In Christ, Chapter Eight
Adoption!
Paul said in Gal. 4:4-7,
"But when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the
law, To redeem them that
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore you are no more a servant, but a
son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
There is a great misunderstanding of this term
'adoption' as used by Paul here in this passage. Religion has told us that we
were foreigners to God and had to be adopted by him in order to become His sons
and daughters. I would like to dispute this teaching and show you the true meaning
of the term 'adoption' as used by Paul here.
Let me briefly lay a foundation so you will
understand why I am going to say what I am in a moment. First, I want to
determine who the children of God are. In Numbers 27:15-16 Moses said to God,
"And Moses spake unto the LORD,
saying, Let
the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,"
Moses understood that God was the Father of all spirits. He was
the one that gave them life. This is why Jesus made this strange statement in
Matt. 23:9,
"Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in
heaven."
God is the father of all life and especially our
spirit. We are all children of God that Jesus came to redeem from the curse
that came upon all of us because of what Adam did in the beginning. Jesus told
Nicodemus in John 3:16,
"For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
Also in that same chapter verses 3-7,
"Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus
saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second
time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, You must
be born again."
When we are convinced in our heart that Jesus is
truly the Son of God and that he died on the cross for our salvation and we
open our mouth and confess that we believe in what Jesus did for us, we are
born again or we are regenerated. If we are born again it simply means that we
were once born and because of what Adam did, we need to be born again. When
Adam sinned we were separated from God but only in our minds. Paul said in Col.
1:21-22, (NIV)
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in
your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled
you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and
free from accusation—
Our spirits need to be reunited with the Spirit of
the Lord because we are sons of God redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
This is not what Paul was talking about when he used
the term 'adoption'! In our modern day
understanding of the term 'adoption' it means to legally invite someone to be a
part of your family with all the benefits of a natural born child. However,
this is not what the term 'adoption' meant in Biblical times.
The word adoption in the New Testament is
translated from the Greek word huiothesia, which means "the placing of an
adult son" and refers to the formal act of recognizing the maturity of an
adult son. The word is found in five New Testament passages: Rom. 8:15, 23:
9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5.
The new-born baby is brephos, as in
"the babe (brephos), lying in a manger...". The word sometimes refers
to the fetus, as in "...the babe (brephos) leapt in her womb...". The
believer is also called teknon, a child which is growing up but which is still
under parental care. Hence John 1:12, "...to them gave He power to become the sons (teknon) of God."
But the believer is also in union with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is called huios,
"an adult son". So, in union with Him, we are said to be adult sons
also, although we may be brephos or teknon by experience.
To the people living in the predominantly
Greek and Roman culture of the 1st Century A.D., the word huiothesia would
bring to mind the ceremony of toga virilis, in which a 14-year-old boy went
through an investiture ceremony with the adult male members of his family. At
this ceremony, speeches of challenge to the youth would be made, and offerings
would be made to the gods. Then, the boy would stand in the center of the group
and take off the child's garment that he wore. A new adult man's robe, or toga,
would be placed on him. This was the toga virilis, the "robe of a
man". This would signify that the boy was now a man and a citizen.
At this time, the 14-year-old was given
adult privileges and responsibilities. He could conduct business in his own name, could buy and
sell property, could marry, could vote in the Assembly, and in many other ways
could carry on as an adult citizen. Of course, he was not mature enough
or wise enough to exercise all of the
privileges he had; and he was not experienced enough to live up to all of the
responsibilities. But the seriousness of his position as a citizen was
impressed on him; and if he was intelligent and hard working, he would grow up
to be an adult having integrity and character.
The adoption metaphor was not lost to
Israel, however. God declares that he is the Father of the nation Israel, whom
he loves as his child (Isa 1:2; Hosea 11:1). He tells Pharaoh, 'Israel is my
firstborn son' (Exod 4:22). More specifically, he says to David (and the
Messiah), "You are my son; today I have become your Father" (Psalm
2:7); and of David's descendant, "I will be his father, and he will be my
son" (2 Sa 7:14). Although not precisely adoption passages, the instances
of declared sonship in the Old Testament provide a theological foundation for Israel's designation as the children of God."
The spiritual use of the word
"adoption" signifies the placing of a child of God, in the spiritual
sense, into the position of the privilege and responsibility attached to an
adult son. The question arises as to why a naturally born child needs to be
adopted. Are we not, after all, "literally born again"? It is here
that the true meaning of "adoption" comes into being; because in the
New Testament, "adoption" refers to a positional advance. The
believer is advanced positionally in his spiritual family to the position of a
mature son with all the privileges of being a Son. Paul said in 1 Cor. 12:12-13, (NIV)
"The (fleshly)
body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts
are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
For we were all baptized
by
one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all
given the one Spirit to drink".
This requirement is reasonable because
the Christian life is to be lived in the sustaining and upholding power of the
Holy Spirit. And this provision is available as much for one person as for
another.
