were special, in comparison to another, but only because God chose us. And now that he has adopted us, we are his special children–and so we must bring more children into the family. I had in mind what God told Israel in Deuteronomy 7:7-8: “The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.”
BearPair on May 8, 2015 at 6:32 pm
Great reminder, Mike! We were raised in an era when being an “adopted kid” was considered sort of a dark secret no one wanted to talk about. Fantastic to learn through the light of Scripture what a powerful privilege it is to be a chosen & adopted son or daughter. And what a beautiful application to families that use adoption to increase their earthly family. Thanks Mike!