Adopted by Grace

By Dean Collins

Some of us had the benefits of a very good father. Some may have had a very different experience, having either a harsh or possibly an absent father. When one first becomes a parent, there is often a feeling of panic as new parents stare at their baby and realize they have no experience raising a child. The mother instinct is pretty strong, but being a dad doesn’t seem to come as naturally for many men. Some men appear to have limited capacity or, in the worst cases, little interest in investing in what it takes to be a father and a good parent. And some men struggle with parenting because they didn’t have a good role model themselves. While parents can reverse generational trends, it is not without willingness, education, and hard work.

 I trained as a marriage and family therapist years ago, and for a season in my life I worked as a therapist. I have also been a client in therapy in different stages of life. I learned a lot from my years in clinical practice. I noticed that from time to time clients project unresolved issues with their parents, and their fathers in particular, onto God. I won't go into detail today, but I will confess to working on this very issue in regard to my relationship with my father, whose sternness was at times severe. 

I imagine that if you had a very permissive parent or you've never had a bout with a legal problem, you may not really appreciate condemnation, but if you have ever "paid the price," then Paul's wonderful words are like cool water on a hot day. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Through our relationship with Christ, there is real and tangible freedom. 

Working as family therapist, I often used genograms to help understand the family dynamic that might be impacting someone's understanding and behavior. A genogram is a graphic representation of a family tree that analyzes patterns of behavior in the generations of a family. I often drew one for my clients to help them better understand themselves.  

So, here is good news for all of us and great news for some of us: when we choose to follow Jesus, we are adopted into a new and heavenly family! Our new father is God, and our oldest brother is none other than Jesus. So, we become heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus. Everything that our Heavenly Father owns and has, we inherit. It is promised to us, documented in scripture, and we will inherit every aspect of the glory of heaven. In our new family, we get a new body, an upgrade on the house where we currently live, and we get a family we want to be with on the holidays and more. 

But did you notice Paul’s language?  We have been adopted! It is official, and the Spirit of God has testified to our adoption! The price was paid on the cross for our sin. We have been adopted already. We have some things in place now and some things we are still hoping for because we haven't yet transitioned from our earthly selves to our heavenly selves. Consider that on this side of heaven you have a family member who leaves you something in their will. You are legally entitled to it, but you don't get it until the person who wills it to you dies. You might hope for it now, but you can't own it until your loved one dies. Similarly, there are aspects of our eternal inheritance that we can't possess until we die.

However, Paul says that since God is already our Heavenly Father, there are things we receive on this side as well.

1.        We are already led by the Spirit of God. That's good news. On our own we can wander off in the wrong places.

2.        As co-heirs with Christ, we will experience some suffering on this side. It's a part of living right in a broken world.

3.        God's Spirit helps us with our weakness. We are not expected to work it out alone. This is a new experience for some of us.

4.        We have access to our Heavenly Father in prayer, and even though we aren't very good at prayer, God appointed his Spirit to pray for us so we could get it right.

 And Paul reminds us in Romans 8 of one very profound truth: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" God gave his only son to make all this possible. He has fulfilled his promises all the way back to Abraham. And nothing will hold God back from finishing his work of restoration and renewal! He is all in and all for us. Our only decision is whether we want to jump in with both feet and live a life of freedom and victory.

Father, what a joy to call you Father! Thank you for making us your sons and daughters through adoption. Today we surrender ourselves to your perfect plan. Thank you that every promise is yes and amen through Christ our Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Romans 8:1-2, 14-18, 22-28, 31-32 ESV

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