When we believe in our heart and confess
with our mouth that we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised
Him from the dead, the Holy Spirit places us in the Spiritual Body of Christ.
Luke said in Acts 2:47,
"And the Lord added to the church
daily such as should be saved".
Paul said in Gal. 4:1-7,
"Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differs
nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until
the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in
bondage under the elements of the world: (Sin) But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his
Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under
the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons. And
because you are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba,
Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but
a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
In order to understand what Paul is saying here you
must realize that he was talking to people who had lived, as he had, under the
Law. Until Jesus came and fulfilled the Law, everyone who had lived under the
supervision of the Law were under the curse that Adam brought on his posterity
when he disobeyed God. The curse is the control that was given to Sin. They
were sold, as it were, as slaves under the control of Sin and were held captive
to it's power. When the Law came it revealed the sinful nature that dwelt in
mankind and as a result sin sprang to life.
All of mankind at that time were the offspring of
God or to put it another way, were given life by our heavenly Father but had
been sold by Adam to Satan because Adam choose to obey him instead of God. Paul
talks about this in the Seventh Chapter of Romans. He concludes by saying,
"For I delight in the
law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."
Paul is describing the power of this Law of Sin and
Death and the power it used to have over him and he ask the question, "Who
shall deliver me from this body of death? In Rom. 8 he gives the answer to his
question when he says,
"There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what
the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the
flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit!"
The power that Sin had under the Old Law during the
time of Adam's reign, condemn those who lived in that time period and it still
condemns those who live today that refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
However, since Jesus came and paid the price in full for our sins and took the
Law along with all its rules and regulations and nailed it to the cross and did
away with it, those of us who have acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Saviour
are not under condemnation because God has made a covenant with us and will
remember our sins no more. (Heb. 8:10-12)
When we acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God, the
Holy Spirit adds us to the Body of Christ and the Law of the Spirit of Life in
Christ Jesus sets us free from the bondage of the Law of Sin and Death. As a
result, the righteousness of Law can be seen in us because we are no longer
subject to the control
of Sin. Paul also said in Rom. 8:14-16,
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of
God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but you
have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God:"
The spirit of adoption is the Father saying to us, "You are
my son, today have I begotten you!"
God said this to David in Ps. 2:7,
"I will declare the decree:
the LORD has said unto me, Thou art
my Son; this day have I begotten thee."
The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are a child
of God!" We are no longer a
servant, but we are a son and a joint hairs with Jesus. God has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus! (Eph. 1:3)
The etymology of the word 'adoption'
suggests that it literally means "standing as a son," and probably
most of us, including the "authorities," have ASSUMED that means,
"becoming a son." However, on closer look I find that the word refers
to one who IS a son coming into a certain standing AS a son, but in NO case,
simply BECOMING a son, equivalent to what we mean by being born, or adopted. In
EVERY case, we think it is not "sonship," per se, that is being
considered, but the standing or position to which the sonship entitles one.
The only verse I know that clearly
defines one such aspect of "adoption" is Romans 8:23, to which we
previously alluded. The "redemption of the body" CANNOT refer to our
PRESENT SALVATION, for it is "we who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit" who are "waiting for our adoption, the redemption of our
bodies." There are four other times the word is used in the New Testament,
NONE of which violates the basic meaning of the term. It is true that they do
not as clearly express the idea as this passage, but if ONE passage sets out
what a term means, and no other passages show any other meaning, how better can
we discover the meaning of ANY term?
In Romans 8:15, we find, "For you
received not the spirit of bondage unto fear, but ye received the spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" It is apparently assumed by
most of us that Paul means, "When you BECAME a son, you received the
spirit of a son, whereby you can now say, 'Father.'" My judgment is that
the "spirit of adoption" is the spirit of one who IS ALREADY A SON,
now looking forward to what Paul expresses in the next two verses -- the glorification
with Christ when we come into our inheritance as heirs of God and joint heirs
with Christ. Is there anything wrong with the concept that one who IS a son
should have the "the spirit of sonship" -- the spirit in which he
yearns for a particular standing as a son (which is what the word
"huiothesia" means)?
In Romans 9:4, the Israelites are
mentioned as those "whose is the adoption." Most commentators, I
presume, would admit that the term has nothing whatever to do with "being
born again," but refers to their standing as sons. Yet, no commentary,
except Vine's Expository Dictionary, of which I am aware, does any
more than make a statement about the meaning of the English word
"adoption" as if it were the meaning of "huiothesia" which
all scholars admit means "standing as sons" not "becoming a
son." Vine says,
"Adoption is a
term involving the dignity of the relationship of believers as sons; it is not a putting into the
family by spiritual birth, but a putting into the position of
sons."
The point I am making is that
"huiothesia" NEVER refers, as far as we can tell, to COMING INTO THE
FAMILY, as "being born" or literally, "being regenerated from
above" does. It ALWAYS refers to the standing or position of a son who has
the rights and privileges of the inheritance -- whatever they may be. In our
case, they involve the redemption of the body, and whatever glorification we
shall have with Christ.
