Adoption

John Kennedy (1819-1884)

“Adoption is an act of God’s free grace.” It is an expression of the love of God in Christ. This love is a new thing in the manifestation of the divine glory. The display of it is the unique thing in the revelation of His name in Christ. His name, as a whole, was glorified as in no other development of His character, but it was in order to the shewing forth of the riches of His grace. It is now that this love can directly touch its object. Till now it was a work of restoration,–a clearing of the ground for a display, in the direct treatment of its object, of this singular love of God. It now finds its object directly before it; and by an act of adoption the loved one becomes a son of God. This is the grand novelty in the adjustment by God according to the covenant of grace, of His people’s relational status. “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). They are related to Him as His love would have them to be, when they are sons; and no creatures besides are sons as they are.

(From: “Man’s Relations to God”)

John Owen (1616-1683)

Now, adoption is the authoritative translation of a believer, by Jesus Christ, from the family of the world and Satan into the family of God, with his investiture in all the privileges and advantages of that family.

To the complete adoption of any person, these five things are required:–

1. That he be actually, and of his own right, of another family than that whereinto he is adopted. He must be the son of one family or other, in his own right, as all persons are.

2. That there be a family unto which of himself he hath no right, whereinto he is to be grafted. If a man comes into a family upon a personal right, though originally at never so great a distance, that man is not adopted. If a man of a most remote consanguinity do come into the inheritance of any family by the death of the nearer heirs, though his right before were little better than nothing, yet he is a born son of that family,–he is not adopted. [In adoption] he is not to have the plea of the most remote possibility of succession.

3. That there be an authoritative, legal translation of him, by some that have power thereinto, from one family into another. It was not, by the law of old, in the power of particular persons to adopt when and whom they would. It was to be done by the authority of the sovereign power.

4. That the adopted person be freed from all the obligations that be upon him unto the family from whence he is translated; otherwise he can be no way useful or serviceable unto the family whereinto he is ingrafted. He cannot serve two masters, much less two fathers.

5. That, by virtue of his adoption, he be invested in all the rights, privileges, advantages, and title to the whole inheritance, of the family into which he is adopted, in as full and ample manner as if he had been born a son therein.

Now, all these things and circumstances do concur and are found in the adoption of believers.

(From: “Works”)

Alexander Paterson (1803-1828)

To adopt, signifies to take a stranger into a family, and to deal with him as if he were a son and heir.

The adopter of sinners is God essentially considered–God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 1. God the Father adopts, inasmuch as he predestinates his people to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.–Eph. i. 5, 6. 2. God the Son adopts, inasmuch as by his power he rescues his people from the family of Satan; and thereby gives them a right to become the sons of God. 3. God the Holy Ghost adopts, inasmuch as he is sent forth by God into the hearts of the adopted, and teaches them to cry, “Abba, Father.”

According to our manner of conception, we must believe that adoption follows justification; for the sentence of condemnation must first be removed, before the sinner, who is exposed to the curse of the law, can be made a son; but with God they both take place at once. Properly speaking, they are both relative changes,–this is, changes of state, and not changes of nature, although this also accompanies them.

Adoption is an act, because, like justification, is it completed at once, and not carried on by degrees; and as these are acts, no one of the people of God can be justified or adopted in a greater degree than another.

That adoption is an act of God’s free grace, will be evident from some of the following particulars, in which adoption, as it is an act of God, differs from it as it is a deed among men.

1. Among men, only one in general becomes partaker of this privilege, is one family. But by God, a whole elect world–every believer in Christ–is made partaker of all the privileges of the sons of God.

2. Among men, the adopter is of the same nature with the person adopted; both are sinners, and both are guilty before God. But it is not so with God; he is not to be compared with the highest of the sons of men, who are but the works of his own hands.

3. Among men, there is some kind of equality between the adopter and the adopted. But there is and can be no equality between God and the sinner whom he brings to himself.

4. Among men, there is in general something that influences man to show such kindness to any. But with respect to God’s adopting of sinners, nothing of this kind appears; for there is nothing in or about them which can influence him to show them the least regard,–no amiable quality to court his regard, for all are filthy, and polluted, and unworthy of his favour, deserving nothing but to be cast off for ever. Hence it is evident, especially from the last particular, that adoption is an act of God’s free grace.

(From: “A Concise System of Theology”)

Robert Shaw (1795-1863)

