Have Believers Already Been Adopted as Children of God?

[Scripture More Accurately]

meant Ephesians 1:5 and Galatians 4:5-7!

Eph1:4 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,

Eph. 1:5 does not specify when that adoption takes place. It only states that God has predestinated us to be adopted.

Gal. 4:4 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.

Galatians 4:5 does not state that we have already received the adoption of sons. It states that God sent His Son to redeem us from under the Law for the purpose of our receiving that adoption.

Galatians 4:5 would be true whether we have already received that adoption or we will receive that adoption some time in the future.

Romans 8:23, however, is decisive about the timing of our adoption:

Rom. 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

We have not yet been adopted. We will receive our adoption when our bodies are redeemed. Right now, we are waiting for that adoption.

 

[Yeshua1]

Eph1:4 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,

Eph. 1:5 does not specify when that adoption takes place. It only states that God has predestinated us to be adopted.

Gal. 4:4 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.

Galatians 4:5 does not state that we have already received the adoption of sons. It states that God sent His Son to redeem us from under the Law for the purpose of our receiving that adoption.

Galatians 4:5 would be true whether we have already received that adoption or we will receive that adoption some time in the future.

Romans 8:23, however, is decisive about the timing of our adoption:

Rom. 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

We have not yet been adopted. We will receive our adoption when our bodies are redeemed. Right now, we are waiting for that adoption.

cannot be His children if not adopted though!

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

cannot be His children if not adopted though!

Sorry, this is just you asserting something that is not supported by Scripture.

We are children of God by the new birth. He has begotten us again.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

We are not children of God by adoption.

 

[George Antonios]

John 1:12

But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God

That's spiritual regeneration, not physical adoption.

 

[George Antonios]

cannot be His children if not adopted though!

Spiritual regeneration is not to be confounded with physical adoption.

 

[George Antonios]

<I underlined Spirit>
We are already children of God in order to receive the adoption.
1 John 3:2, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

That's spiritual regeneration, not physical adoption.

 

[SavedByGrace]

That's spiritual regeneration, not physical adoption.

or adoption into the family of God IS spritual!

 

[George Antonios]

or adoption into the family of God IS spritual!

The problem here is that you're conceiving as adoption in generic profane (worldly) terms.
Of course we are spiritually part of God's family.
But the issue here is that Paul speaks of adoption as a future event, not a present possession, and in a technical way, defining it as the transformation of our body at the resurrection.
We must go with what the scriptures say.
Again, the problem is the argument to the contrary is something like: "well I know I'm a son of God now, and I wasn't before, so I must have been adopted"; which is basically true, but not in line with the scriptural use of the term adoption.
Once more, in every scriptural occurrence, the reference is to the body, not the spirit.

 

[SavedByGrace]

The problem here is that you're conceiving as adoption in generic profane (worldly) terms.
Of course we are spiritually part of God's family.
But the issue here is that Paul speaks of adoption as a future event, not a present possession, and in a technical way, defining it as the transformation of our body at the resurrection.
We must go with what the scriptures say.
Again, the problem is the argument to the contrary is something like: "well I know I'm a son of God now, and I wasn't before, so I must have been adopted"; which is basically true, but not in line with the scriptural use of the term adoption.
Once more, in every scriptural occurrence, the reference is to the body, not the spirit.

if you read what the Bible actually says in John 1:12, it is clear that on believing a sinner is a child of God, and this is only by God "adopting" us.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

if you read what the Bible actually says in John 1:12, it is clear that on believing a sinner is a child of God, and this is only by God "adopting" us.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name

The next verse explains how people become the children of God:

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

We become children of God by being born of God, not by being adopted. God supernaturally births us into His family; He does not adopt us into His family.

 

[SavedByGrace]

The next verse explains how people become the children of God:

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

We become children of God by being born of God, not by being adopted. God supernaturally births us into His family; He does not adopt us into His family.

I do not accept the plural reading, as referring to believers, as the correct one, and that the singular in the Greek, which refers to Jesus Christ, is the Original work of John.

The Virgin Conception in The Gospel of John

 

[George Antonios]

if you read what the Bible actually says in John 1:12, it is clear that on believing a sinner is a child of God,

Of course! No one denied that. You're arguing alone about that one.

and this is only by God "adopting" us.

You just proved my point in the earlier post. This is no more than generic reasoning. John 1 nowhere mentions adoption. You just read that in.

Again, again, again, you're confounding spiritual regeneration (a present reality) with bodily adoption (a future reality).

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

I do not accept the plural reading, as referring to believers, as the correct one, and that the singular in the Greek, which refers to Jesus Christ, is the Original work of John.

The Virgin Conception in The Gospel of John

Are you actually claiming that the NT does not teach anywhere that believers are born into the family of God or just that in this verse that truth is not taught, based on the reading that you think is correct?

 

[SavedByGrace]

Are you actually claiming that the NT does not teach anywhere that believers are born into the family of God or just that in this verse that truth is not taught, based on the reading that you think is correct?

Galatians 4:5, "to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons"

 

[George Antonios]

I do not accept the plural reading, as referring to believers, as the correct one, and that the singular in the Greek, which refers to Jesus Christ, is the Original work of John.

The Virgin Conception in The Gospel of John

Here we go. Yet another Christian 7/11.

#2 in the signature.

 

[SavedByGrace]

Of course! No one denied that. You're arguing alone about that one.



You just proved my point in the earlier post. This is no more than generic reasoning. John 1 nowhere mentions adoption. You just read that in.

Again, again, again, you're confounding spiritual regeneration (a present reality) with bodily adoption (a future reality).

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

see #34

 

[SavedByGrace]

Here we go. Yet another Christian 7/11.

#2 in the signature.

what?

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

Galatians 4:5, "to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons"

You did not answer my question. Do you hold that the NT never teaches that believers are born into the family of God?

 

[George Antonios]

Galatians 4:5, "to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons"

Right! that we might. When? When our body is redeemed at the resurrection.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 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?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Paul said we're still WAITING for the adoption. How much clearer can it get brother?

 

[SavedByGrace]

You did not answer my question. Do you hold that the NT never teaches that believers are born into the family of God?

how is this done, apart from adoption?