Adopted: Our Father

How do you refer to God? Some will say God, or Lord, or Savior, or Father, or something similar. Some may remember the movie Noah that came out a few years ago. One of the best ideas in that movie was the notion that the earliest humans called our God – Creator.

A great number of years later, God met Moses on the mountain and said to Moses that He should be called YHWH (Yahweh) when Moses was talking the Israelites. Fast forward many more years and Joseph was told that his son should be named Jesus (which means Yahweh Saves). The idea is that our reference for God moved a personal name (Creator) to a a series of letters which the Israelites struggled to even write without special consideration (YHWH) to a more personal God again – one who saved His people. God’s name expressed a reminder of the covenant He made with the people.

But in the New Testament, the language changes drastically. Before I explain, let me state that throughout the Old Testament, we can find instances of God referring to Himself as a Father who cares for His children (c.f. Exodus 4.22-24). And, as I just mentioned, the New Testament begins with a story that shows how Jesus got His name. All of this is a part of the covenant between God and man. But now, with Jesus on earth, and preparing for His return to heaven, we are provided with a new – intimately personal – term for how we might refer to God.

That term is father. Imagine for a moment that Jesus had not taught the Lord’s Prayer. Imagine that you had never read any words of Jesus talking to God and calling Him Father. If that were the case, imagine how bold you would have to be to call the God of the universe, the God who created all things, the God who holds your eternal destiny in His hands…imagine the audacity it would take to call that God – Father. But that is what He welcomes us to do. Why? Because He not only wants to be our God, but He truly wants to be our Father. He not only covenants with us as God, but He adopts into His family as our Father.

Of all that we might be thankful for at this time of year, understanding that God wants us to intimately know Him as a father might be among the most significant reasons for us to give thanks. For God has not just offered us a means of salvation, but has offered for us to become a child of God. With that, let us now turn to the actual idea of adoption as it is mentioned in the New Testament.

Although the idea of adoption is prevalent throughout all of Scripture, the word itself is only used a handful of times in the New Testament. The Greek word (huiothesia) means receiving into relation as a son. That is, we become a child of God. But what is God’s intent? Did He develop this thought later?  Let’s explore these questions.

Adoption Revealed Our Father’s Purpose (Ephesians 1.5)

It takes a lot of purpose, planning, and persistence to adopt a child today. A great deal of paperwork must be done. Background checks must be performed. Interviews must be conducted. And, often, a great deal of waiting is then involved with timeframes being several months to a couple of years (or even more depending on the exact situation). Well, God’s plan for our adoption was very purposeful, and Ephesians 1 sheds some light on God’s purpose. Verse 5, in particular, is a verse which is loaded with theological insight. But before I unpack that verse, let me first read verse 9. Notice that Paul says God’s ultimate purpose was a mystery, but has now been made known. That purpose was to send Jesus so that we might be reconciled to God to be with Him forever. It was God’s plan for “the fullness of time.” That is, He always had this plan. Now what always means is a matter of considerable debate among many theologians, but what is not debated is that God had a plan. With that idea, let us return to verse 5.

First, God predestined us to be adopted.
This is not a new plan. We saw that in verse 9 with the phrase the fullness of time. But verse 5 shows us that His plan of redemption (v. 7) has been in place from before time began. That is, God made a way for all of us to be adopted. Yet, as we saw two weeks ago in the contrast between John 1.11 and 1.12 some choose to receive Jesus and some do not. Does our choice negate the sovereignty of God? No. In fact, in some way it enhances it. God made a plan and carried it out and made a way for all, yet some will not choose to receive the gift He has provided. Just like some people will return their Christmas gifts for something they want (or something they think is better) many people refuse to receive the gift of Jesus thinking they can find something better than the gift that God, who desires to be their Father has given them.

Second, our adoption is because of Jesus.
This could not be more clearly stated – both here and in John 14. In Ephesians 1.5, Paul says that our adoption by God (the “he” that begins the verse) is through Jesus Christ. In John 14.6, Jesus said that no one – NO ONE – comes to the FATHER, except through me. Again, Jesus is clear that the Father is only accessible through Him, and God’s plan, as stated by Paul in Ephesians 1 says that our adoption by the Father is through Jesus. Do multiple ways to heaven exist? No. Jesus is THE way. We become God’s child through Him – and Him alone.

Third, God’s will purposed this.
God predestined us to be adopted because God purposed us to be adopted. His will and His purpose are in complete harmony. As I mentioned above, we must still receive His gift – He does not impose it upon us. But, if we understand the significant of His gift, how could we not receive it?

What is that gift? Let’s look at another verse for our answer.

Adoption Required Our Father’s Payment (Galatians 4.5)

During the first point, I mentioned that the adoption process requires a great deal of persistence during the process. Well, it also costs a great deal. While some adoptions may require about $5000, others are much higher costing more than $30,000. In many cases, grants, loans, and tax credits can help offset the cost, but the overall expenses are very high.

