“…[S]o that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of [H]is Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”                                                                                                                                           (Galatians 4)

“…to them gave [H]e power to become the sons of God…”  (John 1)

 

 

“But thou [Abraham’s eldest servant] shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.”

“And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that fallet to me…”

 

Let us suppose there is a ten (10) step math problem before us.  Let us say that we are correct on every step, save the first (1st) step, will the solution to this mathematical problem be correct?  Is it possible to get the solution right even if just one (1) part is wrong? It is not possible, there exists a purity and objectiveness to math.  Likewise, there exists a purity to God’s Word and the doctrines therein. This is why we must get the doctrine of adoption correct else all other doctrines will be skewed and distorted.

Before we demonstrate what the doctrine of Adoption is, allow us to show you what it is not and why ministers get it wrong almost all of the time…no offense to ministers meant. If you be a minister and you are offended, then you have betrayed yourself to be Solomon’s fool, having not accepted proper instruction. Apollos had to be shown a more perfect way, did he not?

What the doctrine of Adoption is not: When this doctrine, this most important doctrine is taught or mistaught it is taught according to a western mindset and not a Scriptural or Eastern mindset.  When the minister teaches this doctrine he presents it as being the simple adoption from (s)atan’s family into God’s family. When adoption is presented this way, the doctrine of election is destroyed of necessity. The doctrine of election demonstrates that the believer has always belonged to God, it demonstrates that God has owned the believer from eternity past, it demonstrates the absolute sovereignty of God in action and on display. Yet the minster insists that we were a part of the devil’s family, like the Pharisees, but God has adopted us, thus demonstrating that our souls were in danger and having belonged to the devil…this is wrong teaching.

Why ministers get this doctrine wrong: The minister that teaches this doctrine wrongly is guilty of teaching false doctrine, however it is done in ignorance and not with any evil motive, lest the minister understands the doctrine of adoption and election properly and then teaches it wrongly in order to keep listener happy.  If this be the case, a wicked and false prophet is this minister and in his spirit he hates the holiness and righteousness, and sovereignty of God.  Take heed, reader.

Many ministers are taught by other men and other men are fallible and get things wrong, this is the case with many that misteach the doctrine of Adoption. Another reason this doctrine is gotten wrong is the western mindset. When anyone in the west hears adoption, they think of taking another person’s child into their family. This is not what is meant in the doctrine of adoption.

Notice our quoted text from Genesis above.  Abraham sends his eldest servant to get a wife for his young son, Isaac.  In the culture of the Old Testament, the servants had more authority than did the son of the master.  This is a point many miss in the parable of the prodigal son.  The son was always a son, there be no doubt. The young son, who had nothing to his own name, no authority, no possessions, nothing demanded his father to give him what he would get when he was of age.  When the prodigal was of age, he would be given authority and an inheritance, this is the eastern view of adoption. When the child comes of age the child’s father by blood adopts him or grants him authority and wealth.

This adoption is what the prodigal demanded, this is why Isaac could not pick his own wife, but the eldest of Abraham’s servants was given that authourity.  Samson is portrayed as a spoiled and petulant person when he asks his father to go and get him a wife. Samson is not spoiled or petulant, Samson was young and had not received, his yet to come, authourity and inheritance. Therefore the parents reserved the authority to go and get Samson a wife.  We are never told of Christ’s youth, this is because of Jewish tradition, nothing is remarkable about a person, that is positionally, less than an elder servant…written with reverence.

Galatians 4:6 points this out. The most important word of this passage is because. Note carefully Reader, we are told the cause or reason of God sending the Spirit of Christ to us.  The cause is of the Spirit being sent is the PRE-EXISTING SONSHIP of the elect believer.  Notice in John 1:12, the one (1) that receives Christ is given “the power to become the sons of God.”  They were always elect sons of God but now they receive their adoption, their spiritual authority, their inheritance.

The law was our schoolmaster, you see, the law ruled and reigned over everyone, but when the elect, the heirs of God, the joint-heirs with Christ, receive the Holy Spirit or the adoption of sons, the law hath no more power over us, there exists no more penalty of broken law. The adopted now has power over the law, the elect and adopted children of God have freedom from the law, yet we use the law in order to glorify our Father.

The above, Reader,  is the doctrine of Adoption according to Scripture. This doctrine will keep all expositors of Scripture in line and will give them the liberty to proclaim the Scripture properly.

Godspeed.