Adoption

The doctrine of adoption is a truth that deals with the changing of a redeemed soul’s corruptible body to an incorruptible body.  This doctrine of adoption though is so often taught as a past event. So let’s look at the verses that teach this truth tonight. There are only five verses that describe this.

What is the adoption?

  • Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
  • The adoption is the redemption of the body.  It is the changing of the body from corruptible to incorruptible.
  • Everytime adoption shows up in the Bible it is an event called the adoption.  If you’ve put your faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for your sins, then you are WAITING for the adoption.  You haven’t been adopted yet.
  • Lots of times adoption is spoken of as a past event; some teacher might say, Now that you’ve been adopted.  That’s typically part of Calvinist teaching.
  • Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Can someone be a child of God if the adoption hasn’t taken place yet?

  • Yes.
  • Romans 8:15 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.
  • Galatians 4:4-6 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
  • Since no one is physically a child of God yet, you are a child of God by faith and by promise (Galatians 4:28-31, 3:26-29)
  • The Holy Spirit of promise
  • Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
  • Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Doesn’t adoption mean Gentiles being put into the family of God?

  • Romans 9:4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
  • One way this can be taught wrong is by teaching adoption has to do with Jews being in the family of God and Gentiles being put into the family of God.  Adoption has nothing to do with Jews or Gentiles. And it certainly doesn’t have anything to do with Gentiles since Romans 9:4 says …Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.  If the truth of the adoption was given to anyone, it was given to the Jews.