ADOPTION

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A. To all those who are justified: Gal. 3: 24-26.
B. God deigned: 1 June 3: 1-3..
C. in his only Son Jesus Christ and love this: Eph. fifteen; Gá.4: 4.5; Ro. 8: 17.29.
D. Make them participate in the grace of adoption, which are included in the number of the children of God and enjoy their liberties and privileges, have their names written on them: Ro. 8:17; 1:12 June.; 2 Cor 6:18; Ap. 3:12.
E. receive the Spirit of adoption, have access to the throne of grace with confidence, trained to cry, "Abba, Father: Rom. 8:15; Eph. 3:12; Ro. 5: 2; Gal. 4: 6; Eph. 2:18.
F. receive compassion, protection, provision and correction as a parent, are never discarded, but are sealed unto the day of redemption: Psalm 103: 13; Pr 14:26.; Matthew 6:30, 32; 1 Peter 5: 7; I have 12: 6; Is 54: 8, 9;. Lm. 3:31; Eph. 4:30 pm.
G. And inherit the promises as heirs of eternal salvation: Rom. 8:17; I 1:14; 9:15.

ADOPTION (MEMBERSHIP IN THE FAMILY OF GOD)

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY OF GOD?
BIBLICAL EXPLANATION AND BASES
In regeneration God gives us new spiritual life in our inner being. In justification God gives us proper legal standing before him. But in decision he makes us members of his family. Therefore, the biblical teaching on adoption focuses more on personal relationships that salvation gives us with God and with their children.

BIBLICAL EVIDENCE OF ADOPTION

We can define adoption as follows: Adoption is an act of God by which he makes us members of his family.
John mentions the adoption at the beginning of his gospel, which says: "But as many as received Him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" Gn 1: 12). Consequently, those who do not believe in Christ are not God's children or adopted into his family, but they are "children of wrath" (Eph 2: 3, RVR 1960) and "children of disobedience" (Eph. 2: 2; 5: 6, RVR 1960).
Although the Jews who rejected Christ tried to claim that God was his Father Gn 8: 41), Jesus said, "If God were your Father Jesus answered them, you would love me ... You are of your father the devil ,'s desires "Gen. 8: 42-44).
The New Testament letters also testify repeatedly of the fact that we are children of God in a special sense, members of his family. Paul says:
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. And you did not receive a spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption as sons, whereby we cry: "Abba Padre¡" The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. And if we are children, we are heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, we will also have part with him in his glory. (Rom 8: 14-17)
But if we are children of God, we are then related to other members of your family about? Undoubtedly yes. In fact, this adoption within the family of God makes us all participants of a family even with believing Jews of the Old Testament, for Paul tells us that we too are children of Abraham, "Neither for being descendants of Abraham are all his children.
On the contrary: "Your offspring will be through Isaac." In other words, God's children are not the natural descendants; rather, it is considered descendants of Abraham to the children of the promise "(Rom 9: 7-8).
He explained in Galatians: "You, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise ... Therefore, brethren, we are not children of the slave but of the free" (Gal 4: 28, 31, 1st P 3: 6, where Peter sees the believing women as daughters of Sara in the new covenant).
Paul explains that this adoption as children of God was not carried out completely in the old covenant.He says that "before this faith came, the law held us prisoners. So the law became our guide in charge of conduct to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to the guide.
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus "(Gal 3: 23-26). This does not mean that the Old Testament omitted by
I completely speak of God as our Father, because God called himself the father of the children of Israel and called them children on several occasions (Ps 103: 13; Isaiah 43: 6-7; Mal 1: 6; 2:10). But although there was an awareness of God as Father of the people of Israel, benefits and full privileges of membership in the family of God, and the full realization of that membership, did not take place until Christ came and the Spirit of the Son of God He spilled in our hearts, and bore witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
What evidence do we see in our lives that we are children of God? Paul sees clear evidence of this in the fact that the Holy Spirit witnesses in our hearts that we are children of God: "But when the time was fulfilled, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. You are children.
God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son who cries, "Abba, Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, God has made you also an heir "(Gal 4: 4-7).
The First Epistle of John also places great emphasis on our status as children of God: "How great is the love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God! And we are !. Dear friends, now we are children of God) (1 John 3: 1-2; John often calls his readers' children) or (little children).
Although Jesus speaks of us as "my brothers)) (Heb 2:12) and he is therefore a greater sense our brother in the family of God (Heb 2: 1-14), and can be recognized as "the firstborn among many brethren), it is, however, careful to make a clear distinction between the way in which God is our heavenly Father and the way he relates to God the Father. He told Mary Magdalene: "I return to my Father, and your Father; my God, which is your God) (Gn 20: 17), thereby making a clear distinction between the much larger sense and eternal in God is his Father, and the sense that God is our Father.
Although the New Testament says that we are now children of God (1 Jn 3: 2), we should also note that there is another sense in which our adoption is still future because we will not receive all the benefits and privileges of adoption until Christ returns and have resurrected bodies.
Paul speaks of that complete and future sense of adoption when he says: "And not only [creation], but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, that is, the redemption of our body "(Rom 8: 23).
Paul sees here the reception of the new resurrection bodies as the fulfillment of our privileged adoption, to the point that refers to it as "wait eagerly for our adoption as sons."

