The Greatest Adoption - Not Just Like Royal, But Are Indeed Royal

- Part Three of Study Note for Galatians

 


If you have photo App like Google Photo on your phone, those photo App will periodically present photo slideshow to you. The title of the slideshow will be something like Colorado Trip or Family Together or Cute Pets.


A few days ago, the photo app on my phone pop up a slideshow to me with title of “Like Royalty” The photo App AI collected some of pictures when my wife and I took in our trip to Europe a few years ago. Those pictures were taken in front of some palaces and castles. Obviously, the photo App AI offered some complement to us by titled the slideshow as “Like Royal” because the buildings in background were related to royal families. The AI was trying to make us feel good about being like Royal.

Are we just like Royal?

No. We are not just like Royal. We are indeed Royal! The Photo App AI doesn’t know that. That’s why it just said that we are like Royal for being nice to us and trying to attract us to use the photo App more. But the King of kings in the true royal family, who is God, and told us through His Words the Bible that we Christians are the adopted sons and daughters of God.

Paul told us in first chapter of Galatians:

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,[a] though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles[b] of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:1-7)

Many Christians believed whoever believe in Jesus will go to Heaven and have eternal life, which is one of the fundamental doctrine presented in John 3:16.  When a person repents, and believes in Jesus, that person will be saved, and go to Heaven after passing through this world. That’s because Jesus died on the cross and purchased salvation with His blood and whoever believe Him will be saved and has eternal life.

But Bible tells us that Jesus’ atonement on cross bought much more than the way to enter the Heaven. Christ’s blood purchased not only our way to Heaven, but also the identity for us in Him. We go to Heaven, not as redeemed people, but as the adopted sons, and daughters. Because God is King of kings, and the Lord of lords, as His sons, and daughters we are royal. In the above passages that I quoted from Paul’s letter to Galatian churches, Paul stated clearly what really Christ’s redemption means to us, not only the justification in front of God, but also the adoption by God through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

In his book Who Am I: Identity in Christ, the late Jerry Bridge wrote one of the identities in Christ is “I am an adopted son of God”. He quoted above passages in Galatians, and verses in Ephesians, and verses in Romans.

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us[b] for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,… - Ephesians 1:4-5

5 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 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. – Romans 8:15-17

As Christians, we hold the truth of justification dearly. We also should know that Christ redeems us not only for our justification in front of holy God, but also bring us up to the level of sonship with Him, and be heir of God’s Kingdom.

In past years, I have been studied Christian faith with a group young people. I repeated to share with them that we Christians should be lack nothing, and should be confident in everything because we are not just ordinary believers, but are royal, and heir of God’s Kingdom. The creator of the universe is our father. We can cry to God “Abba Father” because He adopted us. Who else we need to rely on except our father in Heave! What else we still need except the kingdom of God!

I hope that we Christians all hold fast the truth of our identities in Christ, and in Him we are the adopted sons, and daughter of God, and the heir of God’s Kingdom. As the adopted sons, and daughters, we can enjoy the high privities, but also bear the great responsibility. In our words, and by our acts, we should glory our Father in Heaven, but not bring shame on our Father's name.

 

 

 

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