Exalting God

I often wonder why some professing Christians associated with adoption refuse to see the eternal and gracious love of God through His adopting of men, women, boys and girls.  On several occasions I have read heartfelt statements denying that the work of God in adopting His children relates in any way to what is often called “horizontal” adoption – the adoption of orphans by individuals.  Contrary to this belief, the adoptive work of God directly impacts and instructs how we as Christians carry out our ministry to the multitude of orphans around the world.

When my wife and I adopted our children, Cana and Jostin, they became our daughter and son, not our “adoptive” daughter and son.  Okay, legally speaking two governments allowed us to work through mountains of paperwork and jump through dozens of hoops so that we could legally take them from their foster homes and their birth country and bring them to our home.  However, when I refer to them I never label them my “adoptive daughter” or “adoptive son”.  Cana is my daughter and Jostin is my son just as if my wife had physically birthed them.  Blood is not the issue.  Legality is not my concern (please do not interpret this remark as a lack of concern for unethical or illegal adoptions!).  Love, however, is my concern.

I love them both because they are my children.  My love for them is not based on who they are or what they do – such topical love is not becoming of a father.  My love for them is much deeper.  It is a well without a bottom.  And I pray that it somehow resembles the sweet love God has for me.

That is the great thing about becoming a child of God through His adoptive grace.  He justified me through the sacrificial death of his son and then showed the depth of this great love by choosing to adopt me as His own son.  Moreover, he made me a co-heir with Christ!  I’m not the unwanted child who is tolerated more than loved; I’m an heir alongside my Lord and brother, Jesus Christ the righteous.  Yes, Jesus is still the “first-born” and the pinnacle of God’s revealed glory, but God makes a powerful point in Romans 8 – His love for me is not topical – His love for me is like a canyon filled with endless compassion, mercy, grace, forgiveness, love, and patience.

This “vertical” dimension of adoption is beautifully illustrated in the adopting of orphans into loving homes.  Gone is the issue of blood or legality.  All that is left is the love of a father and a mother for their children.  To the glory of God and the eternal good of man, his divine love has moved Him to give us, his children, the greatest of privileges, for we can kneel before God and humbly cry, “Abba Father!”  Yes, God loved us by sending His Son to take the penalty of our many sins, but His loved extended beyond that great sacrifice as He lovingly made us His sons and daughters.  To that I say, thank you God for loving me as a compassionate Father and making me your son.