The Church Formed By God - The Result: Sonship

“…having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,…”  (Ephesians 1:5a)

The result of God’s election is our adoption as sons. In Christ we become subjects of His kingdom, and because He is our Lord we are His servants. He even calls us friends because, He says, “All things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Truly all of these aspects of our relationship with God are marvelous and exciting, not to mention worthy of our consideration and study.  To be a subject in His Kingdom is a great privilege.  It carries with it both great benefit and huge responsibility.  That we are His servants is wondrous as well.  It is marvelous to be a servant in the household of the almighty God!  How great the privilege of living and working within the household economy of the sovereign ruler of the universe!  Further, that we are His friends transcends wonder!  All of this boggles the mind and thrills the heart almost beyond bearing.

But in His great love He makes us more than citizens and servants, and even more than friends. He makes us children. God lovingly draws redeemed sinners into the intimacy of His own family.  How great is that?  What words are there that can express the marvel and the unspeakable glory at the truth of we, His former enemies and those who were rebellious and resisted His every advance, are now the beloved children of His heart, the apple of His eye and those upon whom the Word of God says He dotes and those whom He cherishes beyond all of the rest of His creation!

When we become Christians we become children of God. “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear,” Paul says, “but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Rom. 8:15).  “Abba was an Aramaic word of endearment somewhat equivalent to Daddy or Papa (though not precisely carrying the intimate and familiarity that our term “Daddy” carries).  Our relationship with God is such that we are not on the outside looking in, nor are we even those who were formerly outside, now included as a matter of expedience or courtesy.  We are His very own family!

To be saved is to have the very life of God in our souls, His own Spirit enlivening our spirits. Human parents can adopt children and come to love them every bit as much as they love their natural children. They can give an adopted child complete equality in the family life, resources, and inheritance. But no human parent can impart his own distinct nature to an adopted child. The child forever remains a child not of their flesh, but of their choice.  This is a wondrous thing to be sure, and ought not be lessened to any degree.

Yet , we should note that this is what God miraculously does to every person whom He has elected and who has trusted in Christ. He makes them sons just like His divine Son. We are the “sons of His flesh” so to speak.  Wonder of wonders and marvel of marvels!  God takes those who were not His children and makes them, in every way, His children.  Christians not only have all of the Son’s riches and blessings but all of the Son’s nature.