Adoption by God
- Adoption passages:
- Romans 8:14 – 15 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
- Romans 8:23 …We also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
- Romans 9:4 – 8 …who are Israelites, to whom pertains the adoption…(8) That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
- Galatians 4:5 …to redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
- Ephesians 1:5 …having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
- Sons of God passages:
- Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
- Romans 9:26 (Hosea 1:10) And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,” there they shall be called sons of the living God.
- 2 Corinthians 6:18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty
- Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father.”
- Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to Glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
- Hebrews 12:7 – 8 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons…
- 1 John 3:1 – 2 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God, and we are…
- Children of God passages:
- Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
- Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
- Philippians 2:15 …that you may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of crooked and perverse generation…
- 1 Peter 1:14 …as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts…
- 1 John 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
- 1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
- Matthew 12:46 – 50, Mark 3:31 – 35, Luke 8:19 –
21, “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and
mother.”
- Matthew includes the detail that Jesus gestured toward His disciples.
- Mark includes the detail that His family thought He might be crazy (3:21)
- Was Jesus expressing a personal or Messianic sentiment, or does this generalize?
- Was the intention to forsake unbelieving
physical family?
- Jesus entrusted the care of His mother to John (John 19:27)
- Unbelieving spouses were not to be forsaken (1 Corinthians 7:12 – 16, 1 Peter 3:1)
- Christians were to provide for their own (1 Timothy 5:8)
- References to the nature of the relationship
within the spiritual family
- Romans 8:29 Christians are conformed to the image of Jesus in order to be brothers
- Romans 14:10 – 14 Do not cause to stumble, have contempt for, or judge a brother
- 1 Corinthians 6:5 – 6 Do not sue a brother in civil court
- 1 Corinthians 8:11 – 13 Do not cause your brother to stumble
- 1 Thessalonians 3:15 Do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother
- 1 Timothy 5:1 – 2 Timothy was to treat Christians as family members
- 1 Timothy 6:2 Slaves were to consider believing masters as brethren
- Hebrews 2:11 – 12, 17 He is not ashamed to call them brethren
- James 2:14 – 15 Provide for spiritual brothers and sisters
- James 4:11 Do not judge or speak evil of a brother
- 1 Peter 1:22 Obeying the truth in sincere love of the brethren
- 1 Peter 3:8 Be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers
- 1 John 2:9 – 11 He who hates his brother is in darkness
- 1 John 2:12 – 14 John calls Christians fathers and children
- 1 John 3:10 – 17 Christians are to love, provide for, and die for their brethren
- 1 John 4:20 – 21 Anyone who hates a brother cannot love God
- 1 John 5:16 Christians pray concerning the sins of their brethren
- What practices would foster this spiritual family relationship?