FOLLOW THE ADOPTION CONVERSION AND IS A RESULT OF SAVING FAITH

We might initially think that we become children of God by regeneration, since the image of "born again" in the regeneration leads us to think of children born within a human family. But the New Testament never connects the adoption regeneration. Actually, the idea of ​​adoption is the opposite of the idea of ​​being born in a family.
Rather, the New Testament relates adoption with saving faith, and says that in response to put our trust in Christ, God has adopted us into his family. Paul says: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3: 23-26).
And John writes: "But as many as received Him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (In 1:12). These two verses make it clear that adoption follows conversion and that is God's answer to our faith.
You can file an objection arising from the declaration of Paul: "You are sons. God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son who cries, "Abba, Father" (Gal 4: 6)!.
Someone could understand this verse to mean that God adopts us as children first and then gives us the Holy Spirit to produce regeneration in our hearts. But a few verses earlier Paul had said that we become "sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3: 26).
Therefore, Paul's statement in Galatians 4: 6 is best understood not as a reference to give the Holy Spirit in regeneration, but rather as an additional activity of the Holy Spirit in which he begins to witness with our spirit and ensure that we are members of God's family.
This work of the Holy Spirit gives us security of our adoption, and it is in this sense that Paul says that, after being our children, God makes his Holy Spirit within us leads us to exclaim: "Abba! Father "(Rom 8: 15-16)!.

ADOPTION AND GROUNDS ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS

Although adoption is a privilege that comes at the time when we become Christians (Jn 1:12; Gal 3:26; 1st Jn3: 1-2), however, is a privilege that is different and distinct justification of regeneration.
In regeneration we are made alive spiritually, able to relate to God through prayer and worship and able to hear His Word with receptive hearts. But it is possible that God could have creatures that are alive and yet not be members of their family and not participating in the special privileges of the members of the family; for example, angels apparently fall into this category.
Therefore, it would have been possible for God to decide to give feedback without the great privileges of adoption in his family.
Furthermore, God could have given us justification without the privileges of adoption in his family, because he could have forgiven our sins and give us a correct legal position before him without having made his children. It is important that we realize this because it helps us recognize how great are our privileges in adoption.
Regeneration has to do with our inner spiritual life. The justification has to do with our standing before God's law. But adoption has to do with our relationship with God as our Father, and the adoption receive many of the great blessings we know for eternity.
When we begin to realize the excellence of these blessings, and we appreciate that God is under no obligation to give them to us, then we will be able to exclaim with the apostle John: "How great love has given the Father, that we should be called children of God "(1 Jn 3: 1)!.

