Adoption is the divine work wherein God declares regenerated believers to be his beloved sons and daughters and welcomes them into his eternal family.
The biblical writers frequently use familial imagery to describe the relationship between God and humanity. Language drawn from the home reveals the depth of relationship and ongoing commitment that God desires with his redeemed people. Although the Old Testament does not contain a strong theme of adoption per se, God is portrayed as Israel’s Father (Deut 32:6). In the New Testament, the familial relationship between God and humankind is developed significantly. Christ is called the “elder brother,” while the Father is called “Abba” (an intimate Aramaic term for “father”). Believers are said to be born again (biological imagery expressing inclusion in God’s family) and adopted (legal imagery expressing inclusion in God’s family). The family of God—previously sundered by sin and selfishness—is reconciled in Christ to their divine head and to one another. Christians become brothers and sisters, siblings within the divine family. Therefore adoption has both a vertical (with God) and a horizontal (with fellow believers) plane of impact on relationships.
Paul states that the… Read more »
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