All men are the children of God in respect of their creation; for “we are all his offspring.” “Have we not all one Father? hath not one God created us?”–Mal. ii. 10. The members of the visible Church are the children of God in respect of an external federal relation. They are the visible family of God on earth, and enjoy peculiar privileges. At a very early period, the professors of the true religion were denominated “the sons of God.”–Gen. vi. 2. God having chosen Israel for his peculiar people, and conferred upon them many privileges which he did not vouchsafe to other nations, and the knowledge and worship of the true God being maintained amongst them, while all other nations were sunk in ignorance and idolatry, they were called “the sons of God.” The Lord commanded Pharaoh to be told concerning Israel, “He is my son, even my first-born.”–Exod. iv. 22. This is a great blessing; but many who enjoy it are not really the children of God, and shall at last be cast out into utter darkness.–John viii. 44; Matt. viii. 12. In a far higher sense are all those that are justified the children of God. They are made partakers of the grace of adoption. Among men, adoption signifies that act by which a person takes the child of another into the place, and entitles him to the privileges, of his own son. Spiritual adoption is that act by which God receives sinners into his family, and gives them a right to all the privileges of his children. Sinners are naturally “the children of the devil,” aliens to the family of God, and heirs of wrath; by adoption they are translated out of the family of Satan into the family of Heaven, and thus admitted to fellowship with Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, as their elder brother, with all the holy angels, and with all the saints–both those on earth and those in heaven. Thus far there is a resemblance between civil and spiritual adoption; but there are also important points in which they differ. Men adopt a stranger to supply a defect, but God had no such inducement to adopt any of the children of Adam; for he is infinitely blessed in himself, and he had “a well-beloved Son,” who was the object of his ineffable delight. Men usually adopt only one to be their son and heir, but God receives an innumerable multitude into his family, and “brings many sons to glory.” Men are always influenced by some real or supposed excellence in the person to whom they show this kindness; but those whom God adopts are altogether destitute of any good qualifications to recommend them to his favour.

Adoption, being a change of state, is completed at once, and is equally the privilege of all that truly believe in Christ,–Gal. iii. 26, 28. Some of the children of God may excel others in gifts and gracious qualities; but the filial relation to God is the same in all. This high privilege entirely flows from the free and sovereign grace of God. In the bestowment of this blessing there is a display of love and grace which surpasses expression, and calls forth the admiration of all who are partakers of it. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”–1 John iii. 1. But divine grace could only be dispensed to the guilty in a way consistent with the claims of justice, and the honour of the law. Had God received such rebels into his favour and family without demanding a satisfaction for their offences, this would have sullied the glory of his perfections, and dishonoured the law which they had violated. This privilege, therefore, is bestowed on the ground of the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, as the meritorious cause thereof. “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”–Gal. iv. 4, 5. How amazing the condescension and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who endured the curse of the law, that the forfeiture of our sonship might be reversed! As he procured this privilege for us by an invaluable price, so it is only when we are united to him by faith that we become actually interested in it. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”–John i. 12.

(From: “An Exposition of the Confession of Faith”)

Thomas Watson (c.1620-1686)

The wonder of God’s love in adopting us will appear the more if we consider these six things:

(1.) That God should adopt us when he had a Son of his own. Men adopt because they want children, and desire to have some to bear their name; but that God should adopt us when he had a Son of his own, the Lord Jesus, is a wonder of love. Christ is called “God’s dear Son.” Col. i. 13. “A Son more worthy than the angels.” “Being made so much better than the angels.” Heb. i. 4. Now, since God had a Son of his own, and such a Son, how wonderful God’s love in adopting us! We needed a Father, but he did not need sons.

(2.) Consider what we were before God adopted us. We were very deformed; and a man will scarce adopt him for his heir that is crooked and ill-favoured, but rather he that has some beauty. Mordecai adopted Esther, because she was fair. When we were in our blood God adopted us. “When I saw thee polluted in thy blood, it was the time of love.” Ezek. xvi. 6. God did not adopt us when we were bespangled with the jewels of holiness, and had the angels’ glory upon us; but when we were black as Ethiopians, diseased as lepers, was the time of his love.

(3.) That God should be at so great expense in adopting us. When men adopt, they have only some deed sealed, and the thing is effected; but when God adopts, it puts him to a far greater expense; it sets his wisdom to work to find out a way to adopt us. It was no easy thing to make heirs of wrath, heirs of the promise. When God had found out a way to adopt, it was no easy way. Our adoption was purchased at a dear rate; for when God was about to make us sons and heirs, he could not seal the deed but by the blood of his own Son. Here is the wonder of God’s love in adopting us, that he should be at all this expense to accomplish it.

(4.) That God should adopt his enemies. If a man adopts another for his heir, he will not adopt his mortal enemy; but that God should adopt us, when we were not only strangers, but enemies, is the wonder of his love. For God to have pardoned his enemies had been much; but to adopt them for his heirs, sets the angels in heaven wondering.

(5.) That God should take great numbers out of the devil’s family, and adopt them into the family of heaven. Christ is said to bring many sons to glory. Heb. ii. 10. Men adopt usually but one heir, but God is resolved to increase his family, he brings many sons to glory. God’s adopting millions is the wonder of love. Had but one been adopted, all of us might have despaired; but he brings many sons to glory, which opens a door of hope to us.

(6.) That God should confer so great honour upon us, in adopting us. David thought it no small honour that he should be a king’s son-in-law. 1 Sam. xviii. 18. But what honour to be the sons of the high God! The more honour God has put upon us in adopting us, the more he has magnified his love towards us. What honour that God has made us so near in alliance to him, sons of God the Father, members of God the Son, temples of God the Holy Ghost; that he has made us as the angels, Matt. xxii. 30; nay, in some sense, superior to the angels. All this proclaims the wonder of God’s love in adopting us.

(From: “A Body of Divinity”)