Question 1

How is adoption a picture of my relationship with God?

Accepted Answer

John 1:12To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.Galatians 4:4-5When the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.Ephesians 1:4-6Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.The process of adoption is a beautiful example of God’s love for us. Just as adoptive parents offer a child a new life, Jesus offers us a new life we couldn’t otherwise have received. Just as adoptive parents treasure and delight in their new children, God treasures and delights in us. Adoptive parents lovingly teach and nurture children, providing them with all the rights and privileges of being a member of the family. As a child of God, we also are privileged to receive all God’s care and blessings, both in this life and the next.

Question 2

Is adopting a child right for me and my family? How can I know for sure?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 138:8The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.Jeremiah 1:5“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”Matthew 18:5“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.”There are some things Scripture is unclear about, but we can be sure of this: God puts a high priority on loving children. If you adopt a child and welcome that child into your heart and life, you are demonstrating the kind of love Christ has shown to you.Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.Romans 8:26-27The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.James 1:5If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.Adoption is a large decision that changes the course of multiple lives. Making such decisions can be stressful, and it can be hard to discern God’s will amidst our loudly competing motivations. Prayer over such a decision may span a long time. But we can be confident that, if we ask for God’s wisdom and direction, he will provide an answer. We only need to have the faith to follow it.

Question 3

As I set out to adopt a child, how do I deal with the anxious waiting?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 37:4-5Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.Isaiah 60:1, 4-5Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you . . . Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home. Your eyes will shine, and your heart will thrill with joy.1 Peter 5:7Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.Waiting is often unpleasant, especially when the heart is involved. That’s why it’s important to draw ever closer to God to experience his clear presence in the situation, his peace, and his comfort.

Question 4

How can I explain to other people my decision to adopt a child?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 127:3Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.Matthew 18:5“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.”If you choose to adopt a child, people close to you may not understand that decision. This may especially be true if the child is of different ethnicity than the adoptive parents. In such situations, the best thing you can do is lovingly explain the journey you took to get to this point and that you believe God brought this child to your family for a purpose.

Question 5

How has God adopted me?

Accepted Answer

John 1:12To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.Galatians 3:26You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, God adopts us into his family.

Question 6

Why would God want to adopt me?

Accepted Answer

1 Thessalonians 1:4We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people.1 John 3:1See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!God chose each of us to be his adopted children because of his great and unconditional love for us.Ephesians 1:5God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.Adopting us as his children has been part of God’s plan since the beginning of time, and it brings him joy to do so!Matthew 5:14-15“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”Ephesians 5:8-9Once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.1 Peter 2:9You are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.God has adopted us to radiate his goodness to others. Just as earthly children become like their parents in many ways, we are called to imitate our heavenly Father and become more like him.

Question 7

How do I know I’ve been adopted by God?

Accepted Answer

Romans 8:14-16All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children . . . For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.The Bible promises that if the Holy Spirit lives in us, then we have been adopted by God. The Holy Spirit also speaks to our hearts, assuring us that we are part of God’s family.1 John 3:9-10Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.1 John 5:1-2Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments.A new lifestyle of obedience and love is evidence that we have been adopted as God’s children. This doesn’t mean that we never sin or are never tempted to do wrong. It does mean that, with the Holy Spirit living within us, we really want to please him and try the best we can. Yes, we will fail—probably every day. But we should never let that stop us from trying to please God, our beloved heavenly Father.Proverbs 3:11-12My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.Hebrews 12:6-7The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child. As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?God disciplines his children because he loves us and wants us to grow into the kind of people he created us to be. So when he disciplines us, he reminds us that we are his children. Part of our responsibility as his children is to pay attention and to learn from his correction.

Question 8

What are my responsibilities as God’s adopted child?

Accepted Answer

Ephesians 5:1Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.Ephesians 5:8Once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!Colossians 3:12-14Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.1 Thessalonians 4:7God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.1 Peter 1:14-16So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.As God’s children, we must grow in the character of our heavenly Father, modeling obedience, holiness, purity, mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love.John 13:34-35“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”John 15:12“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.”Galatians 3:28There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.Galatians 6:2Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.1 John 4:19-21We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.Revelation 7:9-10After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”One of the most distinctive qualities of a healthy family is that its members show love and care for each other. If we are to love our heavenly Father fully, we must live in loving ways toward his other children.

Question 9

What are some of my privileges as God’s adopted child?

Accepted Answer

Romans 8:15So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”2 Corinthians 6:18“I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”Ephesians 2:18Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.As God’s children, we have the privilege of calling him Father! The Aramaic word “Abba” conveys both deep respect and trusting intimacy.Ephesians 2:19So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.Hebrews 2:11So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.Belonging to God’s family is a great privilege.Ephesians 1:6-8So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.As God’s children, we are beneficiaries of God’s kindness.Matthew 7:11“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”Ephesians 3:6This is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.As God’s children, we are recipients of God’s blessings and good gifts.John 14:1-3“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”Romans 8:17-18Since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.As God’s heirs, we have the honor of sharing in Christ’s suffering and glory. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.1 Thessalonians 2:12We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.2 Timothy 2:11This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him.James 1:12God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.1 Peter 1:4We have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.Revelation 2:26-27To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, to them I will give authority over all the nations.Revelation 3:21Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.The privilege of being a child of God does not stop with this life but continues into eternity. We will always have a relationship with God. Even our inheritance is eternal, for we will live with him forever!