People for Whom God is Father
There are moments in the life of every disciple of Jesus Christ that serve as markers of unique periods of growth and understanding in their faith. One such moment marks the landscape of my life with particular clarity. I had recently been given a copy of Knowing God by J.I. Packer and was making my way through it, enjoying Packer's style and clear instruction on the need for theology and the work of Christ. When I waded into chapter nineteen, "The Sons of God," I was suddenly overwhelmed. The doctrine of adoption seemed to be both familiar and brand new. The idea that God was Father was simple and, in some ways, ingrained into the very nature of my understanding of him. Still, the implications of God's Fatherhood shot like arrows from Packer's bow into my heart with great devastation. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I sat with his book in my hands, pouring over the realities of sonship, God's inestimable love, and the real, living hope of all who call God Father.
I also thought, "Where has this been? Is this really that hidden a doctrine? It seems so obvious!" I reasoned that the evangelical church could easily overlook such a seemingly subtle idea when such essential things as the expanding territory of Jabez merit real attention. Indeed, the doctrine of adoption is a widely neglected theme in evangelical conversation. Dan Cruver notes,
"It is generally believed that the Church has created thousands of creeds and confessions, with more than 150 being created during the Reformation period alone. Yet in scouring almost 1,900 years of Church history, Phillip Schaff found only six creeds that contain a section on theological adoption."[1]
Cruver points out that the neglect of adoption, even in the Reformation period, was for a good reason. The early church was primarily concerned with defining and defending Christology and Trinitarian doctrine, and the Reformers had to defend Justification by faith constantly.[2] R.A. Webb agreed when he remarked, "It [the doctrine of adoption] has been handled with a meagerness entirely out of proportion to its intrinsic importance, and with a subordination which allows it only a parenthetical place in the system of evangelical truth."[3] While historically and theologically, there is much good regarding the establishment and defense of such critical doctrines of Christianity, the unintentional consequence of this emphasis was a neglect of the doctrine of adoption.
This article aims to heighten theological awareness of the doctrine of adoption and explain its practical benefits in the church. This occurs in five steps. First, a definition of adoption will be established by examining one of the doctrine's earliest and most straightforward definitions. Second, the focus will turn to the biblical data itself. Through an essential examination of pertinent passages, a third emphasis will emerge, a biblical theology of the doctrine of adoption. Fourth, after looking at the biblical data and putting the pieces together in a biblical theology, a systematic theology of adoption will prove helpful, leading to the final section, a practical theology aimed at Christian flourishing. I contend that a proper understanding and application of the doctrine of adoption is fundamental to Christian flourishing within the kingdom of Christ. J.I. Packer agrees, "Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption."[4]
Definition
The doctrine of adoption has been defined in both simple and complex ways. J.I. Packer explains adoption in terms of Christianity itself. "A Christian is one who has God as Father."[5] Wayne Grudem also says, "Adoption is an act of God whereby he makes us members of his family."[6] More specific definitions provide more depth, however. The Westminster Confession of Faith contains one of the most comprehensive definitions of adoption in evangelical theology.
"All those that are justified, God vouchsafes, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God, have His name put upon them, receive the spirit of adoption, have access to the throne of grace with boldness, are enabled to cry, Abba, Father, are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by Him as by a Father: yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption; and inherit the promises, as heirs of everlasting salvation."
Joel Beeke points out the significance of this particular definition, for the Westminster Divines were often categorized as being too harsh and strict theologically; this definition provides the church with their "first confessional chapter and formal articles on adoption-one of the most tender doctrines of the Christian faith!"[7]In addition, for the Westminster Divines, adoption was a clear point of emphasis on demonstrating God's free grace. Thomas Watson states it powerfully,
"Adoption is a mercy spun out of the bowels of free grace; all by nature are strangers, therefore have no right to sonship, only God is pleased to adopt one, and not another, to make one a vessel of glory, another a vessel of wrath. The adopted heir may cry out, 'Lord, how is it, that thou wilt show thyself to me, and not unto the world?'"[8]
The definition found in the Westminster Confession serves well as a guideline for understanding the doctrine of adoption. The standard is there raised of biblical sonship. It teaches that those who are regenerated to respond to the gospel and are thus justified have been adopted as children of God. It means that those who were by nature opposed to God are now brought into the family of God by grace and mercy.
