Vicki Higgins Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Adoption is an appropriate illustration of God's relationship with us because He chose us; He had no obligation to us as a "birth" parent, but He takes us into His family and loves us as His own. This is encouraging to us because we now reap all the benefits of being in God's family: His unconditional love, even when we continually mess up, eternal life with Him in Heaven, grace, mercy, the list is endless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nykky921 Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? Adoption is a good illustration because none of us are the same and so adoption was able to bring us all into one family regardless of our differences. It is encouraging because God chose each and every one of us even though we aren't perfect. Also, we have a huge family to get encouragement from!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katfish Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 I dont know if I can adequately articulate what I think about this, but I will try. Initially, salvation was only for the Israelites. They were God's chosen people, and Jesus came to them first. I dont know my scripture well enough to tell you where the passage is, but a gentile woman was asking Jesus for healing for her daughter. He told her he came for the children and it wasnt right to take the bread meant for the children and toss it to the dogs. The woman replied that even dogs would eat the crumbs dropped on the floor by the children, and Jesus healed her daughter because of her faith. We (gentiles) have been grafted into a mature cultivated olive tree through salvation in Jesus Christ. Because of them (the Israelites/Jews) we are saved. They have suffered for our sakes (blinded for a time). It is like a nuclear family that is complete with Mother, Father, children, and extended family members who observe a whole orphanage full of unclaimed childlren. The family has no need of the orphans, but because of their love and compassion for them, they open their home and accept the orphans as their very own. They are not treated differently, and they do not occupy a lesser place in the affections or blessings than the natural children. They receive a full portion, a secure place in the inheritance. That is what adoption through Christ means to me. I am eternally grateful that I have been adopted through His immeasurable love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? We were born into an earthly family, with it's blood lines and fallen nature, though the Bible tells us that God planned every aspect of us, and even to which family we'd belong to and where and at what time in history we'd be born. Adoption indicates a special chosen relationship, into a family with a different bloodline, a pure bloodline untainted by sin, and we even receive His nature and Holy spirit when we are "bought back' or redeemed. We become members of an entirely new Kingdom, a Holy race, made up of brothers and sisters from different historical eras, different races and languages, yet we are one in Him. Praise God for our new family!!!!! (I can't wait to meet my brothers Paul, Peter, Stephen, Abe Lincoln, Charles spurgeon, and my sisters Mary, and Martha, Madame Guyon and on down the ages those who have been adopted. Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? Because we aren't a happenstance. When a baby is born, the parents may not be happy with the sex of the infant, or other variables. But we are specifically chosen by God, sought after, desired (as some are not at birth), and become His children, and joint heirs of Jesus Christ, as though we were the first born! He chose us KNOWING all about us beforehand...who we are, what sins we would commit, what rebellion, and yet "He planned in love for us to be adopted as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will (because it PLEASED Him and was His kind intent so that we might be to the praise and commendation of His glorious grace and mercy which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." Eph 1:5,6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro72 Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 In ancient Rome, the father of the house had absolute power, known as "patria potestas". He had the power to put full grown sons to death, on a whim, if he so chose. His sons could hold office, be married, and have children of their own, yet all true power resided in the father. The father also had the power of adoption. The Roman concept of adoption was not limited to infants or small children, as ours (usually) is. At times, full grown men would be adopted into a powerful family to strengthen ties with another family. The father even had the power to free a slave, then adopt him into his family, and under the law, that slave would have the same rights (including citizenship) that any natural-born child of that father would have. I doubt that that would happen very often, but it is an illustration of the "patria potestas". Now, the adopted person was looked upon as being so much a son of his adopted father, that any debts that his old family had could not be brought against him. He was looked upon in all respects as a true son of the adoptive father. This is not just an illustration of our relationship with God, the Bible says that this is our relationship with God, our heavenly Father, by whom we are made co-heirs with Christ in all of His blessings. Praise God! Satan has nothing to hold against us, no IOU that he can wave in God's face demanding payment, because we are part of a new family. I am so happy to be part of my new family, and I love the fact that I have millions of brothers and sisters, that we have all been chosen by God, picked out before we ever were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship with us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? Our heavenly Father not only saved us but He adopted us into His family as sons. He could have saved us without making us His sons, but He chose to do both; we now are members of His family, having the same privileges and responsibilities as a naturally-born son! Because of His boundless love we are set apart to be his own sons, giving us not only a new name, a new legal standing, and a new family-relationship, but also a new image, the image of Christ, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Dee Posted July 27, 2009 Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? Adoption is