The Father of Comfort and Hope: How Adoption Grounds Childlike Faith in Reality
In a previous post providing commentary on Luke 18, I made a statement saying, “Childlike faith is not just a metaphor”. On Christian Faith in Luke 18
Often this term childlike faith is expressed as an ideal. We take it to mean we must be more dependent and trusting in God. Yes and amen to that! Others may hear and equate it with innocence, finding it impossible to achieve in light of their past mistakes and sinful hearts. Childlike faith for the Christian, however, is grounded in a sweet and beautiful reality: Adoption. Not only are we to receive Jesus and His Kingdom as a child, we enter into His Kingdom as sons and heirs of God with Christ. When we make this connection between childlike faith and the doctrine of adoption, we uncover that our relationship with God is much deeper and more intimate than we realize.
The Spirit of Adoption
What exactly do we mean by adoption? Adoption is a Biblical and spiritual reality introduced to us by the apostle Paul. There are multiple passages in which it is mentioned, but the key passage we will hone in on here is Galatians 4:4-7:
“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.”
God the Father sent His only-begotten son Jesus to provide for us salvation and redemption. Through His work on the cross He has paid the debt that we accrued to God for our sins, which we were unable to repay ourselves. It does not, however, stop there. Notice, Paul explains that this happened “so that we might receive adoption as sons.”1 Yes, we receive justification and the righteousness of Christ when we believe in Him as our Lord and Savior. The Father, however, was not content to simply make us righteous (not to downplay this crucial aspect of our salvation, praise Jesus that He has made us righteous!). We find here that His ultimate purpose is the reconciliation of our relationship with Him. God loves us, and just like the prodigal son is quick to restore us to sonship when we repent and believe!
This happens when Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within our hearts. It is when we receive the Spirit (called the Spirit of adoption in Romans 8:15) that we receive adoption, as the Spirit bears witness and seals us as adopted sons of God. What this means, then, is that we are now heirs of God, receiving “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3). Not only do we have access to our inheritance now on earth through the Holy Spirit, we also have hope that we will enjoy the full inheritance of the Kingdom of God at the end of the ages. Adoption is a change of our relationship status with God: once we were enemies with Him due to our fallen and sinful nature, now we belong to Him and His household as redeemed children.
The Fruit of Adoption
A clear and deep understanding of adoption is crucial for the Christian faith, indeed it is part of the foundation for the childlike faith Jesus calls us to possess. Paul intimately connects the Christian life, or life in the Spirit, with adoption in Romans 8:14 saying, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
While there are many blessings we receive from adoption, perhaps the two most important that we have access to now on earth are comfort and hope.
Divine Comfort
In Romans 8:17, Paul reveals a truth that can be tough to swallow, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Suffering in this life on earth is promised to the children of God. Why? The Son of God, by nature, Jesus Christ suffered on earth. As Christians, those like Christ, we join we are called to join with Christ in His sufferings so that we may share in His glory. When we follow Christ in this fallen world the natural result will be suffering and persecution.
While suffering is unavoidable as adopted children of God, what comes with it is worth every bit of persecution we may face: unfettered access to our Father in heaven and the comfort that His love brings. This is the inheritance that we receive as sons of God. At all times, and especially when the winds and waves of life are breaking and crashing over us, seeming to be too much to overcome, the Spirit lifts up our souls to the bosom of the Father. This is when we fall to the ground in prayer. This is when we cry out, “Abba! Father!” and He is sure to wrap us in His loving, everlasting arms. This is divine comfort. I can guarantee, from personal experience, there is no greater source of comfort in all the heavens and earth. No amount of mindless entertainment, motivational speech, or substance on this earth can compare. For all these things are temporary, but the living God is eternal and unchanging. If my words are not convincing enough, let Paul convince you:
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
You, child of God, have full access to your kind and loving Father in heaven. He loves you, and will let nothing separate you from His love. Take comfort in His presence. This is your wonderful inheritance!
Living Hope
Adoption is a present reality for those believe in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, but we also look forward to the day in which we may fully enjoy its fruits. Paul says in Romans 8:23, “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.” While we are being sanctified by the Spirit in this present life, and enjoy the fruits of adoption now, there is much more to look forward to. The reality that there is even more to come produces hope within us, especially in the midst of our current sufferings. The apostle John shows us how how this works:
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3)
While we have full access to God now as His sons through Christ, this spiritual reality will one day become a physical reality. One day, we will see God as He is! And in that day all suffering and sorrow will cease. It is difficult to fathom, much more so to try to put into words, the joy that day will bring for the children of God. We will enjoy eternal life in the full presence of God, becoming like Him in the sense that we will participate in His full goodness, righteousness, and joy. Now we participate partially, and one day we will share in the fullness of His glory. This is the living hope that the sons of God possess.
Childlike Faith + Adoption
Childlike faith is grounded in this reality of adoption. As a child, we bury ourselves in the arms of our Father in heaven; finding lasting comfort. When the world taunts and tempts us to doubt that our God is good, or even exists, the Spirit reminds us of His promises. In these we have a living hope beyond circumstance. We trust in our God, letting Him be true “though every one were a liar” (Rom. 3:4). With comfort and in hope we receive and enter the Kingdom of God as His children.
If you are not a believer, would you consider trusting in God today? You have tried to maneuver through this life on your own strength. Do you have the comfort and hope that I have written about here? Can you say with full assurance that you are righteous in the eyes of God? God loves you, so much that He sent His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ into the world so that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. This is a free gift of grace to you, and one that you need to take. Please, believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior today. Reach out to a Christian in your life, or leave a comment below to connect with me.
For all my fellow children of God, let us run this race of faith with childlike hope in the Father who loves us. I pray for all who are downcast, that you would find comfort for your soul in the arms of God. Would you trust in the blood of Christ, would you take hope in His return. I pray that you allow the Holy Spirit to lift your soul into the holy court of God. Run to the Father’s arms, bury your head in His bosom, and know that you are loved.
An important note: the use of “son” in the passage was intentional by Paul, not to leave out women from receiving adoption but in fact the exact opposite. It shows that all who believe in Jesus, male or female, receive the status of son, which in the historical context carried a higher status than daughter, as only sons received an inheritance. A few verses earlier, Paul declares that all are one in Christ Jesus including male and female (Gal. 3:28), so that context supports the argument that women are also included in this adoption made possible by Christ. While many Bible translations change “sons” to “children” or “sons and daughters” to convey inclusivity, I believe the ESV does right by the original context to leave it as sons, as this better expresses the original message that all who believe in Christ receive the full inheritance of God, as only a son could in the culture of the text.