But for God, the cost of gaining new sons and daughters cost His only begotten Son. Verse 4 says that God sent Jesus when the fullness of time had come (there is that “fullness of time” phrase again), God sent His Son to be human (born of a woman) to live by God’s law (born under the law). Why? To redeem all those who are under the law (that is, under God’s law) so we MIGHT receive adoption.

Jesus had to live by the law to free us from the law. That happened. He was sent for that purpose and He fulfilled that purpose. But to redeem something means to pay for, or exchange for, something else. The perfect life Jesus lived meant He was worthy to pay for anything that was otherwise unworthy. And we, humanity, are a part of, and the reason for, all that is unworthy. Our sin makes it that way, but Jesus paid the price, Jesus redeemed us – not just to save us, but so we were worthy of adoption. Again, like the first message in this series, God is more than a judge who can now declare us “Not Guilty.” He desires to take us in, as a Father, and love and cherish us as a child. And He can do so because He paid the price by the sending of Jesus, His Son, so we might then choose to become His children.

I will post further on this passage during the week of Christmas. This verse does lead directly into our next thought which is found in Romans 8.

Adoption Restates Our Father’s Position (Romans 8.15)

Romans 8 is arguably the greatest chapter in the Bible. I certainly believe it is. It is a chapter that speaks of God’s overall redemption – not just of man, but of all Creation – and does so by showing the love that He has for us (particularly at the end of the chapter) and thus the intimacy we can have with Him. And that is what adoption brings.

Consider a family that has been persistent in the process and made the necessary payments for adoption. Now, the day is drawing near for the adoption. To this point, they may have a picture, and they may know a name, but they do not know the child. More importantly, the child does not know them. But soon, a relationship will develop. The prospective parents will no longer be waiting for a child, they will now have “my child.” It will no longer be a child who is “there” (wherever that may be), it will be “our child” in “our home.”

Romans 8.15 captures the essence from the child’s perspective. The child does not know the parents. Perhaps the child is fearful of the new surroundings. But Paul writes that being adopted is becoming free – in this case, free in the Spirit to know God. No longer will the parent be just another adult in a sea of faces, but eventually select adults will be parents. Specifically, the female will become mother and the male will be father. But over time, as the relationship grows and trust is developed, mother may become “mom” just as father may become “dad.”

This idea is powerful and shows the true intimacy God, our Father, desires from us. But let me take this one step further. Let us assume that the family who is adopting already has their own child or children. That biological child may already call his/her parents mom and dad. But true adoption extends that same right to other children who are not the biological offspring. Notice what Paul writes in Romans 8.15, adoption allows some to say Abba and others to say Father. This is an unfortunate translation that is found consistently in English Bibles, such as here and in Galatians 4.6. Paul is not saying that you can either call God Abba or Father depending upon the moment. Instead he is saying that Jews can call God “Abba” and Gentiles can call Him “Pater” which is the Greek word for father. In other words, God’s chosen people and those who are considered as outsiders all have access to the same God. And that same God, because He is Father will welcome His sons and daughters no matter the language, the culture, the background, etc. because for all who receive Him, He has adopted them as His own.

In other words, He is not just the God of the Israelites because of an ancient covenant. He is not just a God to be feared because His wrath is so great. He is not just a God of the Old Testament who has changed His mind on whom He likes or dislikes. God is not just a covenantal God. No, He is more than that. He must still be considered the Almighty God, but His position can now also be considered as that of a loving Father who wants His children to know Him intimately. In short, He is the Father. He is our Father. And in a personal way, He is my Father.

CONCLUSION

So to recap, the Bible says that adoption is part of God’s eternal plan which has been revealed to us through the work of Christ. Adoption has been secured for those who receive the gift of God’s Son who satisfied the payment God required for adoption. And adoption has provided us a way to rethink how we can view who God is – not just as Creator and Judge, but as Redeemer and Father. It is to this loving, personal, and yet corporate God that Jesus taught us to pray. And that prayer we were taught does remind us that God is more than any earthly father could be, but, like a human father who loves his children, is deeply concerned with our daily affairs – what we have to eat, how we respond to others, and how we live our lives, not just for any reason – but because we are children of God.

JOURNEY: U – Unite

The JOURNEY letter for today is U, because if you are a child of God, you are not alone. We must remember we are but one brother or sister among millions, or perhaps billions, whom God has claimed as His own. As such, we have a responsibility to unite with other Christians across the globe to love and serve our God – not just as Lord, but as our loving Father.

NEXT STEP(S): LEARN. Once again, our step this week is to memorize 1 John 3.1. The overall goal will be not only to memorize the verse, but to LEARN to understand it, so we might LIVE in light of its truth, LOVE others because of it, and ultimately LEAD others to embrace it as well.