Adoption, It’s a Beautiful Thing!

Adoption . . . it’s a beautiful thing. Many of us know people who’ve adopted children into their families. Whether it’s an infant, an older child, or a teen, they immediately become a permanent part of the family with all the privileges and benefits therein. Some friends of ours adopted their son as a toddler from Central America. They chose him to be a part of their family forever. They were overjoyed as they signed the final paperwork, and their little boy received his new name—the same name as theirs.

When Cooper was adopted, he immediately acquired the benefits of his status as a family member. He gained a loving extended family, an encouraging church family, educational support, and a home to live in. He now had engaged parents who cared about his well-being and an unbreakable bond of love and acceptance within their family. His life changed forever.

Adoption Truly is . . . a Beautiful Thing.

God’s Word says that when we come to faith in Christ, we are adopted, too. We’re adopted into God’s family.

“For he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before Him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5 CSB)

Just as Cooper received immediate benefits from his adoption, so do we. In fact, the Bible says that we are “blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3 CSB). What are those blessings? Well, in Ephesians Chapter 1, Paul tells us some of them:

The Benefits of Our Adoption into God’s Family

• Redemption through the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7)
• Forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 1:7)
• A heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:11)
• The seal of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)

Just as Cooper’s life changed forever, when we come to Christ, ours does, too. We are now redeemed by the blood of the lamb. That means we stand innocent before the Lord because Jesus took our punishment when he died for us on the cross. It means we are sealed by the Holy Spirit; nothing can take us out of God’s family of faith. That seal is our guarantee of God’s protection from the wrath of God. The seal of the Holy Spirit is the down payment for our heavenly inheritance that is to come. A seal in ancient times could only be opened by the person for whom it was intended. We are sealed until we appear before God Himself.

John 10:27-29 says:

“My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (CSB)

Our Adoption is Forever and Always

Our friends’ adopted son, Cooper, isn’t always a perfect kid. He messes up sometimes. He’s a teenager and doesn’t always listen to his parents like he should. Do they ever think about packing his suitcase and sending him back? Never in a million years. That idea has never been on the table. When Cooper was adopted, he became a permanent part of the family regardless of the ups and downs he would inevitably go through. His status is permanent, just as ours is when we become a part of God’s family. Our mistakes and bad decisions will not make God send us packing. Praise the Lord for that because we are still sinners living in a fallen world. We will never be perfect until Jesus finishes his work and comes back on the clouds to bring us home.

As believers, we experience not only redemption, forgiveness, and eternal security, but other benefits as well—things that help us to have a more fulfilling and impactful life while here on earth. Our status as a member of God’s family gives us hope for tomorrow, even in the turbulent times in which we live. It gives us peace during desperate situations. It helps us to find true and lasting joy in our life. We can live a life of purpose and find true fulfillment as we follow our calling and live in obedience to God’s Word.

If you could ask Cooper, I think he would say he struck gold when he was adopted into his loving forever family. If you think about it, so have we! Remember, we have every possible spiritual blessing when we have Christ as our Savior.

Celebrating Our Family Ties

There is no need to walk around dejected and defeated. We are a permanent part of God’s forever family with all the incredible, life-changing, permanent benefits that brings. Think about it this week as you go about your days. Meditate on the blessings we have in Christ Jesus. Thank God for his redemption and forgiveness. Celebrate that you’re a part of God’s forever family. Read Ephesians Chapter 1 and be encouraged.

Looking Forward to a Grand Family Reunion

I just love reunions. For many years, our family attended a large reunion in Missouri with my dad’s side of the family. It was so fun—full of activities and good food, seeing all my cousins (there were a lot of them . . . my dad had 12 siblings), getting hugs from various aunts and uncles who told us how much we’d grown.

I look forward to the massive, joy-filled, multi-cultural reunion we’ll have in heaven someday. Our fellow adoptees from every nation, tongue and tribe will be present and we’ll all be praising our heavenly Father for reaching down and adopting us into his family. I wonder if there will be sack races, hugs, and apple pie? I sure hope so, don’t you?

If you are an adoptee and didn’t have a wonderful experience. I am so sorry. You can be assured that if you’ve trusted Jesus as your Savior, you are loved, accepted, and sealed forever as a precious and valued part of the family of God. Rest in that assurance today.