Biblical Doctrine Of Spiritual Adoption
Spiritual adoption is a theological concept describing God's act of bringing believers into His family as His children, granting them the full rights and privileges of sonship [2, 8]. This concept is prominently discussed by the Apostle Paul, particularly in Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians [3].
The biblical understanding of adoption draws from ancient Roman legal customs, where a person without natural heirs could adopt a child from another family. This adopted child would then possess all the legal rights and inheritance of a natural-born son [3]. Spiritually, this means that those adopted by God are not merely servants but are elevated to the status of children, sharing in the divine inheritance [3, 8].
Key aspects of spiritual adoption include:
- Divine Initiative and Grace: Adoption is an act of God's grace, not based on human merit [1, 10]. Ephesians 1:5 states that God "predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire" [4]. This predestination highlights God's sovereign choice in the process [1, 11]. John Calvin emphasizes that God finds nothing in humanity to incline Him to mercy except their wretchedness, making adoption a clear display of free mercy [10].
- Through Christ: Believers are adopted "through Jesus Christ" [1, 4]. John 1:12 notes that to those who received Him, He gave the right to become children of God [1]. This connection to Christ means that adoption is a "participated likeness of natural sonship," where Christ is the natural Son, and believers participate in that sonship through Him [7].
- New Relationship and Privileges: Adoption introduces believers into a new relationship with God, making them partakers of all the blessings He has provided [2]. The Westminster Confession of Faith details these privileges: having God's name put upon them, receiving the Spirit of adoption, having bold access to the throne of grace, being enabled to cry "Abba, Father," and being pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by God as a father [8]. They are never cast off but are "sealed to the day of redemption" [8].
- The Role of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in spiritual adoption. Romans 8:15 states that believers receive "the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, Abba, Father." The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God [1, 8]. Being led by the Spirit is presented as evidence of this adoption [1, 9]. Adam Clarke notes that believers are freed from the "spirit of bondage" associated with the law and instead receive the Spirit of adoption [5].
- Connection to Justification and Regeneration: Adoption is closely linked to justification, representing the new relations and privileges that accompany being declared righteous by God [2]. It is also connected to the new birth, as John 1:12-13 links receiving Christ with the right to become children of God, "who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" [1]. John Gill describes adoption as "open adoption" that follows conversion [6].
The concept of adoption extends beyond individual believers to include national adoption, as God adopted Israel as His son (Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 7:6) [2]. However, spiritual adoption in the New Testament emphasizes the inclusion of both Jews and Gentiles into God's family through Christ, fulfilling prophecies of Gentile inclusion [1, 3]. Paul highlights that Gentiles are "fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" [1].
Spiritual adoption underscores the intimate and secure relationship believers have with God, not as a result of their own efforts, but as a gift of divine love and grace.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Adoption — Explained -- 2Co 6:18. Is according to promise -- Ro 9:8; Ga 3:29. Is by faith -- Ga 3:7,26. Is of God's grace -- Eze 16:3-6; Ro 4:16,17; Eph 1:5,6,11. Is through Christ -- Joh 1:12; Ga 4:4,5; Eph 1:5; Heb 2:10,13. Saints predestinated to -- Ro 8:29; Eph 1:5,11. Of Gentiles, predicted -- Ho 2:23; Ro 9:24-26; Eph 3:6. The Adopted are gathered together in one by Christ -- Joh 11:52. New birth connected with -- Joh 1:12,13. The Holy Spirit is a Witness of -- Ro 8:16. Being led by the Spirit is an evidence of -- Ro 8:14. Saints receive the Spirit of -- Ro 8:15”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Adoption — The giving to any one the name and place and privileges of a son who is not a son by birth. (1.) Natural. Thus Pharaoh's daughter adopted Moses (Ex. 2:10), and Mordecai Esther (Esther 2:7). (2.) National. God adopted Israel (Ex. 4:22; Deut. 7:6; Hos. 11:1; Rom. 9:4). (3.) Spiritual. An act of God's grace by which he brings men into the number of his redeemed family, and makes them partakers of all the blessings he has provided for them. Adoption represents the new relations into which the believer is introduced by justification, and the privileges connecte”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Adoption — an expression used by St. Paul in reference to the present and prospective privileges of Christians. (Romans 8:15,23; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5) He probably alludes to the Roman custom by which a person not having children of his own might adopt as his son one born of other parents. The relationship was to all intents and purposes the same as existed between a natural father and son. The term is used figuratively to show the close relationship to God of the Christian. (Galatians 4:4,5; Romans 8:14-17) He is received into God's family from the world, and ”
- Ephesians “having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, -- Ephesians 1:5”
- Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 8:15: Ye have not received the spirit of bondage - All that were under the law were under bondage to its rites and ceremonies; and as, through the prevalence of that corrupt nature with which every human being is polluted, and to remove which the law gave no assistance, they were often transgressing, consequently they had forfeited their lives, and were continually, through fear of death, subject to bondage, Heb 2:15. The believers in Christ Jesus were brought from under that law, and from under its condemnation; and, consequently, were freed from its bondage. The Gentile”
- Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 3:19: But I said,.... Within himself, in the thoughts of his heart, when he took up a resolution concerning their conversion, open adoption, and return to their own land, as a symbol of the eternal inheritance: how shall I put thee among the children? among the children of God, who are so by special adopting grace, which is a high and honourable privilege, greater than to be the sons and daughters of the greatest potentate on earth; who as they are high birth, being born of God, so they are brought up, and fed, and clothed as the children of the King of kings; they have”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of Adoption as Befitting to Christ, Art. 4: Article: Whether Christ as man is the adopted Son of God? I answer that, Sonship belongs properly to the hypostasis or person, not to the nature; whence in the FP, Question [32], Article [3] we have stated that Filiation is a personal property. Now in Christ there is no other than the uncreated person or hypostasis, to Whom it belongs by nature to be the Son. But it has been said above (Article [1], ad 2), that the sonship of adoption is a participated likeness of natural sonship: nor can a thing b”
- Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) “Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed, 1646), CHAPTER 12: CHAPTER 12 Of Adoption 1. All those that are justified, God vouchsafeth, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God, have his name put upon them, receive the Spirit of adoption, have access to the throne of grace with boldness, are enabled to cry, Abba, Father, are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by him, as by a father: yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption; an”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 8:14: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,.... Not by the spirit of the world, or of the devil, or by their own spirits: the act of leading ascribed to the Spirit is either in allusion to the leading of blind persons, or such who are in the dark; or rather to the leading of children and teaching them to go; which supposes life in those that are led, and some degree of strength, though a good deal of weakness; and is a display of powerful and efficacious grace, and is always for their good: the Spirit of God leads them from sin, and from a dependence on their own rig”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 72: you observe that man’s acceptance with God is twofold. As man is by nature, God finds nothing in him which can incline him to mercy, except merely big wretchedness. If it is clear then that man, when God first interposes for him, is naked and destitute of all good, and, on the other hand, loaded and filled with all kinds of evil,—for what quality, pray, shall we say that he is worthy of the heavenly kingdom? Where God thus clearly displays free mercy, have done with that empty imagination of merit. Another passage in the same book—”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 2 (Gen 24-50), section 2.24: passed by the other, the merits of both had been foreseen. For it was necessary that God should have decreed that Jacob should differ from Esau, otherwise he would not have been unlike his brother. And we must always remember the doctrine of Paul, that no one excels another by means of his own industry or virtue, but by the grace of God alone. Although, however, both the brothers were by nature equal, yet Moses represents to us, in the person of Esau, as in a mirror, what kind of men all the reprobate are, who, being left to thei”