Gospel Focus: September 2007 Archives

Carolina Hope's adoption blog, from hope to reality, just published an interview with Thabiti Anyabwile entitled "Transracial Adoption and the Gospel." I think you'll find it very helpful.

One of my deepest desires is that the doctrine of adoption would be recovered within the Christian church, that it would be valued, treasured and articulated by pastors (and their people) and theologians even as the doctrine of justification is. Progress is being made, but there is much more needed—not only in its recovery but also in its proper understanding. It is a doctrine that makes known the great glory of God's grace (see Ephesians 1:5-6). This is one of the reasons I am thrilled that Carolina Hope Christian Adoption Agency has commissioned me to study and articulate the precious, life-transforming doctrine of adoption.

"Of course it had never been doubted or concealed by any worthy expositor of the ways of God in salvation, that we are children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Adoption is a Christian benefit. But much depends on the place in the mind given to a thought like this, and, especially, much depends on the dogmatic form it assumes, and the virtue allowed to it in the system" (Robert Rainy).

If you are an adoptive family (or are at least considering adoption), let me encourage you to read the book of Ephesians with your own adoptive family in mind. It is full of instruction that will strengthen and enrich relationships within adoptive families (or in any family for that matter). Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner, author of The Spirit of Adoption: At Home in God's Family, writes:

“Shortly before he died, the New Testament scholar Bo Reicke was reworking his approach to Ephesians…In his revision, Reicke was going to assert that the last three [chapters of Ephesians], filled with practical application, were the heart of the book. Chapters 4-6 are filled with advice and admonitions about how to live and love as family of faith: Children of disobedience and wrath are to walk as children of light. Specific instructions are given as to how ‘beloved children’ related to one another. Household codes (rules of conduct) are offered in chapters 5 and 6.

“Why are these practical chapters the heart of the book? Because they reveal how to live as adopted children of God. Ephesians 4-6 develops the doctrine of adoption that is presented in the first three chapters. They not only talk about how to live as Christians; they tell us how an adopted family functions. For example, Ephesians 4:11-13 develops the theme of acceptance-of-differences, which is an essential theme in healthy adoptive families; the passage elaborates on this theme by advocating an acceptance-of-differences- of-gifts given by Christ for ministry. To illustrate this theme, in Ephesians 4:15-16 an image is developed of the various parts of the body. The body comprises different limbs, organs, and systems, but it is the very difference that makes the body truly functional. Ephesians 5:1 contains an exhortation to be as ‘beloved children’ as Christians in Ephesus. This injunction was not given to flesh-and-blood siblings, but rather to the diversified followers of Christ who were forming a family by faith” (Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner, The Spirit of Adoption: At Home in God’s Family, 98-99).

You don't have to read too far into Ephesians to recognize that it is a letter that cares deeply about theological adoption. Just four verses in Paul writes, "In love [God the Father] predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace." Paul chooses to introduce this great epistle by highlighting God's gracious work of adoption through His Son. No other book in the New Testament does this (though the Gospel of John comes close—see John 1:12).

I think Bo Reicke was right when he argued that the purpose of Ephesians 4-6 is to instruct Christians about how to live within God's adoptive family. If you are adoptive parents that are looking for a book that will provide much wisdom for your adoptive family, start with Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Not only is it time-tested; it's also inspired by the One who not only knows everything there is to know about adoption but also invented it, God.

*Originally posted at from hope to reality.

This was originally posted at from hope to reality. One of my co-workers, Josh, made an insightful comment on the post. I included it below.

The writers of the Heidelberg Catechism, one of the most influential confessional documents ever created, thought the doctrine of adoption was important enough to be included in this beautifully written question and answer document. I'm grateful they did. In it they briefly address the relationship between Christ's Sonship and ours.

Question 33. Why is Christ called the "only begotten Son" of God, since we are also the children of God?

Answer: Because Christ alone is the eternal and natural Son of God; but we are children adopted of God, by grace, for his sake.

Josh's comment in response to the above post:

It’s interesting that even before the era of positive adoption language, theological adoption is framed in the Catechism in terms of “natural” sonship vs. sonship by adoption — rather than “real” sonship vs. sonship by adoption. I conclude from this that you might be able to make an argument from theology for positive adoption terms. If we’re thinking about those theological parallels, then saying “they have 3 real kids and 2 adopted” is not just insensitive (a good social reason to avoid language like that), but it’s also theologically pernicious! If adoption doesn’t create a real parent-child relationship, then what’s our relationship to God?

This also has implications for the fringe anti-adoption movement that claims adoption creates a “legal lie” when it establishes a new parent-child relationship. This argument rests on the assumption that BIOLOGY = REALITY or HUMAN DESCENT = TRUE IDENTITY. But St. Paul tells us that under the New Covenant, human descent isn’t the primary issue anymore.

Hm … lots of theological implications that you can post about in the future, Dan. Thanks for your thoughts on adoption.

Charles Garland, co-author of "The Current Intellectual State of Affairs in America" with Tim Keller, preached a very helpful sermon on law and gospel from Exodus 20:1-3 on August 19th.. Listen to it here. Dowload it here.

Tim Chester on a better meeting place from Hebrews 8-9. He writes:

"At work … In the home … At school … You can be close to God. Maybe work or school feels a million miles away from church … When the pressure’s on at work, you may want to close your eyes, pause for a moment and remember that [you] can meet God in those moments and come before him boldly to find grace and help in time of need."

I love the book of Hebrews.

Check out these two sermons by Charlie Boyd of Southside Fellowship.

How the Gospel Changes Everything: Rescued (Galatians 1:1-5) How the Gospel Changes Everything: No Other Gospel (Galatians 1:6-12)

Tim Chester and Steve Timmis write:

"People need to encounter the church as a network of relationships rather than a meeting you attend or a place you enter. Mission must involve not only contact between unbelievers and individual Christians, but between unbelievers and the Christian community. We want to build relationships with unbelievers. But we also need to introduce people to the network of relationships that make up that believing community so that they can see Christian community in action.

In our experience people are often attracted to the Christian community before they are attracted to the Christian message. If a believing community is a persuasive apologetic for the gospel then people need to be included to see that apologetic at work. People often tell me how they have tried telling their unbelieving friends about Jesus, but they do not seem interested. So they want to know what to do next. My answer is to find ways of introducing them to the Christian community" (Total Church, 56-57).

Tim Chester talks about their book, Total Church, here.