Adopted

I read the following this evening.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

This text can be found in the first chapter of Ephesians.

What a beautiful sentiment.  God was pleased to adopt me into his family!  In fact he planned it long before I was even born.

This truth has a special meaning to me because three years ago we adopted two beautiful baby girls into our family.  And similarly the planning began long before they were even born.

Adoption, in this context has a very specific meaning.  I have been given legal responsibility to not only care and provide for the needs of my children, but to take responsibility for their actions.

In a Christian context adoption also has a very specific meaning.  God has not only taken responsibility to care and provide for my needs but (and here is the kicker) to take responsibility for my actions.

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  John 1:12

Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness …  1 Peter 2:24

I am a child of God.  He is my father; and he loves me. 

This much I know.