Adoption, or “son-placing,” is the ultimate goal God has set for believer (Eph 1:5) at the end of time, bringing us into the fullness of eternal realities. In Paul’s writings the ideas of “children” and “sons” are different. Becoming a child is a generative change: we are born into the family and share common life. Becoming a son is a legal change, as when we see a sign “Smith and Sons.” This doesn’t announce the birth of a child, but that the son is being brought into privilege and responsibility. We are made sons at the moment of salvation and thus already have received a spirit of adoption “whereby we cry, Abba, Father,” (Rom 8:14-15), but the son-placing will occur at the time of the redemption of the body (Rom 8:23). By clinging to the law, Israel failed to enter into sonship (Rom 9:4), a privilege into which we come solely the work of Christ (Gal 4:1-7). Note the references to “My God” in Matthew 27:46 and John 20:17, with the addition of “My Father and your Father.”
Today’s Reading: Joshua 3-5 Memorize: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14