Adoption

ADOPTION ~ As I understand adoption, it appears to be where a child is bodily removed from under an established set of rules wherein a child is governed, and placed under the authority of another, thereby changing the rules to which the child will be governed. The spiritual aspect of this would be to take a child (bodily) out of the natural (depraved) world of self-gratification in which he was placed at the fall of Adam, and is presently living under, and place him in another world. First by the covenant written in stone, which required self-control under the authority of Jehovah their husband (Jer 31:32) to enjoy the benefits of the adoption, and afterwards by the new covenant under the authority of Jesus their husband (John 17:14). Adam was created and placed under the law of self-control whereby he was to give honor unto his Creator rather than indulge in self-gratification, for he was forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Even though under the law of God, which required self-control, Adam was given the ability too, to exercise self-gratification. Upon exercising his self-gratification, by taking of the forbidden tree of knowledge, he was removed from the law given to him in the garden, no longer governed by a law (Rom 8:7, 5:13) of self-control, he would therefore only follow after his own selfish desires. That is in the state of total depravity in which the Gentile world lived before Christ (Eph 2:12, Acts 14:16, 17:30). One might say, if this be so, than explain the teaching of Rom 2:14. We know that the scriptures do not contradict themselves, therefore Eph 2:14 must be the condition that existed within the Gentile world before the time of Rom 2:14, for Paul is writing herein after the day of Pentecost, which defines the power found in the new covenant. This is the expression given in Eph 2:11 concerning the circumcision of the heart, which establishes the new covenant in the heart. This new covenant is always stated as ‘after those days’, referring to the day of Pentecost, when the fading away of the old (Heb 8:13) covenant in tables of stone began, to be completed at the destruction of Jerusalem in seventy AD. After the fall of Adam, God has opened the eyes of a few to see their depravity, and given them the spirit to guide their conduct according to the nine elements found therein. These are recorded in chapter eleven of Hebrews.

One might say at this point, are you saying that before the giving of the covenants, (old and new) that all of the race of Adam was without sin? God forbid! The nine elements of the fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:22) establishes in the minds of all of God’s children the ability to discern between good and evil (tree of knowledge), nothing more. The only way a person can know what is good is in experiencing evil. There must be a contrast to understand or distinguish anything as good or evil. Rom 5:13 "until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law." Gen 4:26 "At the birth of Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD." The indication here is that they were as those found in Acts 17:23. In other words, God was not with them as Jehovah, but simply as the Supreme Being. No adoption, for there was no law to guide them other than the so-called moral law established in the minds of the child of God, as the fruit of the spirit, wherein they were able to experience between good and evil. Something that was know, by the law as evil was not known by most of Gods people. For instant adultery as defined by the law did not register on these children of God (Acts 17:23). We are told in Heb 10:3 that the giving of the old law enables those to whom it was given, the knowledge of what sin was. "A remembrance again made of sins." This being so as stated in Heb 9:9, it "could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience." In other words, no human effort to keep the law can relieve the conscience of guilt. This could only be accomplished by the faith found in the new covenant (1 Jh 5:4, and Rom 12:3), wherein one is enabled to see the completed work of atonement wrought out by God in Christ in the three hours of darkness. Wherein His soul, as the substitute offering, was made in the room and stead of all of his children, both those having a law to govern them and those without law. ~ the new covenant gives those in possession thereof the ability to understand "God, the ‘I AM’ was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself" (2 Cor 5:19).

In order to understand adoption we must first start with Rom 9:4 "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." With the above concept, the children of Israel were adopted (redeemed) out of the (world) bondage of Egypt and given the law of Jehovah on mount Sinai. This law was given to the fewest, but a special people (Deut 7:6). Paul gives us additional information on these special people in Rom 3:1 "What advantage then hath the Jew? Or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God." These oracles, covenants were given to govern the adopted children. None of the other children of God among the Gentiles were included in this adoption and therefore did not have this advantage. That is the close relationship with Jehovah. This covenant (is defined by Gal 4:23 as being after the flesh), the adherence to it was by the natural mind and not by inner motivations as those now adopted under the new covenant. In other words, those under the first covenant only had external evidences (law in stone and the outward physical evidence of God) to guide them in the way of truth (Isa 43:10). I say truth as opposed to knowing good from evil, for the knowledge received by Adam in eating of the tree of knowledge gives, as well as all of his children, this understanding: that is by contrast. We find in Isa 43:10 "Ye are my witness (Israel) … that I have chosen that ye may know me in truth."

