Like Our Father: A 5-Day Study by Christina FoxSample

Day 2:

What makes God our Father? Is it simply because He made us? The Bible teaches that we are brought into relationship with God through the act of adoption.

Jesus did more than save us from the wages of our sin; He saved us for relationship with our triune God. But He didn’t do it alone. It was the plan of our Triune God from eternity past. God the Father, through the life and death of the Son, and by the Spirit’s regenerating work in our hearts, adopted us as His children so that we would join in the love and fellowship the Trinity has experienced together for all eternity. This means that upon our salvation, we are adopted into the family of God and become His children. This adoption is what enables us to call God, Father. Christ is now our elder brother, and all God’s children are our brothers and sisters. We are now part of a big, beautiful family called the church.

Have you adopted a child or know someone who has? It is a beautiful real-life example of what God has done for us. I’ve walked with several friends through this process. I loved supporting, praying for, and encouraging friends as they labored to bring their adopted child home. One friend adopted a sibling group through the foster care system. I was able to attend the adoption proceeding at the courthouse. I watched as the judge declared that these children now belong to my friend and her husband. He officially gave them my friend’s last name. It was a joyous and beautiful thing to watch! I don’t think there was a dry eye in the courtroom. These children now call my friend Momma and her husband Daddy. They know all their needs will be met. When they are hungry, they are fed. When they are hurt, they are cared for. They are now part of a forever family.

This is true for us in our relationship with God. He adopted us and now calls us His own. We are His forever. We bear His image and His name. And as His children, we have all the rights and privileges that come with being part of His family. We are the heirs of His Kingdom. Take time to today to consider what it means to be God’s child, to be a part of His forever family. Rejoice in your sonship today!

Questions to Consider:

1. What are some comparisons between an adopted child and our adoption into God’s family?
2. What does it mean to you that God calls you his own and brought you into his family?
3. What are some benefits of being an adopted child of the Father?