The Adoption - Bible Baptist Church

The doctrine of adoption is what we’re discussing this morning.

The idea of adoption came through the Jews

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.
The truth of the adoption was given to the Jews. This is no surprise because every divine revelation came through the Jewish nation.
This is the typical teaching of adoption. 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 ethnicity.
Since no one is physically a child of God yet, you are a child of God spiritually by faith and by promise (Galatians 4:28-31, 3:14, 26-29)

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. It happens both physically and spiritually.
- Physically in a resurrection.
- Spiritually in reclamation of time in your current state. (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5)
So a child of God is both waiting on the adoption and practicing the adoption
- The Christian has transformed their body into a vessel for the work of God. That this time is now being redeemed for the LORD.
- Romans 8:14 led by the Spirit is the Son of God
The LORD will reclaim time and relationships through his people. Now, God’s kingdom of kings – conquering the flesh in their own lives, and priests – reconciling the nations back to God, are ambassadors of redemption.
The Old Testament idea of redemption of land is a great example of this. It describes how a piece of land is brought back into the family.

Galatians 4:4-6 But when the fullness of the time came, 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.
Adoption is made through the Spirit of God. More concretely, it’s made through God’s words. Jesus said his words were spirit and life.
The same Spirit in the Son of God is passed on to people who trust in Jesus Christ by walking in the Spirit. The idea is like the old testament land being brought back into the family.
This is how the image is reproduced in God’s true people. In Adam, all die. In Christ will all be made alive. The Spirit in Christ is the Spirit in his people. 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.