Spirit of Adoption : God’s Remedy for Fatherlessness

“Every child deserves a home and love. Period.”

Dave Thomas

POWER TRUTH

He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Ephesians 1:5 NRSV

CHILDREN OF GOD

Young Christians are frequently left to fend for themselves in their own homes, teach themselves how to pray, hear from God in his word, and pursue holiness — all with nothing more than a Bible and a Heavenly Father. If your parents were not spiritual influences on your faith, you are not as isolated as you may believe. Many people have met and followed Christ without the guidance of godly parents, and each of them has been fathered in a more profound and meaningful way. As we’ve seen in previous chapters, our Lord God steps in to serve as the Good Father to the fatherless.

The Epistle of Paul to the Romans tells us:

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:5-17)

How do young Christians learn about God?

Young Christians are frequently left to fend for themselves in their own homes, teach themselves how to pray, hear from God through his word, and pursue holiness — all with nothing more than a Bible and a Heavenly Father. If your parents were not spiritual influences in your life, you are not as isolated as you may believe. Many people have met and followed Christ without having godly parents, and each of them has been fathered in a more profound and meaningful way. As we’ve seen in previous chapters, our Lord God steps in and serves as the Good Father to the fatherless.

God did not adopt you reluctantly but lovingly.

God did not adopt you reluctantly, but instead with love. Even the best parent-child relationships were only hints of his love for his children. He sent his own Son to die for you so that you could be his (1 John 3:1–2). Sons and daughters who do not have a loving human father are not without love. All those who know true love, regardless of the type of love they have experienced in their family, have learned it by being loved by God (1 Jn. 4:9) — the spiritually fatherless’ good Father.