In my early years I used to hear lessons from the Church encouraging us to witness to others. We often would talk about becoming adopted into God‘s family. I’ve heard the phrase many times, "God has no orphans." This was very reassuring for me even though I was not adopted or in foster care. The symbolism held a high importance for me because it help me to understand what it meant to be part of the family of God.
Over time, as I grew up and went to college the phrase and importance to talk about adoption into God’s Family seem to disappear from our vocabulary. In spiritual terms we started talking becoming a Christian by choosing Him as Savior. We would even teach that salvation in Christ was followed by discipleship. There were new terms that were introduced like being "born again." Theology rightfully identified the importance of being justified through Christ because of what His sacrifice means in the Christian faith. The terms may have even been biblical but not as much emphasis was placed on family. How many of you remember calling each other in the church brother and sister?
More recently however, I have begun to incorporate this all important theology of being "adopted" into God’s family as a clearer understanding of salvation. Having been both a foster parent and now recruiting people for foster care, perhaps my realization has been heightened. I talk more and more these days about orphan ministries and foster care. With over a half million children currently in foster care or waiting for adoption, there is never been a more alarming statistic than what we are facing today in America alone.
The following are a few scriptures that reference the theology of being adopted and even illustrate the importance of being connected into God‘s family. We can think of so many biblical examples of those that were outside of His family but then being able to join into the church family.
Read 10 biblical verses that talk about adoption.
We know well the story of Moses who was adopted and saved from death so he could save God’s people from Egypt. (Exodus 1:15-22)
There is Rahab who was able to be adopted (so to speak) into the lineage of Jesus because of her willingness to hide the spies. (Joshua 2:1-24)
There is the story of Esther who was raised by her uncle Mordecai because her parents died and who later becoming the queen, saving God’s people from certain death. (Esther)
Most certainly is the story of Jesus who was born of a virgin Mary and adopted by an earthly father named Joseph. (Matthew 1:18)
We read over and over about spiritual adoption that we all can experience as recorded by Paul. As Romans 8:15 so beautifully states, "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’"
Read about more scriptures from following article: Adoption Stories.
This is a key reminder that not only are we all orphaned and separated from God but it drives home the reality of hundreds of thousands of children and youth who are orphaned and in foster care every day. God has compassion on us as Orphans and the church should have compassion on those, who of no fault of their own, are in foster care and needing adopted into our families today!
Could it be that we’re missing out when we talk about evangelism but fail to talk about how God adopt us as members of his family? For me, I want to make sure people understand that the price of that adoption was on His death and resurrection. We are accepted and even adopted as children of God when we receive, freely this gift of eternal life!
It is time to bring adoption back into the church!
Francis Chan makes the assertion that if one out of every other church were to invest in caring for the Orphan we could eliminate (foster care & adoption) the need nationally!
