Belong: Adoption
Have you ever cried over a drivers license?
I have.
Maybe you couldn’t pass the driving test? Maybe you got the card but regretted a goofy picture?
When I got my license, I cried over my name.
Not long after marrying Taylor, I began the legal process to change my name. Married couples sometimes choose to change (or not change) their names depending on their culture or personal preferences. We decided that I would give up my last name and take his family name. In a small way this reflected our new relationship as we became the “Whitley Family” together.
I filled out all the paperwork and began receiving documents with my new name printed on them. For some reason it didn’t really sink in that I had a new name, until I saw it printed on my drivers license. I was legally Lydia Whitley. So, I burst into tears.
Whitley!? Who was this new Whitley person? I did not feel like it was me.
Eventually, I did adjust to, embrace, and rejoice over my new identity. While marriage involves sacrifice, it also produces lots of joy. One benefit Taylor and I received when we committed to love each other was adoption. Since I belong to Taylor as his wife, I belong to the Whitley family. And since Taylor belongs to me as my husband, he belongs to the Gritz family too. I became a wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter, and cousin in my new family.
My husband and me on our wedding day
To which family do you belong?
The Bible uses different illustrations to describe our relationship with God. Paul, a leader in the early Christian church, used the picture of adoption in a letter to his friends. He said,
“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” (Ephesians 1:5&6, NLT).
When God created the heavens and the earth, he also created people. God wanted to share his ability to enjoy deep and loving relationships with us. Unfortunately, the special relationship between us and our Creator broke because we reject and resist God’s involvement in our lives (which the Bible calls sin).
Yet, through the work of the Son (Jesus who is God in human form), God draws us back to himself. The death of Jesus purchased forgiveness for our sins and enabled us to enjoy a restored relationship with God (Ephesians 1:7). Instead of living as creatures estranged from our Creator, we live as beloved children, adopted into God’s family through faith in Jesus.
The benefits of this restored parent-children relationship include constant access to God’s comfort, intimacy, love, joy, peace, security, and provision. In addition to that, we also belong to a spiritual family on this earth called the church. No wonder Paul celebrated in his letter saying,
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
What does spiritual adoption mean for us today in Berlin?
When our broken relationships with imperfect parents, distant siblings, inconsistent friends, or exes cause us pain, we should remember our adoption. We belong to Jesus, who gives us access to God’s perfect love.
When we despair about the past, feel insecure about the present, or struggle with anxiety about the future, we should remember our adoption. We belong to Jesus, who forgives us, holds us, and perfectly provides for us.
When we live estranged from our biological family or move far-away from people we know and love, we should remember our adoption. We belong to Jesus, who gives us the tangible support of a faith community and local church with whom we can share our lives.
Are you part of God’s family? Do you belong to Jesus?
If you want to learn more about how you can belong to God through a relationship with Jesus, please contact us. We would love to meet with you.
If you want to connect with Community Church, check out our small groups or come to our next Worship Gathering on 21 January. We invite you to join us as we explore the book of Ephesians and learn more about what it looks like to belong to God and each other.