August 24, 2014

Is God My Adoptive Father?

Baby and father
© Photographer: Billysiew | Agency: Dreamstime.com


Many Christians assert that we are "adopted" by God as His children.
 
They don't realize that comparing the original language and translation of the scriptures to our westernized concept of "adoption" can actually alienate an adoptee's heart from fully trusting in their Creator God. 

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of "sonship" (some translations say "adoption") , whereby we cry, Abba (Daddy), Father. The Spirit of God Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."
Romans 8:14-16
 
Let us take the Greek word sometimes translated "adoption" apart.
It is huiothesia.
 
The first half is huios, the common noun for an adult son.
The latter half is thesia, a setting of a person or a thing in its place. 
(John 1:12; John 1:13;  Gal 4:1-5;  Romans 8:1-39)   
 
 This speaks of our inheritance as son's and daughter's of God's grace and mercy through salvation.
 
...so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

I once heard a Pastor by the name of Dick Bernal (from San Francisco) preach a sermon about this very subject. He wisely pointed out that the original Greek language that was translated "adopted" in these scriptures could more accurately be translated as "reunited". It describes the beautiful picture of a "reunion" between God and His Creation ("sperma", "offspring"), or children.

I John says that we are BORN of God ('sperma').
If we are BORN of God, we do not NEED to be adopted by Him ~ we are "reunited" with Him in salvation, our Creator, Our Savior, Our Perfect Father.
 
As an adult adoptee, I take GREAT comfort in the fact that I don't need to be adopted by God in the same sense I was "adopted" in the natural. 


God is not my adoptive Father.  He is simply my Father.    
 
He cries with me in my grief of losing my first family.  He understands my pain. 
Joseph (who was sold), when reunited with his family, allowed God to heal him, and "what the enemy meant for evil, God turned for good."

In fact, the Bible says that our Savior came to "ransom" or "redeem" us, which means He "bought us back" from the enemy. Ransom is only necessary when a person has been kidnapped. To be "bought back" implies that we were originally God's creation, His offspring, and He paid a dear price (His own life), a "ransom" to get us back to Him, our Home, our identity, our intended place.

He bore the pain of my broken heart.

  Out of emptiness he came, like a tender shoot from rock-hard ground.

He was despised and forsaken,
    a man of suffering and grief.
    He was despised, forsaken, and we took no notice of him.
 Yet it was our suffering he carried,
    our pain and distress.

He endured the breaking that made us whole.
    The injuries he suffered became our healing.
We all have wandered off, like sheep without a Shepard,
    scattered by our aimless striving and endless pursuits;
He took upon Himself the sins of us all.   
Isaiah 53:1-12
 
 He even offers me another "birth" experience.
 
“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. 
 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked.

 “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to spirit.  

When I believed on Him as my Savior, I was in a very real sense, born again.  This time, born of perfect Love.  In perfect truth. 

Even when I struggle with trust issues or fall out of fellowship with Him, I am His child.  His heart wants to be near mine. 

 The Prodigal Son in scripture was not the 'adopted' son of his father, he was the ("sperma"), full-blooded son of his Father, who waited with open arms for him to find his way back home.
 
I resonate with this beautiful analogy so much, because I can
 "BE" who I was created to be

I am fully born, loved, and reunited with Him, who I originated from.
 
No "amending" of my personhood is necessary. 
I don't have to hide.  No secrets.    
 
That is Heaven to this adoptee.

The first time I heard the song, "Born Again" by Third Day, I cried. 
It felt like the song of this adoptee.  An adoptee who had hidden my entire life, because I felt I had to deny my true identity and feelings. 
God knew my name all along.  Even before I did. 

He wasn't the author of my relinquishment or amended birth certificate. 
He was my Shepard.  My healer.  My Savior.  My Father. 
I didn't need to hide from Him or distrust Him any longer.

See this post I wrote about how God helped me open my heart to the tremendous grief I had buried, so He could begin healing me ~
"Losing Mother".   
I also wanted to share an amazing new blog written by a Pastor/Adoptee friend, Deanna Shrodes ~ Adoptee Restoration.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Powerful but unknown by far too many.

Danilo Toli said...

Beautiful!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Samantha Franklin said...

Yes, we were ransomed and that means "bought back" from the enemy, hence "reunited" with our Father (Creator) as His children "sperma", rather than "adopted". Praise God!
It is hard to argue with the original Biblical language and one's own experience.

Samantha Franklin said...

Anonymous,

So if we are children of wrath (Satan's children), did God create us as Satan's children, or His creation? We were "born of God" (sperma, in the Biblical Hebrew/Greek). We are His offspring, it says. So, in a sense, we ran from God, and were trapped by Satan, hence becoming his.

But the original Biblical language says God redeemed us (bought us back, on the cross), and we receive again the "spirit of sonship" (some translations, not all, use "adoption"). But "sonship" is more accurate in the original Greek language of the NT. Praise God! No need for adoption.

Anonymous said...

Judging by the behavior of the people on this planet, seems that some were born from God and others from Satan.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
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