Biblical Data
All definitions of the Christian doctrine of adoption rest upon biblical texts, the most familiar being John 1:12, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."[9] The apostle Paul points out that our adoption was part of the eternal plan of God in Ephesians 1:4-5,
"…even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."
Paul explains in Galatians 3:23-26 that the total picture of adoption was not available in the old covenant but in Christ.
"Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith."
This is not to say that God didn't describe his relationship with Israel in adoptive terms. In several places, God speaks of adopting Israel as his son (Exod. 4:22; Deut. 32:10; Hos. 11:1), and in his relationship to Israel's king, he speaks as a Father when he says, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son." Wayne Grudem offers an additional caution at this point, lest one think the Old Testament contained no filial language of God.
"This is not to say that the Old Testament completely omitted talk of God as our Father, for God did call himself the Father of the children of Israel and called them his children in several places (Ps. 103:13; Isa. 43:6-7; Mal.1:6, 2:10). But even though there was a consciousness of God as Father to the people of Israel, the full benefits of membership in God's family, and the full realization of that membership, did not come until Christ came and the Spirit of the Son of God was poured into our hearts, bearing witness with our spirit that we were God's children."[10]
Paul agrees with this distinction in Galatians 4:4-7 when he points to the new nature of the adopting rescue of God. Christians, he says, are no longer slaves but sons and heirs with Christ.
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."
With the adopting rescue of God from the law of sin and death comes the new name for God, Abba. Jesus used the same term in Mark 14:36 while praying in the garden, "And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Robert Peterson comments, "In his hour of distress, when he desperately seeks God's help, he addresses him as 'Abba, Father.'"[11] It is far from a sentimental familiarity with God. It is a filial connection to our brother Christ and our Father, who is God. Russell Moore connects the Christian to Gethsemane when he says, "Similarly, the doctrine of adoption shows us that we 'groan' with the creation itself 'as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23). It is the cry of the crucified."[12] The crucified cry emerges from the heart of the apostle Paul, especially in Romans 8:14-17,
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ."
The terminology used in Scripture for the Christian as a child of God is critical to establishing a biblical theology of the doctrine of adoption. In A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, Robert Reymond helpfully categorizes the various words used in the above passages, along with many others, and their significance in understanding the doctrine. The nouns ui`o,j (“son” in 2 Cor. 6:18; Gal. 3:26, 4:4-7; Heb. 2:10, 12:5-8; Rev. 21:7), te,knon (“child” in John 1:12; 11:52; 1 John 3:1, 10, 5:2; Rom. 8:16, 21, 9:8; Eph. 5:1; Phil. 2:15), and paidi,on (“little child” in Heb. 2:13-14) all indicate “the filial relationship the Christian sustains to God the Father by virtue of the Father’s adoptive act (ui`oqesi,a in Rom. 8:15, 23, 9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5).”[13]
The amount of biblical material pointing to God as Father and believers as his precious children warrants our attention, study, and compilation of a theology of adoption directly applicable to individual and corporate spiritual life.
A Biblical Theology of Adoption
The various passages of Scripture speaking of Christian adoption provide a biblical theology and a chronology of the doctrine. First, there is an eternal, loving predestination to our adoption, as seen in Ephesians 1:4-5. In love, the Father predestined believers to adoption as sons. Robert Peterson elaborates on this dense passage,
"In this life, we will never understand every ramification of God's election of his people for salvation before the foundation of the world. But this much is plain: predestination is inseparable from God's love. Before time, the Father loved us and chose us to be members of his family."[14]
While the apostle Paul is the primary teacher of God's eternal, loving predestination, he is not alone. John also extols the greatness of the love of God in 1 John 3:1 when he says, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are."
Second, the Father not only loved his children with an eternal predestination to adoption as sons, but he also sent Jesus to do the redemptive work necessary to accomplish adoption for his children. Galatians 4:4-5 is crystal clear, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Ephesians 1: 7-12 also speaks clearly about Christ's accomplishment of redemption.
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory."
