Stahlke Adoption

Adoption in Scripture

I read my post from Saturday again and was dismayed to find adoption bias in my own writing:

"My children are adopted, and I was not."

The verb tenses are critical to the meaning. By using present tense for my children, I wrote that adoption is an ongoing part of their life. Using past tense for myself implies that the way I joined my nuclear family (through birth) is a neutral part of my background. So . . . I need to correct that statement:

"My children are adopted, and I am not."
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But to be more correct, I am adopted--by God. By searching Scripture, I found the following passages to help me better understand this whole issue. (I used an unabridged concordance to the New Revised Standard Version.)

Acts 7:17-22
[Stephen speaks about Moses:]
But as the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased and multiplied until another king who had not known Joseph ruled over Egypt. He dealt craftily with our race and forced our ancestors to abandon their infants so that they would die. At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful before God. For three months he was brought up in his father's house; and when he was abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. So Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds.

Galations 4:4-7
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Ephesians 1:3-6
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Romans 8:15-17
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ--if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
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Once again, there's a lot here to digest and think about.

posted by Stahlkes @ 11:34 AM