Thoughts from the Past – Adopted

 

Adopted
December 13, 2008 (edited)

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Some weeks ago we heard the choir sing at a church meeting. The particular song they sang was about how we are adopted by God. The next day or so I was searching for some photos online and "happened" on a web page that chronicled the adoption of a baby from Kazakhstan by an American couple.  It all made me think about the wonder of our adoption into God's family.

The couple who adopted the baby from Kazakhstan wrote a diary online about their experiences. For some time before they were allowed to take her, they could only visit with the little girl in the orphanage. They were only permitted to spend a few hours with her daily, and during those times she was usually in a good humor and enjoyed the games and toys they brought for play.

Once they had full possession of her, though, things changed. They were then responsible for all of her care. They found out that she needed to sleep a lot, and that she was not always happy. Feeding, washing, changing of diapers and so forth were now their responsibility and she was no longer just a "fun" child to spend a little time with each day.

Now, they knew that this would happen since they had adopted a baby girl from this same orphanage some years ago. (In fact, she was with them at the time.) So, they had had previous experience with this and it was not a totally strange event.

One might stop and think about all the possible problems that could occur after adopting a baby like this. There could be possible diseases (genetic of otherwise), personality issues, disabilities, brain damage from drugs or alcohol and more that can crop up later.

In thinking about that, though, consider the beauty of our adoption into God's family. He knows before He ever saves us exactly how we will "turn out." He knows if we will be a "problem child" or not. He knows if there will be "personality issues", illness, disabilities, and everything else there is to know about us. And yet, the wonder is that He gladly adopts us into His family through faith in Jesus Christ!

When we come into God's family, we are "accepted in the beloved" regardless of later problems. And, the Lord, in His foreknowledge, even knows all those things before hand, unlike human parents adopting a baby! What a wonderful blessing! How very kind and merciful our heavenly Father is!

And, for us there is no fear of bondage again.  We are the children of God through the adoption which we received.  He is not going to change His mind and "send us back" as one family did with a child they had adopted from Russia.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We are no longer orphans. We are joint heirs with Christ! This is too amazing to fully comprehend!

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

For various reasons some human parents may be sorry later that they adopted a certain child. But, with God there is no such thing. He not only foreknew us before He chose us to eternal life, He also has the power to conform us to the image of His Son and the justify us and make us what He wants us to be!

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Sack Lunch, Brownies and Predestination

One evening last week I had occasion to call a friend of mine. At that hour on a week day I'm usually working on my husband's lunch for the next day. She was cleaning up her kitchen after having made brownies for her husband. So, while we both worked on our projects hundreds of miles apart, we were having a kitchen visit at the same time. The kitchen really is a pleasant place to visit with friends. :-)

In the course of our conversation, she was telling me a bit about her parents' and grandparents' situation at this time. (Her parents are caring for her grandparents in their own home.) Now, her father's family has a Mormon background and not surprisingly, there are hereditary genetic problems in the family. The Mormons have been noted in the past for their intermarriage with close family members (and still are in some instances) and the consequences have been quite devastating and long lasting in some cases.  My friend's extended family is one of those.

However, the thing that was remarkably interesting to me was this:  Of all the members of her father's family who left Mormonism, her father was the only one who became a true Christian. He has showed no signs of the genetic problems that are common in his family. None of his children have either. And, so far none of his grandchildren have. This struck me very much.

I know there are some people who think that predestination and the sovereignty of God are exclusively "Calvinist" teachings and that they are, therefore, somehow not correct. I have seen and heard enough to know that God is sovereign and that He does things based on predestination which is according to foreknowledge, just as the Bible says. (NOTE: If John Calvin gets something correct from the Bible it is not "Calvinism" - it is Biblical!)

1Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Now, I may be mistaken or proven wrong eventually, but as things stand at this time it is interesting to note in this case that God seems to have been keeping this man from before his birth, knowing in His foreknowledge that he would eventually be saved. God does not always work things this way, but in this case He chose to protect this man and his family from the genetic problems that so easily could have troubled them. Why? I do not know. But, the thing that it shows me so clearly is that God does work according to foreknowledge and predestination. He knew when this man was conceived that he would turn from Mormonism and later from the hippy lifestyle and put his faith in Christ Jesus alone for his salvation. God also knew that he would try to train his own children in the ways of the Lord.  And so, in His mercy, God preserved him and them from the very earliest moments of this man's life!

Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which incontinuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

The thing is that this man was not a special case for God's special attention. God makes no mistake. He knew us before we were born, and knew who would come to Him in faith through Christ Jesus. For those of us who believe, He prepared us even then to do His will. This is comfort. This is assurance. This should help us to accept whatever He deemed best for us and give us hope that He has a plan, and did have a plan from the start, regardless of what our "disability" may be.

Psalm 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.