Third, God sends the Holy Spirit into the hearts of his children, by grace, through faith (Gal. 2:15-16, 3:6-9, 26-29), sealing them in him (Eph. 1:13-14), confirming their adoption. Romans 8:15-16 explains the Spirit's presence within the believer, enabling the Abba cry.
"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
Fourth, having been sealed with the Holy Spirit, with the promise of final redemption in view, the believer awaits the final stage of eschatological adoption in the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. This final stage of adoption involves, first, the realization of the believer's inheritance in Christ (Rom. 8:17; Heb. 11:16; 1 Pet. 1:13; Rev. 21:3-4).
"When our Savior and older Brother returns for us, he will overwhelm us with his grace. Grace is not only past and present; it is also future. As the Father's beloved children, we will enter into our inheritance and that of our co-heir, Jesus Christ. The new heavens and the new earth and God himself will be fully ours on that great day."[15]
Second, the believer's eschatological adoption involves physical redemption, and the New Testament is clear that the believer's physical body will be redeemed at the return of Christ in holistic salvation.
"And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."[16]
Robert Reymond summarizes, "The biblical theology of adoption, then, encompasses the Father's love from all eternity, redemption from past enslavement, a status and way of life in the present, and a future expectation of glory."[17]
A Systematic Theology of Adoption
Having examined the biblical data regarding the doctrine of adoption and compiling a comprehensive biblical theology on the subject, a systematic examination is necessary. While the doctrine of adoption may be neglected in the larger evangelical theological landscape, the small numbers of theologians that take the time to address it do so with clarity. For this work, the examination is limited to the nature and benefits of the doctrine of adoption.
The nature of the doctrine of adoption comprises its unique relationship to the process of salvation and the other doctrines of soteriology. To begin, there is a sense of timing to the doctrine. God adopts his children at a certain point in the ordo salutis, or the order of salvation. Millard Erickson seeks to establish continuity in the salvific timeline. "It [adoption] occurs at the same time as do conversion, regeneration, justification, and union with Christ."[18] He points out a logical distinction between adoption and the doctrines of regeneration and adoption, but "adoption is not really separable from them. Only those who are justified and regenerated are adopted, and vice versa."[19] Wayne Grudem points to the place of adoption in the order of salvation as coming after conversion due to saving faith. "The New Testament connects adoption with saving faith and says that in response to our trusting in Christ, God has adopted us into his family."[20] He bases this conclusion on Galatians 3:23-26 and John 1:12, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." The author of the great Puritan work The Marrow of Theology, William Ames, says, "Adoption of its own nature requires and presupposes the reconciliation found in justification."[21] Joel Beeke reinforces this idea (not surprisingly) when he says, "Justification is the primary, fundamental blessing of the gospel; it meets our most basic spiritual need-forgiveness and reconciliation with God. We could not be adopted without it."[22] He points out that the Westminster Divines, responsible for the remarkable definition of adoption listed earlier, stressed that "justification and adoption, though intimately related, are two distinct privileges and out to be handled separately in theology."[23]
At this point, it is helpful to see how adoption relates explicitly to other doctrines in soteriology. Robert Reymond points out key distinctions in his definition, stressing the remarkable differences between adoption and Justification and sanctification from the viewpoint of the Christian relationship to God. In Justification, the Christian view of God is "lawgiver," in sanctification, it is "master," and in adoption, the Christian calls God "Father."