THE PRIVILEGES OF THE ADOPTION

The benefits or privileges that accompany the adoption can see, first, how God relates to us, and then also in the way we relate to others as brothers in one family of God.
One of the greatest privileges of our adoption is being able to talk to God and relate to him as a good and loving Father. It invites us to pray: "Our Father who art in heaven" (Mt 6: 9), and we have to realize that "are no longer a slave but a son" (Gal 4: 7).
Therefore, we have now to relate to God as a slave was related to his master, but as a son is related to his Father. Actually, God gives us an inner testimony of the Holy Spirit who leads us instinctively to call God Father. "And you did not receive a spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption as sons and we cry," Abba, Father! " The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God "(Rom 8: 15-16).
This relationship with God as our Father is the foundation of many other blessings of the Christian life, and becomes the primary way in which we relate to God.
It is true that God is our Creator, our judge, our Lord, our Master, our Provider, Sustainer and Protector, and his providential care that sustains our existence. But the role that is more intimate, and transmits the highest privileges of fellowship with God for eternity, is its role as our good heavenly Father.
The fact that God relates to us as Father shows us clearly that he loves us (1a Jn 3: 1)., He understands us (so compassionate is the Lord with those who fear him as a father with his sons knows our frame; knows we are mud "[Psalm 103: 13-14]), and he takes care of our needs.
(For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them "Mt 6:32). Moreover, in his role as our Father, God gives us many gifts: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him "(Mt 7: 11). We especially given the gift of the Holy Spirit to take comfort and to train for the ministry and to live the Christian life (Lk 11: 13): In fact, not only are the gifts that God gives us in this life, but also gives us a large inheritance in heaven, because we have become joint heirs with Christ.
Paul says, "So you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, God has made ​​you also an heir "(Gal 4: 7);we really are "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" (Rom 8: 17). As his heirs have the right to "an indestructible, never perish heritage. Such inheritance is reserved in heaven for you "(1 to P 1: 4).
All the great privileges and blessings of heaven are prepared for us and available to us because we are children of the King, members of the royal family, princes and princesses who reign with Christ over the new heavens and new earth (Rev. 2: 26-27 ; 3:21). As a foretaste of this great privilege, the angels are even now sent to minister and serve (Heb 1: 14).
It is in this context of relationships with God as our heavenly Father that we understand the prayer Jesus told his disciples to do daily: "Our Father who art in heaven. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors "(Matthew 6: 9-12). In this daily prayer for the forgiveness of our sins is not a prayer that God give us the justification again and again throughout our lives, because justification is an event that occurs once, and occurs immediately after that we have put our trust in Christ with saving faith.
Rather, the daily prayer for forgiveness of sins is a prayer in which we ask that parental relationships of God with us, who have been interrupted by some sin, are restored, and he relates again with us as a Father who delights in the children he loves. The prayer "forgive us our debts" it is therefore a prayer that does not relate to God as the eternal judge of the universe, but with God our Father. In a prayer in which we seek to restore our fellowship with our Father who had been interrupted because of sin (see 1 A John 1: 9; 3: 19-22).
Another benefit of adoption is also the privilege of being led by the Holy Spirit. Paul indicates that this is a moral benefit because that way the Holy Spirit puts in us the desire to obey God and live according to his will.
He says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Rom 8: 14), and gives this as a reason why Christians should give "death the misdeeds of the body" through the work of the Holy Spirit working within them (v. 13; note the "because" at the beginning of v. 14). He sees the Holy Spirit as directing and leading the children of God in the ways of obedience to God
Another privilege of adoption within the family of God, although we do not always recognize 10 as a privilege, is the fact that God disciplines us as his children. "And have already forgotten the words of encouragement as children are directed:" My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and chastises anyone who accepts as a son "(Heb 12: 5-6, quoting Proverbs 3: 11-12).
The author of Hebrews explains: "God is treating you as sons. What child is not disciplined by his father?But God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness "(Heb 12: 7, 10). Just as earthly children grow in obedience and righteousness when you are disciplined appropriately for their earthly parents, we also grow in righteousness and holiness when we are disciplined by our heavenly Father.
Related to the paternal discipline of God is the fact that, as children of God and joint heirs with Christ, we are privileged to participate in both their suffering and subsequent glory. As Luke tells us "? Did he not Christ suffer these things before entering his glory" (Lk 24:26), so God gives us the privilege of walking the same path that Christ walked, supporting the suffering in this life so that we may receive great glory in the afterlife, "and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, we will also have part with him in his glory (Rom 8: 17).
In addition to these great privileges that have to do with our relationship with God and our communion with him, we also have privileges adoption that affect how we interact with each other and affect our own personal behavior. Because we are children of God, our relationship with each other is much deeper and more intimate relations with the angels, for example, because we are all members of a family.
The New Testament often refers to Christians as "brothers and (sisters) in Christ (Rom 1:13; 8:12; 1 Ca 1:10; 6: 8; James 1: 2; Mt 12: 50; Ro 16: 1; 1 to Co 7:15; Philemon 1: 2; Stg2. 15). Besides this, in many verses in which he speaks of the whole church as (siblings) should not be understood as referring only to men in the congregation, but are general references to the whole church, and, except where the context explicitly stated otherwise, they should be taken as meaning "brothers and sisters in the Lord.
The designation "brethren is so common in the epistles which is the predominant form in which the New Testament writers refer to other Christians who are writing. This indicates the strong awareness they had of the nature of the church as God's family. In fact, Paul tells Timothy that relates to the church at Ephesus, and individuals within the church, as if it was related to members of an extended family. "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.
Treat younger men as brothers; older women as mothers; young women, as sisters, with all purity "(1 toTi 5: 1-2).
This concept of the church as God's family should give a new perspective on the work of the church; It is a "family work" and various family members should never compete with one another or hindered each other in their efforts, but should encourage each other and be grateful for any good or progress that has any member the family, because all contribute to the good of the family and the honor of God our Father.
In fact, as well as members of an earthly family often have moments of joy and companionship when they work together on a project, just as our moments to work together in building up the church should be opportunities for great joy and companionship with a others.
Moreover, as members of an earthly family honor their parents and serve the purpose of a family, especially when they welcome new brothers or sisters recently adopted within the family, we also ought to welcome the new members of the family of Christ with joy and love.
Another aspect of our membership in the family of God is that we, as children of God, we must imitate our Father in heaven in all our behavior.
Paul says, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children" (Eph 5: 1).
Peter echoes the same subject is when he says: "As obedient children, to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance do not conform. Rather, you are holy in everything you do, as is holy who called; for it is written: "Be holy because I am holy" (1 to P 1: 14-16).
Both Peter and Paul realize that it is natural for children to imitate their earthly parents. They appeal to this natural sense they have children in order to remember that we imitate our heavenly Father, and indeed this should be something we like to do and delight in it. If God our Father in heaven is holy, we ought to be holy as obedient children.
When we walk in the paths of right conduct our heavenly Father honor and glorify him. When we act in ways that are pleasing to God, we must do in order that others "may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Mt 5: 16). Paul encourages the Philippians to maintain pure conduct before unbelievers "to be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation.

In which you shine like stars in the sky "(Phil 2:15). Indeed, a coherent model of moral behavior is also an evidence that we are truly children of God. John says, "So we know who the children of God and the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God; nor is he who does not love his brother "(1 to Jn 3:10).