Adopted into Father’s Forever Family

Adopted into Father’s Forever Family

God sent his Son . . . so that he could adopt us as his very own children. – Galatians 4:4-5

Galatians 4:1-7

 1 Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had.

 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set.

 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

 4 But at the fulness of time, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

For millennia, in various parts of the world, inheritance has been governed by the law of Primogeniture. Primogeniture is derived from the Latin word primogeniture, meaning “a first birth.” Primogeniture is the right of the first-born son among all of a couple’s children would inherit his parents’ entire estate upon their deaths.

This law was logical and purposeful. Its intention was not to be discriminatory. The driving force was to prevent inherited parcels of land from being subdivided again and again throughout the generations. If this was allowed there would be little or nothing left for the heirs down the line.

Primogeniture was the rule of inheritance among many European monarchies until the 20th century. English primogeniture endures mainly in titles of nobility. The effect of English primogeniture was to keep estates undivided wherever possible.

Does primogeniture exist in the Scriptures? The answer is both yes and no. The eldest male child would inherit the throne from his father in both Israel and Judah. But there are other situations where there is an equitable distribution of property and privileges. Consider Judah’s blessing of his 12 sons.

Genesis 49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.”

The Father does not play favorites with children of the King. Primogeniture is not followed when He distributes our inheritance to us.

Each child of the King receives every spiritual blessing from the Father because we are united with His Son, His firstborn and only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

The wellspring of our inheritance is not a human birthright, but rather it is a spiritual birthright. Every child of the King participates and receives their inheritance from the King. There is no discrimination based upon gender, age, birth order, age, social standing, or any type of caste system.

Romans 8:16-17

 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory.

The Father adopts us into His Forever Family at the moment we place our faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Because He accepts us just as He accepts His own Son (Romans 8:17) (Stanley).

Each child of the King has been adopted into the Father’s Forever Family. It’s a done deal, it happened at the moment we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

But there’s so much more. We might have been satisfied with the miracle of redemption and salvation. It would have been more than enough! But the Father wants so much more for us. Forgiveness, redemption, and salvation are only the beginning of what the Father intends for us. When He sent “sent His Son . . . to redeem” us, it was not an end in itself, but a gateway to an eternal bounty beyond our wildest imagination.

Galatians 4:4-5

 4 But at the fulness of time, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

Why does the apostle Paul refer to all children of the King as “sons?” In the first century Mediterranean world, it was common for sons to inherit their father’s wealth. Therefore, everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of whether male or female, becomes a “son” of God, an heir with equal rights of inheritance. All children of the King are heirs of the Father’s bounty.

REFLECT & PRAY

We are more than saved. We are adopted into the Father’s Forever Family and are greatly beloved.

Father it is such a privilege and delight to call You Abba! Thank You for wanting me and welcoming me into your Forever Family.

INSIGHT

What did Paul mean by the “fullness” of time? The birth of the Messiah occurred during the Pax Romana, a period of relative peace and stability. The development of a common language, favorable means of travel, and the emergence of an urban civilization facilitated the rapid spread of the gospel message, and the consequent expansion of Christianity. It was the time prophesied by Daniel for the coming of Messiah of Israel (Daniel 9:24-26).  

The Greek word translated adoption is huiothesia. Huiothesia is used only five times in the New Testament, and only by the apostle Paul). Huiothesia is packed with meaning. Huiothesia is derived from huios – son and thesia – placing. Along with adoption came the rights, privileges, and responsibilities common to family members.

The apostle John also teaches that we become members of the Father’s Forever Family.

1 John 3:1-2

 1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

Children of the King, we have a wonderful and delightful relationship with the Father. The Father has provided an informal and intensely intimate relationship with Him. We are encouraged to call Him Abba, that is Daddy or Poppa (Romans 8:15-16).

“Abba is an Aramaic term for ‘father’ that suggests warmth, closeness, intimacy, and mutual delight. God did not bring us into His family to be our austere and stern Father, but to be our beloved and approachable Daddy ” (Stanley).

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© Dr. H 2022