Featured Adoption

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? --And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! Like 18:18,21-24

Question does Jesus equate inheriting eternal life with entering the kingdom of God. If the answer be yes and it without a doubt it is then inheriting eternal life must also equate being born again to enter the kingdom of God of John 3:6.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Can I assume that Spirit of adoption is the very same Spirit of Acts 2:33 he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Is that the same pouring out of the Spirit spoken of in Titus 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Now did the poured out of the Spirit of adoption cause us to be born again inheritors of eternal life?

The answer. Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Note, that did not birth us again with eternal life and we entered the kingdom of God.

The Spirit of adoption set us apart as heirs according to the hope. Not yet inheritors.

The hope of eternal life, I believe Paul also had something to say concerning hope in chapter 8 of Romans.

When will we be born again, inheritors of eternal life i n the kingdom of God? When will the hope be the reality?

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Romans 8:24,25

Waiting to be born from the dead, the redemption of the body, which was the temple of the Holy Spirit at which moment Jesus the son might be the first born among many brethren from Rom 8:29

We have the Spirit of adoption waiting for the adoption, that is to be born again as sons of God, being sons of the resurrection Luke 20:36 receiving the redemption of the body.

 

:thumbsup::wavey::thumbsup:

 

God adopts as children all those who are the redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ.


Ephesians 1:3-7
3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7, In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Galatians 3:26, KJV
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 4:4,5, KJV
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

1 John 3:1, KJV
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Romans 8:15-17
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.

Seems clear to me that we are adopted children of God. Of course there are those those who argue with Scripture.

Although we are called the sons of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, because of our union with Jesus Christ, this does not mean that we occupy the same position relative to God the Father as Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that:

John 10:30-33, KJV
30 I and my Father are one.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

Colossians 2:9, KJV
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Though we are called the sons of God by adoption we will never be divine.

 

All Christians have been adopted already.

From A Baptist Catechism with commentary;

And again;

Quote:
The English term “adoption” derives from the Latin adoptio (from ad,
“to” and opto, “choose”). The term occurs five times in Scripture, all in the
New Testament, and all in the writings of Paul: Rom. 8:15, 23; 9:4; Gal. 4:5;
Eph. 1:5. The Gk. term is huiothesia, from huios, “son,” and thesis, “a
placing,” and literally means “to place as a son,” a process and ceremony
upon one’s majority, which referred to natural sons within the family as well
as to adopted sons from outside the family. One must take care not to read
into the Scriptures either the bare Latin etymology, the legal, or the modern
idea of adopting someone into the family as a child. The biblical terminology
and its use designate this, but also much more.

Adoption, then, is a distinct, forensic, separate and gracious act of God
which brings us into that filial relationship and intimacy as his beloved sons
and children. It is through adoption that we receive the Holy Spirit and the
status of sonship (Rom. 8:14–17; Gal. 4:4–7).


This forensic, gracious act of God—separate and distinct from
regeneration and justification—stands at the foundation of our filial
relationship to God as our Heavenly Father, and inclusively of our whole
Christian experience. It is in the context of our adoption that we must consider
our Father’s mercy and grace (Eph. 1:3–7; 2:18; 3:14–19), our relationship to
him as “Father” (Gal. 4:5–7), our prayers to and communion with him (Matt.
6:9, 14–15; Lk. 11:2), his loving kindness, chastening and providential care
(Rom. 8:14–17, 23, 28; Heb. 12:5–14), and that glorious presence, witness,
seal and earnest of the Holy Spirit, who makes our Christian experience a
reality, retains our glorious inheritance and preserves us unto his heavenly
kingdom (Rom. 5:5; 8:15–16; Gal. 4:4–7; Eph. 1:13–14; 4:30; 2 Tim. 4:18; 1
Pet. 1:4).


Adoption possesses a vital eschatological aspect. The New Testament
associates our final adoption [placing as a son] with our resurrection unto
glory. Our resurrected, glorified bodies will signal our full and final status as
the sons of God manifested before all creation (Rom. 8:17–23; Phil. 3:20–21;
1 Jn. 3:1–3). Do you have the Spirit of adoption? (Rom. 8:11–16)

 

again, your view is NOT supported by the bible, as once born again /dsaved by grace of God, we placed into Body of Christ thru/by Holy sprit himself, made one with Christ, and THEN are able to be caslled children of God by the adoption by him!

paul makes so clear that the Spirit Himself seals us into that state of being adopted into family of God when saved, and that adoption IS what God will fully manifest to us as being completed when glorified at second coming!

 

You are not making proper distinctions here, but are lumping all terms into one category. The Bible uses different terms for a reason. When we are born again we are born into the family of God and become His children. God does place us in Christ at that time.
But you have completely ignored Romans 8:15. It doesn't seem to have any meaning for you, and you have never explained it.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
--Notice that verse 15 is in the context of being "a son of God." Those who God has adopted they are the "sons of God," whose spirit God bears witness to. This is not speaking of regeneration, but rather relationship. We have a realationship (vs. 16), because we have been adopted (vs. 15) as sons (vs. 14). There is nothing about regeneration in these Scriptures. The context is adoption, and the tense is both past and present. The past is "you have received the Spirit of adoption." The present is:
--We cry, 'Abba Father.'
--The Spirit bears witness...that we are the children of God.
The above statements speak of a present on-going relationship of an adopted son.

