In his classic book Knowing God, J. I. Packer wrote: "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 his 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 understand Christianity very well at all. . . . 'Father” is the Christian name for God.'"
The doctrine of adoption is indeed integral to the gospel. But sadly, many Christians have never considered the rich implications of their adoption.
What does the doctrine of adoption mean, and where is it most prominently taught in the Bible?
It means that the true and living God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, by grace has made believers members of his family with all the rights and responsibilities that go with that status. Paul teaches it in many places in, but especially in Romans 8:14-17, 23, 29 and Galatians 3:25-4:7, John 1:12 and 1 John 3:1.
Do the persons of the Trinity play different roles in the doctrine of adoption?
Yes indeed. The Father is the divine lover who predestined us for adoption and sent his Son to rescue us (1 John 3:1; Eph. 1:5; Gal. 4:4). The Son of God is our redeemer who loved us and redeemed us from the law’s threat of punishment by becoming a curse for us (Gal. 4:5; 3:13). “The Spirit of his [the Father’s] Son” (Gal. 4:6), “the Spirit of adoption” (Rom. 8:15) enabled us to cry out to God as Father for salvation (Rom. 8:15) and assures us within that we are God’s children (Rom. 8:16).
The Trinity loves us dearly and planned our adoption, accomplished the work of redemption necessary to adopt us, and applied adoption to us as God’s sons and daughters. This is an important aspect of the Triune God’s work of redemption and should occupy a larger place in our worship, whether public, family, or private.
For those involved in pastoral counseling, when might the doctrine of adoption be of particular value?
There are many answers to this question. One is for people who lack hope. Adoption breeds hope because it not only pertains to eternity (Eph. 1:5), the past (Rom. 8:15), and the present (1 John 3:2, 3), but also the future (1 John 3:2). In the Bible, closely related to the doctrine of adoption is the notion of inheritance: we are God’s children and therefore his heirs (Gal. 3:29; 4:7). God’s true children suffer with him now and will be glorified with him when he returns (Rom. 8:17).
What exactly is our inheritance? Based on the entire biblical story, Gavin Ortland's answer is: we will inherit the Trinity and the new heavens and new earth [and I add with a resurrected body] (Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 3:21-23; [2 Cor 5:1-5]).
How would you share the gospel with someone using the doctrine of adoption?
The Bible actually does that very thing. In the first place, our need for salvation is portrayed in the Bible as having to do with our status as slaves to Satan and sin (1 John 3:10; Gal. 4:3, 7). Christ the redeemer gave himself for us slaves and lawbreakers because he loved us. He took the curse (the punishment of death; Gen 2:17; Rom 6:23) of the law that by rights should have fallen on us, not him (Gal. 3:13). Through Christ’s work, we have gone from being slaves to sons (Gal. 4:7).
Parallel to justification, adoption is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (John 1:12; Gal. 3:26). We trust Christ as redeemer in order to be included in God’s family. The results are incredible, including assurance (Rom. 8:16); provision (Matt 6:25-26) and paternal discipline (Heb. 12:5-11). By God’s grace, the teaching on adoption enables us to do what it difficult for some of us—to believe that God truly loves us (1 John 4:16).
* Most of this is due to Gavin Ortland (Fuller Seminary, CA), who owes much of it Sinclair Ferguson (Westminster Seminary, PA), who owes much of this to John Murray (Princeton Seminary, NJ; Westminster Seminary, PA) who owes much to Benjamin B. Warfield (Princeton Seminary, NJ). I added some points from Genesis, 2 Corinthians, Matthew and Ferguson.
**This is all due to Jesus, The Suffering Servant, who not only revealed the Father, but in obedience to Him, humbled Himself to death, and was raised, appeared to the Apostles and finally to Saul, turning him to Paul, who laid out much of this in His Epistles. Jesus is still the One who reveals the Father by The Holy Spirit: "No one knows the Father except the Son and to those the Son chooses to reveal Him" (Matt 10:25-30).
For a more encompassing read on the subject, please refer to
For a deeper impartation I recommend trying to find Sinclair Ferguson's Teaching on "The Doctrine of The Holy Spirit" specifically on the Doctrine of Adoption on audio or read his book, http://www.amazon.com/Children-Living-God-Sinclair-Ferguson/dp/0851515363//?tag=thegospcoal-20
Ferguson explains five primary benefits of Adoption: Status (John 1:12), Acceptance (Heb 4:16), Liberality (Luke 15:31), Discipline (Heb 12:4-13) and Inheritance (Rev 3:21).
Mr Ortland's book, http://www.amazon.com/Adopted-God-Wayward-Cherished-Children/dp/0875524656/?tag=thegospcoal-20 is recommended based on his work, above, and the authors and teachers from whom he has gleaned. It is rare I endorse a book without reading it, but he is well on the way. It is good to see a young, modern theologian who searches the "ancient paths." (Jer 6:16), "Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls" (Jer 6:16).