a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship with us because we were born into sin and therefore could not naturally have been a part of the family of God (that is through the natural occurrence of birth). Therefore, the concept of adoption is encouraging to us, because now we have been taken out of a no-win situation, taken out of a family with no hope, and given equal rights to a God's heritage because we bear the name of our new family, Jesus Christ, on our lives. Therefore the importance of the born-again experience, by declaring Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, which transfers gives us legal rights into God's family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted August 2, 2009 Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship with us? Through the blood of Christ we be freed from the lowest depth of sin. Like a slave, we have been freed from the lowest class and moved to the highest class as a son of God and a brother of Christ with full right and privileges. Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? We are blessed by being adopted into God Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolahac Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? The reason why adoption is an apt illustration of God's relationship to us is because salvation was to the Jews first. When most Jews rejected Jesus the (Word), then Jesus preached to all who would listen, being us, the Gentiles. I like the concept of being adopted into the family of God. Now all believers and followers of Christ make up the body. Rolahac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marloes Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 It means that we will inherit heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shk Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Adoption is a perfect illustration of God's relationship with us because Paul was trying to unify the the Gentile and Jewish Christians in Ephesus. As pointed out in todays lesson in Roman society a person with low social status could be raised to the highest status through adoption. The Jewish Christians were very confident in their identity as being God's chosen people and through Christ the Messiah coming they has to feel all the more confident in God's love for them since He once again fulfilled His word. So the Jewish Christians were like the "hight status" if you will - and the Gentile Christians were the "lower status". And because Ephesus was a Roman providence both Gentiles and Jews living there knew the rights and privileges that adoption brought. Now I have a better understanding of this. Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? I am encouraged because by the concept of adoption because I am a child, heir, and citizen in the Kingdom of the most high God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboodle Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Just as we might adopt a child to make our family more complete, God wanted us as a part of His family. As sinners, we were apart and not members of His family. By adopting us, He brought us into His family. This is encouraging because He loves us so much and wants us to spend eternity with Him. He felt we were a needed part to make His family complete. He wanted to bring us in from the "fields of sin". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poetmom Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 Reading these responses has been so interesting and encouraging. Adoption is close to our hearts because we adopted our youngest child.Some people view adoption as a "last resort" or "second place" to biological birth. When we started our adoption journey, even some Christians made ignorant comments like these. How can Christians view adoption in such a negative way when our relationship with God and salvation are based on the concept of adoption? You are not automatically born into Christianity depending on your family or country of origin. You don't earn it. You are adopted into God's family as a gift. Adoption on earth is a wonderful reflection of our lives as adopted children in heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcgodlyman Posted March 5, 2010 Report Share Posted March 5, 2010 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? Before we were saved we were children of the world. We belonged to the family of the flesh. Now that we rest in Christ, we are in God's family and are His adopted heirs. He adopted us out of slavery and into freedom. We should be encouraged because adoption is all about being chosen to be a member of the family - God chose us to be His and He loves everyone in His family; even to the least of us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? In adoption, the adopting parent chooses the child out of their love for that child rather than the child, as a particular individual, coming into being through an accident of birth and not as a result of any choice on the part of anyone. So, God chose me from the beginning of time to adopt me as a co-heir with His own Son Jesus. That is a pretty encouraging thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottClark Posted April 5, 2010 Report Share Posted April 5, 2010 Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? Adoptiion is a legal term for completely belonging with equal family rights as any biological child. Adoption is a perfect illistration because I can disregard any social economic situation in my life and be confident I belong to God's family in an equal measure as any other child of God, including Christ. To think that I will be equal to Christ in God's eyes is very difficult to grasp yet it is true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYCHELE Posted April 18, 2010 Report Share Posted April 18, 2010 Because we were nothing unto ourselves and he brought us in to his inheritance. He is showing that by what we understand in our minds. To adopt with not birthing and to give that same type of love unconditionally is encouraging. To love me without a condition. i.e. I birthed you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLL Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? We are born sinners and if not saved we are not Gods children we are sons or daughters of disobediance therefore becoming Christians or children of God He has taken us into His glorious family as His own and taken us away from satan. We as Christians now have a wonderful father and one who will not leave nor forsake us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dusty trail Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 dusty trails here,God is bringing me into his family and he is going to teach me ho to live a good life by following his directions like a good parent should.I suppose it feels encouraging because I dont feel abandoned.He created us and there is a follow through for us to complete so we can join our father in heaven once again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wifee Posted June 2, 2010 Report Share Posted June 2, 2010 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? 