"The sinner having been pardoned and constituted righteous in God's sight (that is, justified) and constituted holy through union with Christ (that is, definitively sanctified), God also legally constitutes him his child and adopts him into his family. Whereas the doctrine of Justification speaks to the relationship of the Christian to God as Lawgiver and Judge (it declares that he has been juridically acquitted of any and all transgressions of the law, and thus delivered forever from the wrath of God), whereas the doctrine of definitive sanctification speaks to the relationship of the Christian to God as his new Master (it declares that he is no longer sin's slave and is now the servant of God), so the doctrine of adoption speaks to the filial relationship of the Christian to God as his Father (it declares that he is a child of God and that God is his heavenly Father)."[24]
Wayne Grudem also points out key distinctions, "Regeneration has to do with our spiritual life within. Justification has to do with our standing before God's law. But adoption has to do with our relationship with God as our Father."[25] Robert Reymond similarly points out,
"For whereas justification addresses the question of one's relation to the law, and definitive sanctification addresses the question of one's relation to the power of sin, adoption addresses the question of one's relation to God the Father himself."[26]
J.I. Packer exalts the doctrine of adoption to lofty heights indeed when he notes,
"It [adoption] is the highest privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than Justification. That Justification is the primary and fundamental blessing of the gospel is not in question. But this is not to say that Justification is the highest blessing of the gospel. Adoption is higher, because of the richer relationship with God that it involves."[27]
These distinctions provide a foundation for understanding the specific benefits that Christian adoption provides for the believer. God the Father rescues his children from the orphanage of sin and death and brings them to himself (John 8:35; Gal. 6:10). The adopted child of God enjoys a new name (Ephesians 2:19, 3:14-15; Hebrews 12:5), the seal of the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing an eschatological inheritance guarded by God (Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:4), the honor of calling Christ brother (Romans 8:17, 29), and calling God himself "Father," even "Abba" (Romans 8: 15-16; Galatians 4:4-5) and the ultimate protection of God (1 Peter 1:5).
According to J.I. Packer, one added benefit is the abiding nature of adoption. Adoption shouts with joyous stability into the uncertainty, pain, randomness, and tragedy in earthly relationships.
"But things are not like that in God's family. There you have absolute stability and security; the parent is entirely wise and good, and the child's position is permanently assured. The very concept of adoption is itself a proof and guarantee of the preservation of the saints, for only bad fathers throw their children out of the family, even under provocation; and God is not a bad father, but a good one."[28]
God relates to his children for their good in fatherly care as a good Father. He provides for his children (Ps. 34:10; Matt. 6:31-33; Phil. 4:19), protects them, and keeps them from falling (Ps. 91:11-12; 1 Pet. 1:5). He also brings fatherly discipline when necessary, as Hebrews 12:4-11 powerfully explains.
"In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.' It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his Father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
The writer of Hebrews communicates the blessing of God's discipline as an expression of God's love, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves." His discipline also assures the believer of their adoption in Christ, "If you are left without discipline, then you are illegitimate children and not sons." Finally, the writer of Hebrews explains the result of the Father's divine discipline, which is the production of righteousness in the life of the believer: "…he disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness…."
A Practical Theology of Adoption
I use a two-pronged approach to address the benefits of the doctrine of adoption in Christian flourishing. First, the formative aspects of the doctrine of adoption are presented by studying the application of the doctrine to Christian identity, responsibility, and community. Secondly, there are many restorative characteristics to the doctrine of adoption, and three strategies are examined to effectively utilize this powerful concept in the heart and life of the Christian.
Formative Aspects of Adoption
The first formative aspect of the doctrine of adoption in the believer's life comes from the believer's identity. Galatians 4:7 says, "…you are no longer a slave, but a son." This is the direct indicative reality of the believer in Jesus Christ. God has granted the right of sonship to all who believe in Jesus Christ (John 1:12), and he did so before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4-5). One may ask, "How can I be sure that I am adopted into the family of God? As Robert Peterson answers, "We know that God chooses people for salvation by the fact that they trust Christ."[29] 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 says, "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." If one trusts Christ, the universal testimony of the New Testament is that God has adopted them. If so, the benefits of adoption are ours in Christ, including the ministry of the Holy Spirit, confirming our identity (Rom. 8:15-16). Again, Peterson is helpful here.
