He is my Father

Fiction in books or movies sometimes tells of a person who discovers they are not the natural child of their parents but were adopted. In most of these stories, that news is not welcome or at least very shocking. My imagination takes me there at times. Was I adopted? Did my parents pick me from a list of available infants? If that were true, how would I react? Would I be glad that I had been selected? Or dismayed that no one told me?

In the spiritual realm, the idea of adoption is good news. Scripture tells me that I have been taken from a life of bondage to sin and put into the household and family of God.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)

The question is: do I know it? Do I really understand the implications of being an adopted child of God? Or does that old spirit of bondage still rule my innermost attitudes? The change that comes to a person when they discover that they are adopted is often negative, at least at first. However, for a sinful person who cannot break free from the habits of sin and discovers that a spiritual adoption has taken place — this should be the greatest news, a news that brings great comfort and joy to the heart.

So the question is what idea rules? As today’s devotional says, no amount of wrestling or agonizing, no prayers and no effort, can bring comfort while the “spirit of adoption” is missing. Yet this is something to realize rather than receive. It is that discovery that God is my Father and I am His child. Whatever focus I have will be reflected in how I think about my relationship with Him. The emphasis for these past few days is that God is my Father beyond any other thought about Him. Yes, He is King, Judge, Lawgiver, Provider, and a host of other things, but that Father-child relationship puts all other notions about Him into perspective.

The great need for every soul is this supreme discovery. Read what Christ says about the Father and how the NT repeats that truth and believe it. How sad for anyone who will not:

Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. (John 3:11)

The implication of not believing is serious business concerning the authority of Christ:

Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. (1 John 5:10)

By not believing, I would be saying God is a liar. If that is so, where then is truth? Society says whatever each person believes is true is “true for them” causing all sorts of contradictions in theology, and life itself. A careful reading of today’s verses also shows that this rejection of God’s truth means the rule of a spirit of slavery (to sin and selfishness) and the rule of fear which is characteristic of that bondage.

PRAY: Our Father, my Father, how blessed to know that You adopted me and are setting me free from bondage and fear. I can trust You with all my heart for You are worthy and true. Thank You for the freedom that being adopted has given me.