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Mar 06, 2025 06:00am

Adopted by Grace

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“He looks just like his father.”

I said this to a new friend, meeting her son for the first time. She smiled and said, “I think so too.”

But sometime later, she shared her struggles with infertility and how she and her husband adopted their son.

I was shocked! I had no idea! I recalled the conversation with her about the boy looking like his father and her response. I asked her about that, and she said, “Isn’t it neat? God gave us an extra special blessing that our adopted son would favor my husband. His new father.” And with warmth and a glow, her face lit up, and she lovingly shared about the beautiful gift of adopting a child.

Ask any parent who has adopted a child. Are they any less “yours” since you didn’t conceive and deliver them? You’ll hear a resounding, “Absolutely not!”

Once a child is adopted, they take on the full rights and privileges of their new family. Throughout their life, their new parents provide everything they need. They give them the same love they would give a child they conceived. They are willing to go to the ends of the earth for them and die for them if needed. If the adopted child has a sibling, they have all the same privileges and rights as they do. When an inheritance is left, they are co-heirs with their siblings. Because they share the same parents, they share in all aspects of being their children.

And when they cry out for their father, he lovingly wraps his arms around this child that has become his.

Romans 8:14-17

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”

As Paul shared this with the believers in Rome, he knew they understood the process and relationship of adoption. It was part of their culture. And for a child to be adopted as a Roman citizen was huge! The child gave up everything from their old family and took on all the rights and privileges of their new family. Just like a child who had been conceived, this adopted child received all the same benefits.

And that is the very relationship God offers to those who put their trust in Him. He offers us adoption. We become children of God!

And we can call out Abba, Father, and He does as any good father does. He reaches out to hold us, comfort us, encourage us, support us, lift us out of the mess, clean us, protect us, and provide for us.

Because we are His children.

And our inheritance is in His kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven.

And as we are with Him more and more, we begin to favor our Father.

Do people see your Father in you? Do you live out a life that reflects who your Father is? We should.

Let me show you how. Go to follow.lifeword.org to learn more about Jesus and what it looks like to be a child of God.

Today, if God has saved you, you can declare, “Abba, Father! I am a child of God!”