Gal. 4:5-7
Regeneration
begins the new life in the soul when it is born again by the Spirit. Although
it has legal connotations, adoption is distinguished from justification.
Justification deals with the new attitude of God towards that soul. Adoption
admits a person into the family of God. Regeneration is a changed nature;
justification is a changed standing; sanctification is a changed character;
while adoption is a changed position. In regeneration the believer becomes a
child of God; in adoption that child receives the position of an adult son.
Adoption is our growing up into Christ and occupying our new position.
The
Greek word translated adoption is huiothesia which means literally "to
place as a son", and it occurs only five times in the New Testament (Rom.
8:15, 23; 9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5). In other words to formally and legally
declare that someone who is not one’s own child is henceforth to be treated and
cared for as one’s own child, including complete rights of inheritance.
The
adopted child lost all rights and privileges in his old family and gained all
the rights of a legitimate son in his new family. He got a new father, and he
became the heir to his new father’s estate. He became co-heir with the other
sons. In the eyes of the law the old life was completely wiped out. All debts
were completely cancelled. He was absolutely the son of his new father. It was
carried out in the presence of seven witnesses.
We
do not have to wait until we have been one or ten years in the Lord, but
immediately we enter into all the blessings of a fully recognized heir of God. It
occurs the moment that we are born again (I Jn. 3:2). Sonship is a present
possession. The believer becomes a permanent member of the family of God,
because he is forever sealed in Christ (Eph. 1:13), and has a guaranteed hope
(II Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14). While no verse in the Old Testament even hints
that one day God would make salvation permanent, the permanence of salvation
for believers is the hallmark of the Sacred Secret.
This
total change to permanent salvation is clearly taught in Galatians 4:1-5. The
first three verses of the chapter show that before Jesus came, though the
people of God were heirs, they were equal to slaves, being under guardians and
enslaved to the basic principles of the world. God’s equating Old Testament
believers to minor children equal to slaves is very important, because a slave
is not guaranteed a place in the family. Galatians goes on to say that when the
fullness of time came, God sent His Son (4:4) so that we might receive
“adoption” into His family.
Like
many aspects of salvation, there is an eschatological component of adoption. Romans
8:23 tells us “we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our
adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Why does Paul say that we are
“waiting for our adoption”. Aren’t we already adopted? Yes, we are already
adopted. When Christ died for us, the price was paid, and when we trust him, we
are legally and permanently in the family. But God’s purpose for adoption is
not to leave any of his children in a state of groaning and suffering. He
raised Jesus from the dead with a new body, and he promises that part of our
adoption will be a new resurrected body with no more disabilities and no more
groaning. Therefore, what we wait for is the full experience of our adoption, the
resurrection of our bodies. At the rapture of the Church our resurrected bodies
will be glorified and will then possess all our inheritance that the sonship
involves. The full revelation of the believer's adoption is freedom from the
corruption present in the world. Being a member of God's family includes the
ultimate privilege of being like him (1 Jn. 3:2) and being conformed to the
glorious body of Christ (Php 3:21). This is part of the promised inheritance
for all God's children (Ro 8:16-17 ).
The cry of adoption: "abba father". Abba, is Aramaic, the language of
Christ’s childhood. "Father", is a Greek word, the language of the
educated and learned of His day (Rom. 8:15 ;
Gal. 4:6; Mark 14:36 ). This
is a special word of endearment, of close relationship. A slave was never
allowed to address his master as, "Abba".
As
members of the family of God we must behave with becoming dignity. We are to
walk worthy of this high honor in keeping with our position. We must love and
serve one another as brothers and sisters in the same family (John 13:14 ; 15:17 ).
The
story is told of a child, who knew that he was adopted, and was being teased by
another child, "You're just an adopted child," with the inference
that probably he was illegitimate or something. However, the child was proud of
being adopted and replied, "Yes, I'm adopted. My parents chose me, picked
me out of many babies. Your parents had to take what they got."
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