This seems to be very close to the idea
found in Galatians 4:1-4. The Israelites were heirs, but it did not do them
much good as long as they were like bond servants. But God sent forth his Son
to redeem them that they might receive the "adoption of sons." Most
of us have apparently ASSUMED that he meant "that they might be adopted AS
sons." But it does not say that.
The NIV says in Gal. 4:3-5, (NIV)
"So also, when we were children,
(he is definately talking here about the Israel descendants and even the
Gentiles to whom he was sent) we were in slavery under the basic principles of
the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a
woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons."
You must understand that Paul was here
talking about those who were under the Law, the Israelites, when he said,
"..that we might receive the full rights of sons." The Israelites
were considered sons of God or as Paul says here, "..when we were children
God sent His Son to redeem those under Law.." Paul was a Jew who had lived
all his life under the Law until Jesus came to him on the road to Damascus.
The point I want to make here is that
Paul is not saying that Christ came to redeem the Israelites that they might
COME INTO the family of God, he is saying that He came to redeem them that they
might receive the "adoption of sons" -- the full right of sons -- a
special position that an adult son will receive as an heir, as verse 6-7
suggests.
"Because you are sons, God
sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,
Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also
an heir."
In Ephesians 1:3-5, Paul said,
"Praise be to the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly
realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before
the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In
love he
predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance
with his pleasure and will!"
It gave God great pleasure to adopt His
children as His sons through Jesus Christ!
This has been understood (or misunderstood) to mean, "adopted INTO
the family of God that we might BECOME sons." It does not say that. What
it actually teaches is that He chose us before the foundation of the world that
we, who have chosen to believe in Jesus Christ, might receive the
"adoption as sons!" Meaning,
the standing or position AS adult sons, to the praise of the glory of
his grace, or as verse 14 climaxes it, "Unto the redemption of God's own
possession."
When God speaks of regenerating us from
above (commonly translated "born again"), the idea involves the fact
that we thus become partakers of a new nature. The English word
"adoption" does not indicate that fact! It is therefore inadequate
and inaccurate representation of our relationship with God. But the Greek word,
"huiothesia," since it does not actually mean "adoption" in
the first place, DOES represent accurately the STANDING OR POSITION which we,
as sons, will have at the redemption of our bodies. Being born from above is an
ACT. "Huiothesia" is a STATE.
Paul said in Rom. 8:16-25,
"The (Holy) Spirit
himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Now if we are children,
then we are heirs—heirs of God and co–heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in
his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider
that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be
revealed in us. The
creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For
the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the
will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be
liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of
the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in
the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we
ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we
wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For
in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes
for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."
Paul says that the Holy Spirit will bear witness
with our spirit that we are God's children and being God's children makes Jesus
our elder brother and makes us co-heirs of God along with Jesus! Then he says
that the whole creation is eagerly awaiting the manifestation of the Sons of
God. If you remember in the Garden that the whole world was subjected to the
bondage of decay because of what Adam did. Now, the whole creation is eagerly
awaiting the manifestation of the Sons of God because the Sons of God will have
the authority to reverse the curse that came on the whole creation because of
what Adam did.
Notice, that Paul did not say that the whole
creation is eagerly awaiting the manifestation of the children of God! Then Paul said that not
only the whole creation is eagerly awaiting the manifestation of the Sons of
God but those of us who have the firstfruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our
adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. But if we hope for
what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently! It would stand to reason
that if we are waiting for our adoption as Sons of God, we have not yet been
adopted!
We have been born again or reborn and are now
children of God and even the Holy Spirit witnesses this but we have not yet
been given the place in the Body of Christ of Sonship. As we have seen in the
Greek culture of Paul's day, being a child of someone did not officially place
you into the position of being a recognized son of that person with his signet
ring of authority to conduct his father's business and to be recognized as
having the authority of His Father.
As of right now, Jesus has all authority in both
heaven and in earth. He said in Matt. 28:18, (NIV)
"All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me!"
There will come a time when Jesus will again submit
all of this authority back to His Father when He will have, with aid of the
Sons of God, defeated all authority. Paul talks about this in 1 Cor. 15:20-28,
" But now is Christ
risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that
slept. For since by man (Adam) came death, by man (Jesus) came
also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all
be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when
he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall
have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign,
till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that
shall be destroyed is death.
For he (God) has put all things under his (Jesus) feet. But when he (God) says
all things are put under him (Jesus), it is manifest (or revealed) that he
(God) is excepted, which did put all things under him (Jesus). And when all things shall be
subdued unto him (Jesus), then shall the Son also himself be subject unto
him (God) that put all things under him (Jesus), that God may be all in
all."
I know that all of this is hard to digest so you
need to meditate on these things and allow the Spirit of the Lord to reveal
them to you!