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

In 2018, I got excited when a friend and his wife formally adopted a lovely boy.

I thought I could also give it a shot.  So I got in touch with a lady at an orphanage who took me through the formalities.

To my surprise, it wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought.

They explained that the legal framework for adoption is quite long and rigorous as it is intended to work in the best interest of the child.

It ends with a formal declaration by a judge that the child is now legally yours. 

Once that happens, you become legally accountable for the welfare of that child and the real parents no longer have any rights over that child.

As a matter of fact, the adopted child is legally entitled to inheritance along with your other biological children.

That explains why girls are more preferred for adoption by families than boys.

Of course many of us have raised children whom we feel proud to call our sons and daughters.

However, adoption is a completely different ball game.

It is a legally binding permanent relationship under which the adopted child legally takes the position of a son/daughter in the family, like the biological children.

Our Scripture meditation today says that who have accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour have received the Spirit of adoption, who enables us to enjoy and exercise the right to call God our Daddy.

Our heavenly Father is responsible enough and is more than willing and able to take care of us as His legally adopted children. 

In the Book of Romans, which was written to Gentile believers, the apostle Paul makes the general argument that whereas Gentiles don’t share the Jewish DNA, those who have believed in Christ have also taken the place, position and condition of sons with birth rights and privileges in God’s family.

It’s the role of the Holy Spirit within us to produce in the believer the realization of our bestowed sonship and the divine acceptance that would otherwise only be reserved for the natural Son (Christ).

Dear saint, be assured that in God’s family you’re a son if you have Christ, who is the Firstborn in the household of faith, and that you’re a joint-heir with Him (Romans 8:17).

You’re in a legally-binding relationship in which God carries the responsibility and duty to take care of you as a child in the family.

Your adopted relationship with the Father came at the hefty cost of the Crucifixion of Christ but it was made that way so as to work in your best interest as a child of God.

If mere human beings can take an oath to shoulder parenting responsibilities by adopting complete strangers, our Father in heaven is surely far better.

The Father is responsible enough and more than willing and able to take care of us as His legally adopted children. 

Fear not; we’re children of the Father and joint-heirs with the Son; we’re a family; we’re one!

Prayer:

Almighty God, thank you because I have a Good Father in heaven who knows my name.

Help me to completely appropriate my place, position and condition as a son in the household of faith and bring many to call you Father. For the glory of Your Name, Amen!