It's Good to Be a Child of the King

We have been studying the book of Galatians at Mt Zion Baptist Church, which is a wonderful book about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Within the context off salvation, Paul is the only one who mentions the word adoption.  The other writers of the NT associate this word with the blessings of the doctrines of regeneration and justification.  Paul uses adoption five times in the Bible (Rom 8:15, 23; 9:4; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5).  In one instance it is referenced to the nation of Israel (Rom 9:4); another time when that adoption becomes fully realized in the future coming of Christ (Rom 8:23); and then in three instances Paul declares it as a present fact in a Believers life. 

The word adoption literally means “placing as a son.”  I like how Evans summarizes it, “Regeneration has to do with our change in nature; justification, with our change in standing; sanctification with our change in character; adoption, with our change in position” (Evans, The Great Doctrines of the Bible, p. 161).  Wow!  In regeneration then we have a new life; in justification, a new standing; and in adoption, a new position. 

I love Gal 4:6 “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”  Before salvation, the Gentile (all those not Jews) was a slave and the Jew a minor.  Yet through adoption, both now have legal standing as sons of God (Gal 4:1-7).  Of course, our full adoption and all that comes with it is not fully realized until the coming of Christ (Rom 8:23).  Then, if you can imagine, our broken sin riddled bodies will be delivered from all corruption and mortality and be make like unto his own glorious body (Phil 3:20).

Praise God that until Christ comes for his own, God has given us a down payment in the person of the Holy Spirit as I already mentioned in Gal 4:6.  Because of this there is a great appreciation and desire for the believer to have fellowship with the Father.  This is manifested by how we are to walk and be led by the Spirit and a conformity to the image of God’s Son (Rom 8:29). 

What a glorious thing to be a child of the King!