I Am Adopted!

There were many ways that I was challenged at Resolved, but one personal way that God changed my thinking about Himself was because of C.J. Mahaney’s message on Saturday night about adoption. I have heard countless messages about adoption, but I never understood that I grieve the Father when I don’t apply the biblical view of adoption. This fact alone was a motivation to love my Father more intimately.

I did not realize that our understanding of adoption is vital to one’s relationship with the Father. J.I. Packer says in his book Knowing God, “If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not undertand Christianity very well at all.”

I typically think of God as my judge who will punish my sin. He is righteous and just and holy and therefore is worthy to be my judge. Christ is my Savior and my propitiation; He has redeemed me and covered my sin. Therefore God no longer sees me as a sinner, but as righteous because of Christ! God has forgiven me of my sin, and I often find hope and joy in the doctrine. However, J.I. Packer says, “To be right with God the judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is far greater.” Not only has he forgiven me of my sin, but he also wants a close and intimate relationship with me, and is generous towards me. He is my Father and He cares about me personally.

Somehow in my battle against sin, I have come to see God as the lawgiver, with whom I either meet his standard or fall far short of his standard. Therefore, I do not always feel as though He is a loving Father. Mahaney said, “You may conclude with absolute certainty that if you love God, that he has loved you. All this is through God and for God and to the glory of God.” He has certainly loved me far more than I can ever love Him.

One cannot stop at understanding the doctrine of adoption without loving God more affectionately because of it! I left that Saturday night message personally resolved to know my God as my Father, who wants a personal, affectionate, and intimate relationship with me. God is my Father and He has done all to provide this relationship for me, but my unbelief hinders this type of relationship. Yet I am not left to my unbelief because the Spirit will apply this doctrine to my life! He will teach me to have this type of relationship with my heavenly Father.