4a)God chose me before the world began, because he Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jripper Posted June 24, 2010 Report Share Posted June 24, 2010 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? Unfortunately I can't respond to the question,I don't understand, sorry..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gahongayire Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? Answer Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Aren't we adopted into God's family as sons and daughters? One of the arguments I am often confronted with about the doctrine of once saved always saved, is that when we become Christians we are adopted into the family of God as sons and daughters. I agree with that point, it is biblical. The argument goes on and states that since we are adopted into God's family we are eternally secure. They say that a son can't give up his birthright and therefore will always be a son. The meaning of this is clear, God would never punish one of His sons. I decided to take a look at this and see if it holds up to the light of Scripture. The following is what I have found. I want to start with Satan, since his sin is the first one recorded. Here is a description of Satan before his fall and during his fall: (Ezekiel 28:14-16 NIV) 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. You can see that he was blameless when created. Now you may be wondering, what does this have to do with the subject at hand. Well often in Hebrew we find the angels called the sons of God. As in this passage: (Job 1:6 KJV) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. So if the angels are called sons of God, then Satan before his fall was also a son of God, yet he was driven from the mount of God. And we know his final destination: (Matthew 25:41 NIV) Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' This alone should be enough to debunk the argument given by the OSAS doctrine, but we don't have to just lean on this, we can also see the same idea in other places in Scripture. For instance if we look at the genealogy of Jesus as given in Luke we see something very interesting. This genealogy goes backwards from Jesus all the way to Adam. I will only quote the last verse which contains just the last three names: (Luke 3:38 NIV) the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. We see here that Adam is called the son of God. Even though Adam is called a son of God, he was still removed from the Garden of Eden and we know that God had told him and Eve that the day he sinned he died spiritually. So again we see someone who was a part of God's family, who sinned and lost that status. So why would this be a good argument against a Christian being able to fall back under judgment? I say it wouldn't. But we are not done yet. Jesus told a parable about another son who left the family. We know it as the Prodigal Son parable. (Luke 15:11-32 NIV) 11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us 25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31 "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" This parable shows a couple of things. First it is possible for a son to leave the family. Second when a son does leave he is considered "dead" and "lost" but when he comes back he is considered "alive again" and "found." The OSAS proponents try to say that this son only lost his reward, but that he was still part of the family. Their point is that a Christian and be out of fellowship with God, but there is no danger of them being punished in hell for eternity. That is not what the plain reading of this parable shows. It shows that the son was lost and dead and that only after he came back was he again alive and found. Also notice that the father in the parable does not go after the son. He does run out to meet him when the son, himself comes back. This also is important in two aspects. First the father let the son go and did not go after him, it had to be the son's decision to come back. However, when the son does come back the father runs out to meet him. This might not mean much to us in our culture but in the middle-east this is something that is not dignified for a man to do. Yet the father did it, because he loved his son. I think that is a beautiful picture of our Heavenly Father. He gives us free choice to decide if we want to stay with Him or not, but when we decide to come back He is willing to embrace us. Yes we are adopted into God's family when we are saved, but that does not mean we can't give up our birthright and go back to a lost status. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagsM Posted July 21, 2010 Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? Well, adoption is a good illustration because we are not begotten from God and thus have no legal right to be heirs. It is encouraging because God hates to see orphans and widows - and if we have no Father or Husband, God will provide. He does thru adoption as His children and marriage to His Son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violetta Posted July 24, 2010 Report Share Posted July 24, 2010 When God plucks us out of the world to become His adopted sons, we now have Him as our Father. We can know that God loves us as His very own, and we can ask Him for the things we need, without fear of rejection. We also begin to want to become holy like our Father is holy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sylverd Posted July 29, 2010 Report Share Posted July 29, 2010 Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? It is beautiful because although we were created perfect our sins took us away from God and God being a just and compassionate God gave us his only beloved son to bring us back to him. We now have the same rights and inheritance as our brother Christ Jesus and I just find that amazing that someone could love me that much!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.