I think I can safely say that the initial and primary motive for adopting a child is rooted in the deep desire to HAVE a child. I have never adopted a child personally, but having had three of my own, I know that was the case for us. We wanted a child, so the process began, to fulfill a deep longing in our hearts for ….a child. We weren’t even thinking childREN….but singular; child. Our motive was not based on an act of benevolence to rescue a child, or to have an heir for some inheritance we may possess. It wasn’t in order to train that child up into our way of thinking, or mold them to be like us. It wasn’t for the purpose of having that child work for the family business. The primary motive was love…period. It was to fulfill a deep longing in our own hearts for family. So, what’s my point?
Ephesians 1:4&5 says “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love; having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will…”
…..according to the good pleasure of HIS will, He has adopted us. That is the heart of God.
God the Father is the ultimate example of a loving father Who, thought of you before He even created planet earth, and Who planned your adoption….because of a deep longing for family. Can you relate to God through this lens? How often do we distort the parental heart of Father God and somehow pervert His intentionality towards us as that of an unemotional taskmaster? His motive is not to relate to us even as a King does to his subjects, even though we use the language of “Kingdom” when we talk about Christianity. King David….in the OLD testament relates to God with these words….
“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families…” Psalm 68:5&6a
John 5:22 tells us, “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.” So, since Jesus took our punishment by being nailed to a cross, he has already bore all judgement. Hmmm….sounds like there is no more judgement to be borne…unless we believe for some ridiculous reason that the blood of Jesus wasn’t adequate enough for ALL of our sin. But of course, it was….and IS. What a relief!! It’s easy to fall back into a mentality of punishment when we think of Father God and our humanity.
The Father loves you, because He loves you, because He loves you….period. We sometimes get that message twisted as we feverishly try to balance our internal scales. Would you ever expect your precious son or daughter to earn your love through the things they do for you? Neither would the ultimate Father. He brought us into His family because He wanted to GIVE LOVE. Oh wait, isn’t that suppose to be the point of this holiday we call Christmas? Think about it….really ponder the mystery of His incredible Gift of love. He gave His only son, to redeem you back from an evil enemy. He gave, in order to win you back into His family, because He loves.
An adoption is very intentional. It doesn’t just happen. There are incredible costs, sacrifices, and deliberately calculated choices involved. The child is CHOSEN by the parents. Think about that….
“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 8:15….or you could even paraphrase that as saying, “Daddy God”. Is that weird for you? To call God, Daddy, or Papa? That’s what Abba Father means! Amazing….
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.”Psalm 139:13-18
Now THAT is the heart of a true Father….
The Father wants you to know you were deliberately chosen before you even took your first breath. He longs for you to know how much He loves you, because He loves you, because He loves you….just because He loves you. Because that….is Who He is.
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