God’s heart is always to care for and bring the distant and disenfranchised to Himself. Chris Brannon speaks about being adopted into God’s kingdom through this next sermon from our Foundations series. He sent his son, Jesus to die on the cross for us so that we could be adopted into His kingdom. It is the highest privilege that we can be given because it means that we are brought into the family and fellowship of God. The entire Christian life has to be understood in terms of adoption.
It shows us the greatness of God’s love. Of all the gifts of grace, adoption is the greatest! Chris gives us the history of adoption in New Testament times and the importance of it to the families. God adopts us out of free love, not because of anything that we have done, but in spite of what we have done. Adoption also shows us the true meaning and motive for authentic holiness. It is simply living out a life consistent with the beautiful relationship we have been brought into as a result of adoption. Adoption shows us the glory of our eternal hope. As sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, we have a promised inheritance. God’s adoption of us makes us His heirs. It guarantees to us, as our right, the inheritance He has for us.
Chris wraps up his sermon by asking us some self reflecting questions to help us realize who and what we, as children of God are:
*Do I understand my adoption? Do I value it? Do I daily remind myself of my privilege as a child of God?
*Have I sought to understand and live in the assurance of my adoption? Do I spend time dwelling on the love of God to and for me?
*Do I treat God as my Father in heaven, loving, honoring and obeying Him, seeking and welcoming His fellowship, and trying in everything to please Him, as a human parent would want a child to do?
*Do I think of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, as my brother too, granting me divine authority and divine-human love and sympathy?
*Do I often think how close He is to me, how completely He understands me, and how much He cares for me?
*Have I learned to hate the things that displeases my Father? Am I sensitive to evil things to which He is sensitive? Do I make a point to avoid them, so as not to grieve Him?
*Do I look forward daily to that great day when the children of God will finally gather in heaven before the throne of God, our Father, and our brother and Lord? Have I felt the thrill of this thought?
*Do I love my Christian brothers and sisters with whom I live day by day, in a way that I will not be ashamed of when, in heaven, I think back over it?
*Am I proud of my Father, and of His family, to which by His grace I belong?
*Does the family likeness appear in me? If not, why not?