I really have a heart for adoption. Neither me nor my wife were adopted, but I think that our desire to adopt stems from a discussion that we had in one of our seminary classes had. Dr. Randy Stinson was the professor, and he challenged us to adopt, from a theological standpoint. We were talking through the pro-choice/pro-life debate, and he said that if we’re truly pro-life, we should back that up with our lives. In China, there is still a demographic crisis, and the Chinese government has a strict policy limiting families to one child (this policy may be easing, see this article). Boys are more desired than girls, so it has sometimes been found that if a family has a girl, they do not want the child. We, as Christians, should be at the front of the lines to adopt these children that they want to get rid of. Don’t abort them or toss them out on the street! We believe that every life is sacred, and we want you to know that we’ll take these babies, so don’t abort them!
I know that this is just a small sector of the options that a person has for adoption. But this is what has spring-boarded us into thinking through the importance of adoption. In fact, we continue to grow more and more passionate about it. I think that God is passionate about it, too. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” (Ephesians 1:4-6) We were once enemies of God (Romans 5:8), children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), and the thoughts of our hearts were set against God (Genesis 6:5). Yet God chose us to be “holy and blameless.” It was His loving choice that brought us out of a life destined for eternity apart from Him. It actually brought God “pleasure” to offer Christ to us and adopt us as sons! Did you ever think about that? It brings God joy to rescue His enemies and graft them (actually, us!) into His family. And here, it doesn’t say that we were adopted as “sons and daughters” because, you may remember, it was the first-born son who received all of the inheritance of the Father. And God is saying that about us. We have been adopted as sons, and as such, we receive the inheritance of our heavenly Father that never spoils or fades (1 Peter 1:3-8). Yeah, God’s all about adoption.
Are you?
