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Adoption: An Inheritance from God

The experience of adoption involves more than simply securing a
ticket to heaven. It requires us to allow the Holy Spirit to demonstrate
that we are obedient sons and daughters as we reflect the glory of
God (2 Corinthians 4:6). What impression would you have of a person
who always wore white, clean clothing but never took a bath? The
person’s inconsistency wouldn’t make sense, would it? How much more
inconsistent it is for a person to claim the righteousness of Christ and yet
live in a manner unworthy of his Christian adoption.

Present
There is not only a past phase of adoption but also a present phase:
“Dear friends, now we are the children of God” (1 John 3:2). Notice
also that Paul uses the present tense in Galatians 4:6: “You are sons.”
The fact of our present adoption should do several things to us. First,
it should free us from any doubt about
the future. We don’t have to wait until
we stand in God’s presence to know
whether we are His children. We know We know on the
now on the authority of His Word and authority of His
by the testimony of the Holy Spirit that
we are God’s children (Romans 8:16). Word and by the
testimony of the
Second, the fact of our adoption
should impress us with the necessity Holy Spirit that we
of living in this world consistent with are God’s children.
our status as children of God. John
says that those who look forward to
Christ’s appearing keep themselves
pure, just as Christ is pure (1 John 3:3), while Paul urges us to “say ‘No’
to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright
and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:12). Godly living is therefore
appropriate for the children of God.

Examine carefully Romans 8:14–17 and Galatians 4:4–7. These
Scriptures speak of adoption as a present experience. They show us
that adoption delivers us from slavery, enables us to address God as
Father, and makes us heirs of God. Once indeed we were slaves to sin,
Satan, and self. We were haunted by fear, especially the fear of death
(Hebrews 2:14–15), for we knew that judgment awaited us. But Christ

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