GOD'S ADOPTION PLAN
Adoption has been on my mind lately. I see a lot of cases of adoption around me, including my own pastor. He and his wife are in the process of adopting a little girl. Some of the Scripture I am researching, no matter the topic, seems to have adoption attached to it eventually. In retrospect I see that I have touched on this subject before (Monday, February 16, 2015). So, I said, "O.K. God, it must be important, I'll study and write on adoption."
Adoption is linked with taking on something or accepting something. That something could be a person, place, thing, quality, or characteristic that you did not have before. For humanity, I believe it speaks to enhancing ourselves through implementation of a revelation in our lives. For example, adopting the practice of displaying love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is not only going to build me up in my most holy faith, but improve me as a person overall.
Whether the world admits it or not, humanity needed adoption. Back when this ole world began, our relationship and even nature's relationship was right with God. But because we acted on a lie, the nature or lifestyle of rebellion against God became our default mode of operation (sin came into our lives and creation). Lucifer's act of rebellion was first. He tried to usurp God's throne and he got the ultimate demotion (Isaiah 14:4-20). Our act of rebellion was second. In an effort to strike back at God, Satan infected God's image, us, with his disease - a rebellious nature (Genesis 3). God's action was third. Because God will not and cannot abide sin in His kingdom, God exiled humanity from Paradise (Genesis 3:22-24) and assigned the devil and his demons the eternal lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 20:10).
Humanity had now adopted a new and fatal lifestyle. The consequences of sin was not only decay and death of the physical body, but eternal dying in judgment for the disobedient act which we could never reconcile ourselves over (Romans 6:23). "This region or sphere of torment was not, as the kingdom of the righteous, prepared for man originally; it was particularly designed (τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον) for Satan and his myrmidons (see 2 Peter 2:4, 9), and will not be perfected till the last judgment (Revelation 20:10). There is no hint of its being remedial or corrective; and what it is to the devil it must be to those who share it with him. It is man's own doing that he is unfit for the company of saints and angels, and, having made himself like unto the evil spirits by rebellion and hatred of good, he must consort with them and share their doom. It seems as though there were no proper place for man's punishment; there is no book of death corresponding to the book of life (Revelation 20:12, etc.); the wicked are in an anomalous state, and, shut out by their own action from their proper inheritance, fall into the society of demons. How to reconcile this destiny, which seems inconceivably terrible, with God's mercy, love, and justice, has always proved a stumbling block to free thinkers. It is, indeed, a mystery which we cannot understand, and which Christ has purposely left unexplained. We can only bow the head and say, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25)." (Pulpit Commentary - http://biblehub.com/matthew/25-41.htm)
Our Adopter has come. Even before creation Father God had planned to show His love this way -
And when the time came, "God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus, He came to love, heal and forgive..." ("Because He Lives") -
This was an important message because in his letter to the the believers in Rome, Paul also said -
The Adopter has come and signed the adoption papers with His blood and victory over death, hell and the grave! However, those as children of The Father of Lies, still have to decide whether they want to be adopted back into God's Family. We were the one's that messed up. We chose another spiritual father and that decision placed us on the fastest highway to Hell and the Lake of Fire. "But God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son, that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life." (Do I have to quote the book, chapter and verse? o.k. John 3:16) The Adoption Price has been paid. The Adoption Life has been deemed The Way. If you haven't, I encourage you to choose God's Adoption Plan today.
Adoption is linked with taking on something or accepting something. That something could be a person, place, thing, quality, or characteristic that you did not have before. For humanity, I believe it speaks to enhancing ourselves through implementation of a revelation in our lives. For example, adopting the practice of displaying love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is not only going to build me up in my most holy faith, but improve me as a person overall.
Whether the world admits it or not, humanity needed adoption. Back when this ole world began, our relationship and even nature's relationship was right with God. But because we acted on a lie, the nature or lifestyle of rebellion against God became our default mode of operation (sin came into our lives and creation). Lucifer's act of rebellion was first. He tried to usurp God's throne and he got the ultimate demotion (Isaiah 14:4-20). Our act of rebellion was second. In an effort to strike back at God, Satan infected God's image, us, with his disease - a rebellious nature (Genesis 3). God's action was third. Because God will not and cannot abide sin in His kingdom, God exiled humanity from Paradise (Genesis 3:22-24) and assigned the devil and his demons the eternal lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 20:10).
Humanity had now adopted a new and fatal lifestyle. The consequences of sin was not only decay and death of the physical body, but eternal dying in judgment for the disobedient act which we could never reconcile ourselves over (Romans 6:23). "This region or sphere of torment was not, as the kingdom of the righteous, prepared for man originally; it was particularly designed (τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον) for Satan and his myrmidons (see 2 Peter 2:4, 9), and will not be perfected till the last judgment (Revelation 20:10). There is no hint of its being remedial or corrective; and what it is to the devil it must be to those who share it with him. It is man's own doing that he is unfit for the company of saints and angels, and, having made himself like unto the evil spirits by rebellion and hatred of good, he must consort with them and share their doom. It seems as though there were no proper place for man's punishment; there is no book of death corresponding to the book of life (Revelation 20:12, etc.); the wicked are in an anomalous state, and, shut out by their own action from their proper inheritance, fall into the society of demons. How to reconcile this destiny, which seems inconceivably terrible, with God's mercy, love, and justice, has always proved a stumbling block to free thinkers. It is, indeed, a mystery which we cannot understand, and which Christ has purposely left unexplained. We can only bow the head and say, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25)." (Pulpit Commentary - http://biblehub.com/matthew/25-41.htm)
Our Adopter has come. Even before creation Father God had planned to show His love this way -
- "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—" (Ephesians 1:4-5)
And when the time came, "God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus, He came to love, heal and forgive..." ("Because He Lives") -
- "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship." (Galatians 4:4-5)
- "Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'" (Galatians 4:6)
This was an important message because in his letter to the the believers in Rome, Paul also said -
- "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)
- "Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies." (Romans 8:23)
The Adopter has come and signed the adoption papers with His blood and victory over death, hell and the grave! However, those as children of The Father of Lies, still have to decide whether they want to be adopted back into God's Family. We were the one's that messed up. We chose another spiritual father and that decision placed us on the fastest highway to Hell and the Lake of Fire. "But God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son, that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life." (Do I have to quote the book, chapter and verse? o.k. John 3:16) The Adoption Price has been paid. The Adoption Life has been deemed The Way. If you haven't, I encourage you to choose God's Adoption Plan today.
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