Devotional: Adopted

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

-Galatians 4:4-5

Why does it matter that we are adopted through Christ and called children of God?

Think about this scenario. A family who longs to adopt a child fills out multiple applications, pays expensive fees, communicates with social workers, and waits and waits for the moment they will receive the call that a child is ready for them to bring home. The process is laborious, but it is worth every ounce of energy that is invested.

Now, imagine the welcome party that is thrown for the arrival of their child. There are balloons, streamers, food, cake, music. Everyone is overflowing with joy and excitement: The parents, the brother, extended family members, friends…

Imagine, though, in the middle of the party, the parents look their adopted child in the eyes and say, “You are our adopted son, not our biological son. That means you won’t receive the same privileges as your brother, Tommy. And if you are disobedient to us, then we have every right to send you back to the orphanage.”

That sounds absolutely ridiculous, right? When a child is adopted into a family, they aren’t treated differently just because they aren’t a biological child. They are treated as if they are a son or daughter, no matter what. 

Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that they have this view of God. They think that He is a punitive Father who will reject his adopted children if they are disobedient or if they run away. As a result, they also don’t realize the blessings and privileges they have as a child of God. Not only do we have eternal life and the promise that He won’t cast us out (John 6:37), but we have His promise of eternal rewards (2 Corinthians 5:10) and inheritance (Romans 8:17). We have the promise of the power of Spirit living within us (Romans 8:11; Galatians 5:22-25). 

This is why it is essential to embrace our identity in Christ– who God calls us once we believe in the saving power of Jesus.  

Why does being secure in our identity matter in our everyday life? 

Think about why it’s important to know your rights as a citizen of your country. Or why it’s important to know your job expectations and the legal protections you have. Those aspects of our identity matter because it helps protect us from being unjustly kicked out of the country or fired from our jobs for no valid reason. Additionally, we can be productive citizens when we know/abide by our country’s laws and we can be productive employees if we understand what is expected to be accomplished at work. 

Likewise, knowing our identity in Christ matters so that we can be protected from the enemy’s lies thrown at us. It matters because when we truly believe that we are His children, we can be effective for His kingdom. It matters so that we can understand the secure relationship we have with God— that He is a Father who loves us unconditionally.  If we are insecure about who God calls us, we are less likely to overcome sin because we will be full of doubt. We will be more focused on ourselves and our shortcomings than on Jesus and His perfection. We will doubt the promise of eternal life, which results in doubting other promises of God. 

Remember, the way that you can be 100% sure that you are a child of God is by trusting in Jesus’ promise. John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” He gives us His Spirit as a guarantee of this promise: Galatians 4:6 says, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’”

Take a moment:

• Have you embraced your identity as a son or daughter of God or do you still doubt your place in His family?

• What comfort does it bring to be able to be known as God’s child?

• Not all of us have a healthy relationship with our earthly fathers. Do you think that your relationship with your dad might affect the way you view your relationship with God?

• In what ways have you not been living out your identity as a child of God?

Walking out your identity as a child of God is what it means to live by faith. 

-Alina