The term “Son of God” refers
preeminently to Jesus Christ’s deity (Matt.
11:25-27; 16:16-17). He alone is one in substance
and glory with God the Father. Believers in Christ,
although “adopted” are never on a par with the
uncreated, divine Son of God.
“Adoption” is the term the
apostle Paul uses to describe the act of the Holy
Spirit whereby the believing sinner becomes a member
of God’s family, with all the privileges and
obligations of family members.
We were “children of wrath” by
nature (Eph. 2:3). However, those upon whom God
bestows His saving grace become the “children of
God.”
The word adoption in the New
Testament means to place as an adult son. It was a
term used in the Roman legal practice in the apostle
Paul’s day referring to a legal action by which a
person takes into his family a child not his own,
with the purpose of treating him as and giving him
all the privileges of an own son. An adopted child
was legally entitled to all rights and privileges of
a natural-born child. Paul uses it as an
illustration of the act of God giving a believing
sinner, who is not His natural child, a position as
His adult son in His family. The emphasis is on the
legal position of the child of God.
It is the Holy Spirit who is
called “the Spirit of adoption” who performs the act
of placing the believing sinner as an adult into the
family of God. “For you have not received a spirit
of slavery leading to fear again, but you have
received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we
cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Rom. 8:15)
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.
What a glorious privilege is
ours to be the absolute possession of the Father! We
have already as believers in Christ been placed in
the family of God and are led by the Holy Spirit as
the adult sons of God. The apostle John describes
our experience as God’s children who have been born
into His family by the new birth (Jn. 1:12; 1 Jn.
3:1-2).
Moreover, Romans 8:23 tells us
“we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting
eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of
our bodies.” At the Second Coming of Christ our
resurrected bodies will be glorified and will then
possess all our inheritance that the sonship
involves.
Galatians 4:4-6 and Ephesians
1:5 make it clear that we cannot lose our adoption.
Because Jesus Christ paid the penalty of our sin
debt in full, nothing stands in the way of a just
God regenerating a believing sinner and placing him
as His child in His family. The Holy Spirit as “the
Spirit of adoption” also places a saved sinner in a
legal standing in God’s family. The adopted son has
all the rights and privileges of God’s only begotten
Son. God the Father loves the adopted child just as
much as He loves His only begotten Son.
“We are sons of God through
faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26). As a result of
God’s adopting us we are just as eternal and secure
in our relationship with Him as His only-begotten
Son. All the security and loveliness of God’s Son is
ours as His adopted sons. The Holy Spirit imparts to
us the divine nature and places us in the family of
God in accordance to His unchanging laws.
This is our new standing before
the LORD God. He accepts us into His family, who by
nature do not belong to it, and places those who are
not His sons originally into a right relationship
with Him with all the privileges of that new family
relationship.
Jesus Christ alone is the Son
of God by nature. We can never have the same
relationship He has as the unique Son of God. The
word “adoption” distinguishes those who are made
sons of God from the only-begotten Son of God. The
Holy Spirit, however, creates in the believing
sinner a new nature. We have not only the new status
as sons, but also the heart of true sons. Our
adoption is the act of God’s pure goodness and grace
of His will to the praise of His glory.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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