GREAT BIBLE WORDS
ADOPTION
Romans 8:14- 23
Key verses: vv. 15, 23, “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. 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.”
Introduction:
The word “adoption” is used only five times in the New Testament. It appears only in the writings of the Apostle Paul. It is in our text above as well as Romans 9:4; Galatians 4:5 and in Ephesians 1:5. However, the idea of adoption is found in a number of other passages.
The word translated “sonship” means “placing as a son” and is frequently translated “adoption.”
Believers are adopted sons, Galatians 4:5, “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
They are not slaves, Galatians 4:7, “Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Therefore they need not be enslaved to sin or in fear.
We will consider adoption in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
I. ADOPTION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
A. Several prominent people were adopted:
1. MOSES was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, Exodus 2:10, “And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.”
2. ESTHER was adopted by her uncle Mordecai, Esther 2:7, “And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.”
3. Jacob adopted Joseph’s sons, MANASSEH and EPHRAIM, Genesis 48:5, “And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.”
B. The SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE of adoption is expressed in God’s relationship with Israel, Exodus 4:22, “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:”
1. God has put HIS NAME upon the children of Israel, Numbers 6:27, “And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”
2. They are called BY the Lord’s name, Deuteronomy 28:10, “And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.”
a. God CARED FOR ISRAEL during the years in the Sinai wilderness during temperatures from 150 degrees in the day to below freezing at night.
b. Their SHOES and CLOTHING never wore out during that time, Deuteronomy 29:5, “And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.”
II. ADOPTION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
A. The RELATIONSHIP between redemption and adoption, John 1:12-13, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13- Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
1. “As many as received Him” refers to those who have been “born again.”
2. These are those that God gave “THE POWER TO BECOME the sons of God.”
B. The Apostle John declares THE MANNER of God’s love, 1 John 3:1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”
C. Paul declares THE CONDITION which MUST BE MET before one is adopted into God’s family, Romans 8:13, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
1. HOW DO WE KNOW that we are led by the Spirit? Matthew 12:33, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.”
2. WHAT IS the fruit of the Spirit? Galatians 5:22-24, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23- Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24- And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
3. CONTRAST the works of the flesh, Galatians 5:19-21.
D. Paul’s great statement regarding adoption, Galatians 4:1-7.
1. In vv. 1-3, Paul gives the ROMAN LAW OF SONSHIP.
2. In vv. 4-5, the PROVISIONS God the Father has made “to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” with all of the privileges, opportunities and blessings of a natural son.
3. In vv. 6-7, Paul speaks of the INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP between the Lord and the believer where he refers to the Father as “Abba Father,” Mark 14:36, “And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
4. In v. 7 we also understand that we are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;” Romans 8:15-17, “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.”