Having recently adopted a baby boy, I have had some occasion to think rather soberly on the relationship between the adoptive child and the respective parents. I see in it all a remarkable parallel between that of the spiritual adoption of us who are Gentiles.

Long ago God told Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice" (Genesis 22:18). The significance of this statement could be misleading to some, for some men actually feel that unless you are of the actual Jewish race, this passage has no real meaning to you. They plant emphasis on the words, "Thy seed" when in reality and of a truth, they ought to place the emphasis on the words, "all nations."

The apostle Paul later describes the significance of the statement God made to Abraham when he wrote, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:26-29). The simple point Paul is making is this: You do not have to be the literal seed of Abraham in order to enjoy the promise and be an heir, but you must of necessity be Christ's! If you are Christ's, then you are the sons of God.

In the next chapter of the same letter, Paul mentions the divine adoption procedure and says, "But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law (the Jew) that we (both Jew and Gentile) might receive the adoption of sons." (Gal. 4:4-5)

Realizing how, riot by being the literal linage, but by being Christ's, we by the process of spiritual adoption, are the sons of God, we should rejoice! We are heirs and have just as much right to be called his sons and daughters as did physical Israel long ago. It is a sad commentary to adoptive parents when many proclaim, "they are not really mine, they are adopted," or some who would have reared adopted children have said, "I just couldn't love them like my own." Thanks be to God, he does not view his adopted children as some parents do theirs.

While it is true my little boy is not my "actual seed," he will yet wear my name, be blessed with what I possess, and his children will also wear and bear the name and any blessing that might be derived from such. Adoptive Parents! Do not forget, we too are adopted, and yet we are just as much the children of God as any other person who obeys the gospel of Christ and lives according to the same!

Truth Magazine XIX: 17, pp. 269-270
March 6, 1975