"Each believer in Christ has the inner testimony of God's Spirit. This assurance is not given only to spiritual giants. Pygmies like you and me receive it too! It not only is experienced at times of great spiritual success, but sometimes is felt most keenly at times of spiritual defeat."[30]
Now there is a new identity. The believer in Christ is no longer a slave to sin, an orphan cast off, but is now an heir with Jesus Christ himself! As Elyse Fitzpatrick puts it, "Because we are his adopted sons, we have all the rights of the other Son in the house who has borne all the wrath we deserve and earned all the inheritance we receive."[31]
Secondly, there is a new responsibility. "The Puritans taught that every privilege of adoption has a corresponding responsibility or duty, each of which transforms the way believers think and live."[32] If the formative focus on identity covered the indicative aspect of adoption, the responsibility focus covered the imperative aspect of adoption. The reality of this doctrine changes the way believers live their lives. J.I. Packer lays out the pattern of change in three areas. First, a child imitates the Father (Matt. 5:44-45). This involves a desire and decision to act according to His revealed will in Scripture, seek to be holy as he is holy, and imitate him (Eph. 5:1). Second, by their life and behavior, a child glorifies the Father (Matt. 5:16). Packer clarifies,
"It is a fine thing for children to be proud of their father, and to want others too to see how wonderful he is, and to take care that they behave in public in a way that is a credit to him; and similarly, says Jesus, Christians must seek to behave in public in a way that brings praise to their Father in heaven."[33]
Good works follow Justification (Eph. 2:10) and are part of the presence of the Spirit, specifically the good work of putting sin to death by the power of the Spirit (Rom. 8:13). Third, a child pleases the Father when focused primarily on his honor (Matt. 6:1-18). Beeke agrees with Packer, "show childlike reverence, love, and zeal for your Father in everything. Render him praise and thanksgiving in all things."[34]
Christian responsibility or duty also extends joyfully to prayer. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, "Our Father..." in Matthew 6. Jesus was teaching his followers to pray to God the way he did. Packer points out that in John 11:42, Jesus could say to the Father, "You always hear me…" so that "as adopted children, the same is true. The Father is always accessible to his children and is never too preoccupied to listen to what they have to say."[35] As a Christian, the responsibility of prayer is not based on a religious foundation but a filial one. The Christian prays not to a distant deity but to a Father who is near and knows what is needed before he is asked (Matt. 6:7-8).
The final formative aspect of the doctrine of adoption involves the Christian community or the church. "It should not surprise us that being brought into a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ also means that we are brought into new relationships with those who also belong to the family of God."[36]There are many implications to this. First, Christians were never intended to live in isolation. "There are no islands in God's family."[37] The priority of fellowship in the early church leaves a pattern for plurality within the family of God (Acts 2:42, 7-11). "Whereas there was a natural inclination to go their separate ways, or to gravitate towards their own particular grouping, they actually gathered together as one new and diverse family."[38] This family of God is a covenant relationship in Christ, holding one another accountable to Scripture and God in the war against sin (Matt. 18; Gal. 6), building one another up, weeping and rejoicing together (Rom. 12), and loving one another sincerely (1 Cor. 13; Pet. 1:22).
Christians must direct one another to the biblical and theological reality of adoption as a regular part of Christian discipleship, spurring all on to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:25). The doctrine of adoption affects our view of ourselves before God (identity) as well as our behavior as we live before his face (responsibility) and our relationship with other Christians in the family of God (community).
Restorative Characteristics of Adoption
Not only is the doctrine of adoption beneficial for Christian flourishing in a formative sense, but it also benefits believers in a restorative sense. First, regarding our new Christian identity, David Powlison, in his excellent book, Seeing with New Eyes, has an entire chapter on using the book of Ephesians in counseling, and it is overflowing with great advice for all Christians to put into practice. Powlison reminds the reader, "Ephesians is not just about practical theology; it is practical theology. You hear him [Paul] talking with you as if he were saying, 'God predestined us to adoption.'"[39] Using the first chapter of Ephesians can be a benefit in heading toward the goal of understanding one's identity as a child of God. The Father planned the adoption (1:3-6), the Son paid the purchase price (1:7-12), and the Holy Spirit completed and sealed the transaction (1:13-14). This isn't a story about what could happen. This is the description of what did happen in the life of every child of God.
