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Office
Of The Holy Spirit-- Adoption
There are several modes of adoption; such
as, adoption by arms, in which the person adopted is
presented with arms with which he is obligated to protect
the adopter. Adoption by baptism (so-called), or more
properly speaking, adoption by sprinkling, in which the
godchild receives a partial inheritance of the substance
of the godparent. Adoption by matrimony, in which the
children of a former wife or husband are taken into the
condition of natural children. Adoption by hair, in which
a lock of the hair is cut off and given to the adopter.
Adoption by testament is the appointing of a person to be
heir by a will, on conditions of his taking the name,
arms, etc., of the adopter.
God has but one mode of adoption;
viz., adoption by testament, or by His Spirit. "For
ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear
but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we
cry, Abba, Father." Rom. 8:15. When we are convicted
by the Holy Ghost and feel that we are lost and far from
God, then we are in reality drawing near to Him and near
the place where we can call Him "our Father and our
God." Even when we may feel that we are the worst of
all God's creatures, angels of heaven are about to break
forth with rejoicing, and God is about to inscribe our
names with a pen of gold in "the Lamb's book of
life." The Holy Spirit, the executive of the laws of
the kingdom of God, qualifies us for membership in the
Royal Family; after which we become "heirs of God and
joint heirs with Jesus Christ." In other words, we
are translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the
kingdom of God's dear Son. Colossians 1:13.
When the penitent sinner comes
seeking the mercy of God and God for Christ's sake
forgives all his sins and remembers them against him no
more forever, it is the office work of the Holy Spirit to
bear the glad news to the adopted soul, that he is
welcomed to the household of faith. "And hereby we
know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath
given us." 1 John 3:24.
Adoption is taken from
"ad" and "opto" in the Latin, which
means to desire to choose. (See Webster.) This is the true
sense in which God adopts us. He chooses us "who were
by nature the children of wrath, even as others"
(Eph. 2:3), to be His own children. This He does by the
appointment of His will, in which transaction we are
required to take His name.
"According as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before him in love:
having predestined us unto the adoption of children by
Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of
his will." Eph. 1:4, 5.
"But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that he should show forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light." 1 Peter 2:9.
How wonderful to think that the God
of heaven and the ruler of this vast universe would choose
us to be His children, and would extend to us the
privileges of dwelling with Him, welcoming us to the full
benefits of His grace.
BENEFITS OF ADOPTION—The benefits
of adoption may be summed up under two heads: (1) Present
benefits, (2) Future inheritance. The present benefits of
adoption are many, but possibly the greatest benefit of
all is deliverance and preservation from sin, the
salvation of the soul. Oh, who can tell the worth of a
soul! "Though a man gain the whole world and lose his
own soul it shall profit him nothing." This being the
case, earthly wealth is not to be considered, and the
benefits of redemption can only be estimated in eternity's
gold. If the gold of nations or the wealth of empires was
laid at the feet of one of God's little ones and offered
him as a price for his salvation, would he accept it? Or
if the vast treasures of millionaires or the hoards of
misers were offered, would they be accepted? Nay, verily:
but these together with all the rubies and diamonds of
earth would be reckoned as nothing when compared with the
worth of the soul.
There are several ways by which we
determine the worth of a thing. By what it cost us, by its
practical benefits to us, by the way others look upon it;
or by its value as a gift.
What did our adoption cost?
"Ye are bought with a price." 1 Cor. 6:20
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition of your fathers; but
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and with out spot." I Pet. 1:18, 19. Dear
reader, if you never thought of salvation in the light of
what it cost, you never have yet realized its worth. Think
of what Jesus sacrificed for your soul! The beauties and
glories of the celestial world were forsaken for the
gloomy and corruptible things of earth. The golden streets
of the city of God above were exchanged for the dusty
roads of Palestine. And, last of all, He gave His life for
you; yes, all, for you. And think what it cost the
Father—His only begotten Son. He so loved the world that
He freely gave His Son to die among thieves and robbers;
yea, to die on the cross, the most ignominious of all
deaths.
What is the practical benefit of
salvation to us? Who can estimate it? It frees us from all
condemnation, gives us peace with God and enables us to
live a quiet and peaceable life among men. Think of its
worth in the home circle, in business, and in every branch
of human life. Think how it satisfies the longing heart,
which nothing else can do. Nothing is so universally
practical and fitted to the needs of the human family as
salvation.
How do others look upon it? Only
the estimation of those who understand salvation and know
how to reckon in eternal things should be considered
worthy of a voice in the settlement of this question. No
man is able to judge except he who has tasted and seen for
himself, as words alone fail to accurately describe its
worth. Prophets longed to see it, and angels desired to
look into it, and every man who ever enjoyed a touch of
divine love knows its worth and will testify that
"the half has never yet been told."
Lastly we will notice that
salvation is a priceless gift, which we hide away in the
recesses of our heart, and its influence gladdens all our
life. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: IT [S THE GIFT OF GOD." Eph.
2:8. Oh, the untold worth of the priceless gift of God's
salvation!
Of our future inheritance is it
said, "He that overcometh shall inherit all
things." Rev. 21:7. "And every one that hath
forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's
sake? shall receive an hundred fold (present benefit), and
shall INHERIT everlasting life." Matt. 19:29. Jesus
has gone to prepare a place for us, and when He comes
again He will receive us unto Himself, that where He is
there we may be also. This place is heaven itself, the new
heavens and the new earth, of which it is said, "The
meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves
in the abundance of peace." Psa. 37:11. Dear reader,
your future inheritance is worth living for, and you
should make your calling and election sure. At that day
when the books are opened only those who hare been
lawfully adopted win receive the reward of life eternal.
To them Jesus will say "Come. ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world."
In Adoption by Will the Child
Adopted Takes the Name of the Adopter.—Many suppose that
there is nothing in a name, and it is quite true that in
the many sectarian names afloat in the world today there
is no virtue: but in one name there is life and all
things. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the
righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Prov. 18:10.
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name." Phil.
2:9. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for
there is none ether name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12. Then let us as
the children of God bow to and acknowledge no other name
than that given us by the Bible—Christians or saints.
As a body or church Jesus kept His
disciples in His Father's name. John 17:12. And as a
church we are called "The church of God" eight
times in the New Testament. Let us beware lest when the
roll is called and the inheritance dealt out we be found
under the wrong name; for only to the church of God is the
promise made. Let us then as individuals be called
"Christians," and as a church be called
"The church of God." How dishonoring it would be
to a parent for a child to refuse to be called by the
family name. Then how dishonoring is it to God for those
who tell the world that they are His people to call
themselves— Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians,
Methodists, Baptists, Quakers, Shakers, Mennonites, and
hundreds of other man-made names. God adopts into but one
family, and that family has but one official
name—"The church of God."
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