The doctrine of adoption is indeed integral to the gospel. But sadly, many Christians have never considered the rich implications of their adoption.
What does the doctrine of adoption mean, and where is it most prominently taught in the Bible?
It means that the true and living God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, by grace has made believers members of his family with all the rights and responsibilities that go with that status. Paul teaches it in many places in, but especially in Romans 8:14-17, 23, 29 and Galatians 3:25-4:7, John 1:12 and 1 John 3:1.
Do the persons of the Trinity play different roles in the doctrine of adoption?
Yes indeed. The Father is the divine lover who predestined us for adoption and sent his Son to rescue us (1 John 3:1; Eph. 1:5; Gal. 4:4). The Son of God is our redeemer who loved us and redeemed us from the law’s threat of punishment by becoming a curse for us (Gal. 4:5; 3:13). “The Spirit of his [the Father’s] Son” (Gal. 4:6), “the Spirit of adoption” (Rom. 8:15) enabled us to cry out to God as Father for salvation (Rom. 8:15) and assures us within that we are God’s children (Rom. 8:16).
The Trinity loves us dearly and planned our adoption, accomplished the work of redemption necessary to adopt us, and applied adoption to us as God’s sons and daughters. This is an important aspect of the Triune God’s work of redemption and should occupy a larger place in our worship, whether public, family, or private.
For those involved in pastoral counseling, when might the doctrine of adoption be of particular value?
There are many answers to this question. One is for people who lack hope. Adoption breeds hope because it not only pertains to eternity (Eph. 1:5), the past (Rom. 8:15), and the present (1 John 3:2, 3), but also the future (1 John 3:2). In the Bible, closely related to the doctrine of adoption is the notion of inheritance: we are God’s children and therefore his heirs (Gal. 3:29; 4:7). God’s true children suffer with him now and will be glorified with him when he returns (Rom. 8:17).
What exactly is our inheritance? Based on the entire biblical story, Gavin Ortland's answer is: we will inherit the Trinity and the new heavens and new earth [and I add with a resurrected body] (Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 3:21-23; [2 Cor 5:1-5]).
How would you share the gospel with someone using the doctrine of adoption?
The Bible actually does that very thing. In the first place, our need for salvation is portrayed in the Bible as having to do with our status as slaves to Satan and sin (1 John 3:10; Gal. 4:3, 7). Christ the redeemer gave himself for us slaves and lawbreakers because he loved us. He took the curse (the punishment of death; Gen 2:17; Rom 6:23) of the law that by rights should have fallen on us, not him (Gal. 3:13). Through Christ’s work, we have gone from being slaves to sons (Gal. 4:7).
Parallel to justification, adoption is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (John 1:12; Gal. 3:26). We trust Christ as redeemer in order to be included in God’s family. The results are incredible, including assurance (Rom. 8:16); provision (Matt 6:25-26) and paternal discipline (Heb. 12:5-11). By God’s grace, the teaching on adoption enables us to do what it difficult for some of us—to believe that God truly loves us (1 John 4:16).
* Most of this is due to Gavin Ortland (Fuller Seminary, CA), who owes much of it Sinclair Ferguson (Westminster Seminary, PA), who owes much of this to John Murray (Princeton Seminary, NJ; Westminster Seminary, PA) who owes much to Benjamin B. Warfield (Princeton Seminary, NJ). I added some points from Genesis, 2 Corinthians, Matthew and Ferguson.
**This is all due to Jesus, The Suffering Servant, who not only revealed the Father, but in obedience to Him, humbled Himself to death, and was raised, appeared to the Apostles and finally to Saul, turning him to Paul, who laid out much of this in His Epistles. Jesus is still the One who reveals the Father by The Holy Spirit: "No one knows the Father except the Son and to those the Son chooses to reveal Him" (Matt 10:25-30).
For a more encompassing read on the subject, please refer to
For a deeper impartation I recommend trying to find Sinclair Ferguson's Teaching on "The Doctrine of The Holy Spirit" specifically on the Doctrine of Adoption on audio or read his book, http://www.amazon.com/Children-Living-God-Sinclair-Ferguson/dp/0851515363//?tag=thegospcoal-20
Ferguson explains five primary benefits of Adoption: Status (John 1:12), Acceptance (Heb 4:16), Liberality (Luke 15:31), Discipline (Heb 12:4-13) and Inheritance (Rev 3:21).
Mr Ortland's book, http://www.amazon.com/Adopted-God-Wayward-Cherished-Children/dp/0875524656/?tag=thegospcoal-20 is recommended based on his work, above, and the authors and teachers from whom he has gleaned. It is rare I endorse a book without reading it, but he is well on the way. It is good to see a young, modern theologian who searches the "ancient paths." (Jer 6:16), "Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls" (Jer 6:16).