The redemption of our bodies is simply one aspect to adoption. It is not the full picture. Adoption cannot put us into our glorified bodies unless we have been adopted as sons into the Master's household first. He will not give a stranger a glorified body!!

There is not one word in the passage John 1:11-13 of our redemptive bodies. That is quite an eisigesis you must do to get that out of there.

If you are not adopted as a son at the time of the new birth you will not receive a glorified body when the resurrection occurs. God will not give a resurrected body to a stranger until it happens at the Second Resurrection, and then it will not be into his household.
He will only give his adopted sons glorified bodies. One must already have been adopted in order to receive that body that we wait for. "We wait for the redemption of our bodies."

If you are not adopted you are not saved.
Likewise, if you are not sanctified you are not saved.
Neither one saves. But without either one you are not saved.

Paul's burden for the Israelites:
Romans 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

There are different relationships described between Jehovah and the Israelites.
He begat them as children.
They were his bride, and they committed adultery against him.
They were his son, whom he adopted.

Likewise there are different relationships that extend between the believer and the heavenly Father.
We are his children by virtue of the new birth.
We are part of the bride of Christ.
We are "mature" sons by adoption.
We are part of the family of God.
We belong to the Kingdom.
We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

We have much more than the Israelites did by nature with our relationship with Christ.

 

I didn't want to get into this thread, but here is $.02.

Adoption was typically only practiced by wealthy and royalty, mainly to pass on your inheritance. Caesar Augustus is a great example being adopted by Julius Caesar. It was not done for gracious reasons, it was done for selfish reasons.

Now, I'm not suggesting that is the reason God adopts. Quite the opposite. But I do want to make sure we understand the culture of adoption 2k years ago and then apply that to the discussion since that is the figure that Paul & John would have been working with.

 

yes, as the holy spirit would have had paul record down and use the vocabulary of his time, adoption in contex of the Roman Empire!

Likewise, many err by refusing to see slavery in Bible was as Rome practiced it, more like indentured employee, working to pay off debt, but NOT treated like black slaves in America were!

 

Van,
Instead of simply dismissing a person's points as "twaddle," why not trying to answer them intelligently.
Give a reasoned response to the points raised in this post:
http://www.baptistboard.com/showpost.php?p=2092225&postcount=19

Especially those raised by Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia.

 

Think his silence is quite telling!

 

Why would the word adoption even be used?

Is it used in contrast to son ship of another kind?

What is it being used relative to?

Who is adopted and who is not adopted?

 

jesus was/is ONLY One ever to get 'born into" he family, as he was eternally begotten of/by the father, was always God!

He was born in, as was and is natural born so to speak, while ALL others like you and me were adopted into the family!

 

being born again is where God can them dadopt us into His family, as NONE are born into it as jesus was, but have to be grafted into it via adoption!

 

I have addressed it many times. Either you don't understand, fail to respond, or misrepresent my position when you do respond. Which one?

I have addressed this also.
Vine's simply gives a definition of the word. There are many definitions. Definitions are defined in the contexts in which they are used. Context gives meaning, not dictionaries. In this respect Vine's is not very useful. Wycliffe is an actual Bible encyclopedia which devotes quite a bit of space to this particular subject, not just the "word," but the subject of adoption. There is a big difference between a "word study" and the complete study of the subject.

You have not addressed it in detail, that is the problem. You cannot account for both verbs being past and present, and the absence of any future verb. It does not look forward to the future. It looks to the past action of being adopted, with present result of a relationship with the adopter. The one who is adopted calls the Adopter "Abba, Father."
You deny that context. But it is in the context of adoption, not regeneration.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
--you have received the Spirit of adoption. (past tense)
--we cry Abba... (present tense)

It is because we have been adopted into the household of God that we can cry unto our Father calling him "Abba." This is not the new birth.

Yes I have, but you dismissed it.

If you are not adopted how do you expect the Lord to give you a glorified body. He will not give a stranger a resurrection body.
In Romans 8:15, we once had the spirit of bondage. It clearly says that. It means that we were slaves to sin and slaves to the law. We were in bondage to another household.

At the time that we were saved, the Lord ALSO adopted us. He took us out of bondage, enslavement and put us or placed us into his own household--not as children (regeneration), but as sons (positionally mature sons). As such we are no longer the slaves or servants of bondage but now the adopted sons of the Father, with all the rights and privileges that pertain to a son.
Being adopted, the inheritance is not ours. It goes to the "natural born son." But our Father has done much more than that. He has made us, as adopted sons, joint-heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ. He has lifted us up to the place and level (in adoption) to be heirs with Christ. What a privilege we have as children (by regeneration) to be also the sons of God (by adoption) that we may also by the joint heirs of Christ.

 

Your "view" contradicts vs. 15 which is in past tense, not future.
How can "the Spirit of Adoption" refer to a future event when the verse specifically states "you have received the Spirit of adoption", not you will receive...?