If seeking to direct oneself toward an effective view/ practice of prayer, the doctrine of adoption changes the perspective and practice. Elyse Fitzpatrick is extremely helpful in this when she says,
"Are you struggling to believe? Call out to your Daddy! Are you confused or tempted? Are you sinking beneath a load of sin? Call your Father. Don't be afraid that approaching him in this way is presumptuous or will anger or disappoint him. It doesn't matter what your relationship with your earthly Father might have been like. This Father is different, and he's gone so far as to share with you his Spirit— part of his own being— so that you will be assured that your cries are welcome and will always be heard and answered."[40]
A final element of help regarding the practical benefit of the doctrine of adoption comes in the form of dealing with sin issues. For the sake of argument, assume the sin under discussion is anger. One can approach it with a purposeful reminder that he has been adopted by God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and is no longer enslaved to anger that does not achieve the justice God requires (James 1:19-20). Packer gives a useful maxim to recite in this instance, "I am a child of God. God is my Father; heaven is my home; My Savior is my brother; every Christian is my brother too."[41] The Christian struggling with anger must re-categorize his behavior regarding his adoption and subsequent new relationships with others. This, as Packer posits, is the Christian's secret to living a God-honoring Christian life, the doctrine of adoption applied in every area of life and every relationship.
Conclusion
Sin has wrecked everything. The sadness of the Garden of Eden is overwhelming when Adam and Eve run from God and hide in Genesis 3:8-10.
“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, 'Where are you?' And he said, 'I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’”
Paul Tripp comments, "What a sad, sad moment! Here is one who was created to get his identity, meaning, and purpose from an intimate relationship with God." Yet, what do we find him doing? "He hides in fear when the One who is meant to be his life comes near!"[42] Only in Christ is the tragedy of sin and shame repaired and redeemed. Only in Christ does the believer have a new, true identity, no longer afraid to encounter God as judge, for believers are the people for whom God is Father.
Notes
[1] Dan Cruver, ed., Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living through the Rediscovery of Abba Father (Adelphi, Maryland: Cruciform Press, 2011), 8.
[2] Ibid, 9.
[3] Robert Alexander Webb, The Reformed Doctrine of Adoption (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1947), 17.
[4] J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, Illinois.: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 202.
[5] Ibid, 200.
[6] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England : Grand Rapids, Michigan: Inter-Varsity Press ; Zondervan Pub. House, 1994), 736.
[7] Joel R. Beeke, Heirs with Christ: The Puritans on Adoption (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Reformation Heritage Books, 2008).
[8] Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity: Contained in Sermons upon the Westminster Assembly’s Catechism (London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1965), 232.
[9] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[10] Grudem, Systematic Theology, 737.
[11] Robert A. Peterson, Adopted by God: From Wayward Sinners to Cherished Children (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P & R, 2001), 115.
[12] Russell Moore and Russell Moore, eds., A Guide to Adoption & Orphan Care (Louisville, Kentucky: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2012), 11.
[13] Robert L. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (Nashville, Tennessee: T. Nelson, 1998), 759.
[14] Peterson, Adopted by God, 48.
[15] Ibid, 163.
[16] Romans 8:23-25
[17] Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, 761.
[18] Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 2nd ed (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1998), 974.
[19] Ibid, 974.
[20] Grudem, Systematic Theology, 738.
[21] William Ames and John Dykstra. Eusden, The Marrow of Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1997).
[22] Beeke, Heirs with Christ.
[23] Ibid, 31.
[24] Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, 759.
[25] Grudem, Systematic Theology, 25.
[26] Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, 761.
[27] Packer, Knowing God, 206-207.
[28] Ibid, 209.
[29] Peterson, Adopted by God , 133.
[30] Ibid, 137.
[31] Elyse Fitzpatrick, Found in Him: The Joy of the Incarnation and Our Union with Christ (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2013), 149.
[32] Beeke, Heirs with Christ, 93.
[33] Packer, Knowing God, 211.
[34] Beeke, Heirs with Christ., 94.
[35] Packer, Knowing God, 212.
[36] Mark G. Johnston, Child of a King (Fearn, Ross-Shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 1997), 147.
[37] Ibid, 148.
[38] Ibid, 148.
[39] David Powlison, Seeing with New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition through the Lens of Scripture, Resources for Changing Lives (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P&R Pub, 2003), 18.
[40] Fitzpatrick, Found in Him, 150.
[41] Packer, Knowing God, 228.
[42] Paul David Tripp, A Quest for More: Living for Something Bigger than You (Greensboro, North Carolina: New Growth Press, 2007), 41.