Adopted Into God's Family
Romans 8:14-17: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him."
When I was 5 years old, my family of four gathered for a "family meeting" in which we decided to adopt a six-month old little girl. When I was 9 years old, my family held another meeting, and we enthusiastically agreed to adopt another baby girl. Bringing these two girls home completely changed our family. From day one, we were fully committed to them, we loved them, and we could never imagine our lives without them. They were full members of our family.
Just as my sisters' adoptions were fully secured by the court document signed by my parents, so our adoption is secured by the deposit of the Holy Spirit. When we look to Jesus as our Savior and redeemer, we are washed clean of all our sins, we are welcomed into the family of God, and we are given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. That Holy Spirit is the seal that marks us as Christ’s own forever. Just as the judge signed the adoption papers to declare the expansion of my family, so the Holy Spirit declares that we are permanent members of God’s family.
As members of God's family, we are secure in his love and affection for us. The Lord longs for us to come to him in that full security. Paul writes that through the Holy Spirit, we cry out to God the Father in the most intimate way: "Daddy." The Lord wants to be in an intimate, familial relationship with us. This relationship is completely safe for us to come with boldness, expectation, and vulnerability. We are known, loved, and wanted.
Is this how you view the Lord and approach the Lord? Are you living perfectly secure in his love for you? Do you realize that he is fully committed to you? My sisters are a precious part of my family; you are a precious part of God’s family. May we rejoice that our adoption is marked and sealed; may we live as loved members of that family.
When I was 5 years old, my family of four gathered for a "family meeting" in which we decided to adopt a six-month old little girl. When I was 9 years old, my family held another meeting, and we enthusiastically agreed to adopt another baby girl. Bringing these two girls home completely changed our family. From day one, we were fully committed to them, we loved them, and we could never imagine our lives without them. They were full members of our family.
Just as my sisters' adoptions were fully secured by the court document signed by my parents, so our adoption is secured by the deposit of the Holy Spirit. When we look to Jesus as our Savior and redeemer, we are washed clean of all our sins, we are welcomed into the family of God, and we are given the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. That Holy Spirit is the seal that marks us as Christ’s own forever. Just as the judge signed the adoption papers to declare the expansion of my family, so the Holy Spirit declares that we are permanent members of God’s family.
As members of God's family, we are secure in his love and affection for us. The Lord longs for us to come to him in that full security. Paul writes that through the Holy Spirit, we cry out to God the Father in the most intimate way: "Daddy." The Lord wants to be in an intimate, familial relationship with us. This relationship is completely safe for us to come with boldness, expectation, and vulnerability. We are known, loved, and wanted.
Is this how you view the Lord and approach the Lord? Are you living perfectly secure in his love for you? Do you realize that he is fully committed to you? My sisters are a precious part of my family; you are a precious part of God’s family. May we rejoice that our adoption is marked and sealed; may we live as loved members of that family.
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