"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!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." Romans 8:15-17
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21
Adoption is eternal!
I have a precious friend who has adopted a very special little girl. When asked if she thinks her daughter will ever speak fluently, she has decided to answer with eternal perspective...and I marvel. How wise her words. How hopeful her story. "Yes!" she says. "Most definitely, she will one day speak clearly every thought from her heart and she will dance and she will live in a perfect heavenly body where sin does not exist and everything is restored to perfection." I listen and learn just how eternal adoption is for their family and God is glorified. They store up treasure in heaven as they sacrificially love their daughter and they serve the Lord as they do.
"And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’" Matthew 25:40
May we realize the eternal implications of the lives we live out on earth. May we stand in awe of a merciful God who would chose to bestow His grace upon undeserving sinners like us and welcome us into His forever family. May we worship Him and give Him thanks for plucking us out of the mire and seating us beside Jesus Christ, His Son, as we obtain eternal adoption by grace through faith. And, may we mirror this lavish love as we exemplify our heavenly Father to the fatherless here on earth with the realization that adoption is absolutely, consequently eternal.
"He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure." Psalm 40:2
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."
1 John 4:11-12
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:3-14