Rom 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." The spirit of bondage was the condition found under the old covenant, which genders fear. (Heb 2:15) The fear came as a result of not being able to clear the conscience by keeping the demands of the law. Those under the new covenant now understand the completed work of Christ as their atonement; that is, they understand the basic fundamental doctrines as recorded in Romans 8:28,29, because these principles are written upon their hearts in the form of the new covenant. That is the reason the Apostle John writes in 2:20 of his first epistle, "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth." This truth shall set you free from fear (John 8:32). It is this understanding by the spirit of adoption (truth) whereby we are able to cry My Father. 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." It is these bodies, not the spirit, which has been adopted. The adopted bodies are waiting to experience; making known the reality of the redemption of these bodies. The spirit and soul have already experienced redemption as it has already taken place on the cross, so it is these bodies, of the firstfruits, that are groaning within themselves, waiting for these adopted bodies to be delivered (in the resurrection) from this corruption that invades them.

Gal 4:1 "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world." (John 17:14) "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Paul, here is able to see himself, even as we were under the law, as our tutor until the time appointed of the father. The law is the schoolmaster (tutor) designed to bring us, in understanding, to Christ. It is very true that Christ redeemed the entire family of God, but the context herein is the deliverance form the bondage of the law given on mount Sinai, which is stated in Gal 4:24 "these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage." The fullness of time under consideration herein is like unto ‘the fullness of the Amorites’ of Gen 15:16. That is, God purposed to give the children of Israel the land of Canaan when the iniquity of the Amorites was filled up; likewise the bride of Christ was not given the spiritual land of Canaan until the fullness of the iniquity of the Jews were filled up. We see from this when the iniquity of the Jews were filled up, God then sent his Son, made of a woman, (made subject to the law written on mount Sinai), to redeem his bride from the curse thereof. (Gal 3:10). "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. …Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Again hear me out ~ the eternal principle concerning all of God’s children can be taught from these scriptures, but I repeat, is it not a timely lesson being taught herein as it pertains only to the little flock? Those chosen, adopted, circumcised of the heart, regenerated in the context of Matt 19:28, and given the new covenant. It is these adopted sons of God, now married to his Son, that is able to cry, My Father, for they are His daughters-in-law, married to His son, Jesus the man. Has not the soul and spirit already been begotten (in possession of the fruit of spirit) and now via the new covenant these bodies are placed in God’s manifested family by adoption, as the wife of His son Jesus (Jh 1:11)?

Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 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: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." I realize that this scripture as well as the others have been used in the eternal sense, rather than in a timely sense, but look at the context. We understand that those who are included in the new covenant adoption have been blessed much, yes even more that those to whom Paul refers to as having an advantage, being blessed with the oracles of God. When the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ extends his scepter to one of his bride and bids her to sup with him, it is indeed a heavenly place. This event being in the mind and purpose of the Thrice Holy God decreed before the foundation of the world, predestinating those he foreknew in a marriage covenant relationship unto his Son Jesus Christ, being only a portion of his children. The purpose of this adoption as well as those under the first covenant was to establish a kingdom here in time wherein his name should be glorified. How? By worshipping him in spirit and truth. This blessing hath came upon all those to whom he purposed to receive it. (2 Thess 2:13). Why, oh why have such poor mortals of this world been so blessed, yes even one such as I? We must confess, because it was his good pleasure. Oh! What wondrous love is this that he would love and bless one such as we, and from time to time allow us to dine with our blessed Husband. Come and dine is his admonition to those who are called to the wedding feast.

Conclusion: Every man is made up of three elements: first the body, having been contaminated with sin by the fall of Adam, will decay and die; second the soul which is eternal will never decay and third the spirit which is the intellectual part of man, making a duel man; that is, he can have both spiritual intellect, and natural intellect. This is defined in the fifth chapter of Galatians as the fruit of the spirit and the works of the flesh. Paul speaks of this duality of man in the seventh chapter if Romans. See also 1 Cor 2:7 "We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world (2 Thes 2:13) unto our glory. (vs 10) … the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (vs13) … not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth. (14) … the natural man’s (intellect) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (vs16) … we have the mind of Christ." 1 John 5:4 "whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." The mind of Christ is this faith that we have to expand upon just as a newborn baby. After the new covenant faith is dealt unto those chosen from the beginning, we are to add unto it. 2 Peter 1:3 "According as his divine power (Acts 2) hath given unto us all things (1 Jh 2:20, Rom 8:28) that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises (found in the promise of Gal 3:29, which those in chapter eleven of Heb ‘vs 15’ did not have. ~ Gal 3:23): that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature (1 Jh 3:8), having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." The election found herein is not talking about all of God’s children; but only those which have been added unto the church (Act 2:40). They are also the ones spoken of in Hos 2:19 as the betrothed bride of Jesus the man, and called the bride of Christ as the called (Mt 22:14) out and given the unction of the Holy One. Ps 16:10, Act 2:27. 3:12, 13:35, 1 Jh 2:20 defines Him as the humanity part of God not the eternal part. The chosen of Matthew Twenty-two are those whom God has, so to speak, put bits in their mouths and will turn them about as defined in Isa 37:29, 1:9, and Rom 9:29, which make up the nucleus of the church and will remain until time is no more. Allen cook 10/6/2006