Article 12. Adoption Series

ARTICLE 12 ADOPTION. (ROM 8:15 –8:23- 9:4 GAL 4:5 – EPH 1:5)

ADOPTION IS A WONDERFUL ACT ISN’T IT... WHEN A HUMAN BEING ADOPTS A CHILD - ESPECIALLY WHEN WE CONSIDER THAT THE CHILD’S OWN BIOLOGICAL FAMILY HAVE DISCARDED AND ABANDONED THAT CHILD FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER IS PLACED INTO THE STATES CARE AND IS INSTITUTIONALISED. AND THEN SOMEONE COMES ALONG AND ADOPTS THAT CHILD GIVING THEM A FAMILY WHERE THEY CAN BELONG GIVING THEM A NEW IDENTITY –SECURITY-PURPOSE AND A FUTURE INHERITANCE.

IT TAKES SPECIAL INDIVIDUALS TO ADOPT ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT PERSON HAS GOT A CHILD OR CHILDREN ALREADY THEY ADOPT THEM AS THEIR OWN – IT DEMONSTRATES HUGE LOVE AND CARE.

GOD IS BIG ON ADOPTION - HE IS FILLED WITH COMPASSION WHEN HE SEES OUR PLIGHT (PSALM 103:13), HE HAS GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO ADOPT US INTO HIS FAMILY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. THE ADOPTION PAPERS WERE DRAWN UP AND PREPARED WELL IN ADVANCE TO ADOPT US EPH 1:3. HE PREDESTINED US TO BE ADOPTED AS HIS SONS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. THIS WORK OF ADOPTION ISN’T FORCED OR COERCED EITHER OUR ADOPTION IS A MUTUAL RESPONSE - COMING TOGETHER AS NEW FAMILY MEMBERS JOHN 1:12 TO ALL THOSE WHO RECEIVE HIM HE GIVES US THEM THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD .

ARTICLE 12: GOD HAS VOUCHSAFED, THAT IN CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, AND FOR HIS SAKE, ALL THOSE WHO ARE JUSTIFIED SHALL BE MADE PARTAKERS OF THE GRACE OF ADOPTION, BY WHICH THEY ARE TAKEN INTO THE NUMBER OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD AND ENJOY THEIR LIBERTIES AND PRIVILEGES. THEY HAVE HIS NAME PUT UPON THEM, AND RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION. THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GRACE WITH BOLDNESS, AND ARE ENABLED TO CRY, ’ABBA, FATHER!’ THEY ARE PITIED, PROTECTED, PROVIDED FOR, AND CHASTENED BY HIM AS BY A FATHER, YET THEY ARE NEVER CAST OFF, BUT ARE SEALED TO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION, WHEN THEY INHERIT THE PROMISES AS HEIRS OF EVERLASTING SALVATION.

• IN ROMAN LAW, ADOPTION WAS A VERY SERIOUS UNDERTAKING. ‘THE ADOPTED SON COULD HAVE OFTEN BEEN A SLAVE WHO BECOMES A FULL MEMBER OF THE FAMILY, JUST AS IF HE HAD BEEN BORN OF THE BLOOD OF THE ADOPTER; HE RECEIVES A NEW IDENTITY HIS NAME IS CHANGED HE WOULD RECEIVE NEW PURPOSE AND SECURITY AND WAS INVESTED WITH ALL THE PRIVILEGES OF THAT FAMILY AFFORDS WITH EQUAL INHERITANCE RIGHTS. TODAY I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU A NUMBER OF BENEFITS AS A RESULT OF OUR ADOPTION INTO GOD’S FAMILY.

1. WE RECEIVE A NEW IDENTITY. JOHN 1:12 TO ALL THOSE WHO RECEIVE HIM HE GIVES US THEM THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD - CHILDREN NOT BORN OF NATURAL DESCENT, NOR OF HUMAN DECISION OR A HUSBANDS WILL, BUT BORN OF GOD.

THERE ARE MANY BIG QUESTIONS TO LIFE, “WHERE HAVE I COME FROM?” “WHERE AM I GOING? “ “WHY AM I HERE?” BUT ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS HAS TO BE “WHO AM I?” IT’S A QUESTION OF IDENTITY..... OUR IDENTITY COMES FROM OUR FAMILIES WHICH WE WERE BORN INTO WHICH WE BELONG TOO AND ARE GIVEN FAMILY NAMES ( RIDDING TONS, VAUGHAN’S, WARBURTON’S THE JOHNSONS AND SO ON ) SO ITS HERE IS WHERE WE GET OUR REAL SENSE OF IDENTITY – IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT YOU TOOK YOUR NAME AWAY .... OR YOU WEREN’T BORN INTO A FAMILY - WHO WOULD YOU BE?

WHERE WOULD YOU GET YOUR SENSE OF ID FROM? FROM YOUR CAREER - YOUR FRIENDS – YOU PURSUITS – YOUR PLEASURES – YOUR INTELLECT – ALL OF THESE THINGS WILL FORM SOMETHING OF AN IDENTITY FOR YOU.

1. TO THE GOVERNMENT YOU MIGHT BE A NUMBER, A COMPUTER A STATISTIC NH60 44 20 D.

2. TO YOU EMPLOYER YOU MIGHT BE A COG IN THE WHEEL - WHO MAKES THE BUSINESS TICK.

3. TO SOCIETY AT LARGE YOUR JUST ANOTHER FACE AMONG THE MULTITUDE.

BUT OUR REAL IDENTITY GOES FAR DEEPER THAN A NAME UPON A BIRTH CERTIFICATE - IN REALITY OUR TRUE IDENTITY IS NOT FOUND IN OUR PARENTS, FAMILIES OR IN OUR EXPLOITS BUT IT IS FOUND IN GOD ALONE. GEN 2:16 HUMAN BEING MADE IN HIS IMAGE AND OF INFINITE VALUE AND WORTH TO GOD.

BUT SADLY IDENTITY THEFT HAS TAKEN PLACE (‘THE FALL’ GEN 3) - WE NO LONGER BELONG TO GOD BUT TO SATAN. ALL OF HUMANITY AS A RESULT OF THE FALL HAS A MARRED AND DISTORTED IDENTITY. NO LONGER BELONGING TO GOD BUT TO THE DEVIL - BORN IN SIN - WE HAVE AN IDENTITY CRISIS - OUR FATHER IS SATAN - WHO DESIRE TO CONTINUE TO DEFACE OUR TRUE IDENTITY. (JOHN8:31 -47) JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT GODS TRUE CHILDREN

THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT THROUGH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WE CAN BECOME THE CHILDREN OF GOD AND RECEIVE A NEW IDENTIFY JOHN 1:12 TO ALL THOSE WHO RECEIVE HIM HE GIVES US THEM THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD - CHILDREN NOT BORN OF NATURAL DESCENT, NOR OF HUMAN DECISION OR A HUSBANDS WILL , BUT BORN OF GOD. THROUGH ADOPTION WE RECEIVE NEW IDENTITY AS CHILDREN OF GOD......