In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:4b-6)
When we adopted our son, he was grafted into our family forever. Of course, we loved and adored him the moment he entered our lives as a foster child, but it was when the judge’s gavel struck the bench that he officially became a Smith. From that moment, because he was no longer part of the state’s system, there was no difference between him and our older son in terms of privilege, resources, protection, discipline, and (as small or nonexistent as it might be) inheritance.
He is our child in every way imaginable.
The one thing, however, we could not give him was our nature—our DNA-driven features (good or bad). I could not pass on my Italian olive complexion or hazel eyes. His skin is a gorgeous brown, but it differs markedly from mine and his dad’s. And within the ever-present medical debates about nature vs. nurture, I can tell you that, on the side of nurture, he picked up plenty of characteristics (and character) growing up Smith.
Friend, when you give your life to Jesus, accepting salvation by grace through faith alone, you become a child of God, adopted into His family (John 1:12-13, Gal 4:4-5, Rom 8:14-17)! When we are born again into this new forever family, Christians become co-heirs with Christ, given every privilege, resource, and inheritance from God the Father. This is an amazing, glorious thing, especially looking forward to our heavenly future with Jesus.
But, unlike the limitation of human adoption to share DNA characteristics, when we are grafted into God’s family, He also miraculously bestows on us His very nature. We are given the righteousness of Jesus to replace our unrighteousness. We are made a completely new creation, transformed into the very image of Christ! Given the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead—we are able to live out (albeit not perfectly in this world) the “nurture AND nature” characteristics of our Lord. As we walk closer with God through His Word, we look more and more like Him.
And what’s more awe-inspiring, is that when our Heavenly Father looks at us, He doesn’t see our fallen, sinful nature. To Him, through our adoption, we are wholly and perfectly righteous, transformed by the blood of Jesus. Our adoptive Abba (Daddy) not only gives us everything He has…He has given us the proverbial DNA of Christ.
Lord, thank you for the privilege of being called Your child. Help me always remember who I am in You and glorify You through my words and action.
encouraged by grace 