You Are Adopted by God

In the time of Jesus and the apostles, adoption was ordinarily of young adult males of good character to become heirs and maintain the family name for wealthy people who otherwise had no children. However, in the New Testament epistles, is the proclaimation of God's gracious adoption of persons of bad character to become "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." As Christians we have been adopted by God and given an inheritance. In order to claim and utilize an inheritance we must, of necessity, understand exactly what we have inherited and as "joint heirs" we need to understand what we share. Once an understanding of who you are in light of your adoption is reached, then the ability to claim what is yours and utilize it in your life becomes possible.

Paul, in the letter to the Galatian believers, states that believers are All the children of God after having received Jesus Christ. He also states an often overlooked fact, that as a result of our adoption we are All, gentiles (non-jews) included, Abraham's decendants (seed). All born again believers are officially part of God's chosen people, no matter if you are a jew or gentile, a slave or free, or a woman or a man. There is no distinction in God's eyes, we are all equal in His sight in Christ.

Galatians 3:26-29
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

To make it available for our adoption, God sent His only son to redeem us from the curse of the law. The curse of the law was the inability of any man to maintain perfect adherance to it. Under the law the best relationship we could have attained was the status of servants (all of the Old Testament men of God were labeled this). When we were redeemed from the law, the availability to become sons of God and an heir of God through Christ came into effect.

Galatians 4:4-7
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, 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.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Adopted status belongs to all who receive Christ. In and through Christ, God loves His adopted children as He loves His only begotten son and will share with them the glory that is Christ's now.

Romans 8:14-18
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
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.
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.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Since we have been adopted by God, we are under His fatherly care and discipline. Just as every loving earthly parent loves and guides their children with instruction and correction, God treats us in the with the same love. The end result of God's care is righteousness in the believer.

Hebrews 12:5-11
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

We also learn from the scriptures that God knew and had chosen us before the foundation of the world and had predestined us to have the availability to be one of His children by this adoption. He has made us accepted in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-6
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

A resulting effect of having become sons of God we have specific sonship rights. The first one is Redemption (redeemed from the curse of the law by Jesus Christ's death and resurrection). The second sonship right is Justification by God's grace (you could literally define justification as being to be able to stand before God with confidence, "just as if you never had sinned). The third sonship right is righteousness (the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ). The fourth sonship right is sanctification (set apart or reserved by God to Himself). And, the fifth sonship right is and the ministry of reconciliation (we have had the Word of reconciliation, the Bible, committed onto us) and we are ambassadors for Christ to the World.

Concerning redemption, we were redeemed by the blood shed by Jesus for us when he was crucified.

1 Peter 1:17-19
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Revelation 5:9
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Galatians 3:13
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Paul in his letter to the Romans and describes our righteousness and justification.

Romans 3:21-26
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Romans 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

The book of Acts also records that all that believe have justification before God.

Acts 13:38-41
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

Jesus when praying for his disciples and the apostles shortly prior to his arrest and subsequent Crucifiction said the following in regard to scantification, that we are sanctified through God's truth, His Word. And, since we have received the Word of God, the world will hate us because we no longer are citizens of the world just as the world was no longer his home. Paul in the first letter to the Corinthians stated we are sanctified, washed, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. Timothy wrote in the book of Hebrews that we were scantified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ and by this one offering God has perfected forever them that are sanctified.

John 17:14-19
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Hebrews 10:10-14
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

FInally, the fifth sonship right that God has given each and everyone who is a believer is the ministry of reconciliation. We have received the Word of Reconciliation, God's written Word the Bible and the constant theme from Genesis to Revelation is that of a loving God calling mankind to reconcile themselves to Him. We have the commissioned authority to speak His Word to anyone regardless of his position in society and to those around us to enable them that hear and believe to recieve the blessings of salvation we have obtained.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

According to God's Word you are somebody, you are a son of God, you are an ambassador for Christ. Never let the world convince you otherwise. When the world condemns you (through influence from the Devil) you know God Will Not Condemn You - you are Justified. When the world wants you to dance to its decadent music, you don't have to, you are scantified by the sacrifice of Jesus willingly offering himself up for you. You are the righteousness of God - you are God's light in the world. Never let the world or anyone get away with telling you that your an unimportant nobody...You Are a Son of God with power.

Ephesians 1:19
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Just straighten up your shoulders hold your head high and say..."Out of my way, there's a son of God coming through!"