Turn with me to the book of Ephesians
chapter 1. I was reading this morning. I
had a little information and it was saying concerning the United States. It was talking
about how grounded and how much We in America believe religiously
how much we believe about God. It is said that surveying so
many thousands of people to show you how large the percentage
is of believers that we have, In the United States, it said
90% of all Christians believe in
God. 90%. And I thought, boy, that's
a... I thought it was funny too, that
90%. I thought, wow. This morning, I want to, by God's grace, tell
you about the God of this Bible. The God that Brother Scott mentioned
a moment ago. The God of the Bible. Two weeks ago, Here I spoke on
the subject of justification. What does it mean to be justified
before God? Justified. Justification is a legal term
by which a man or woman is declared to
be just before God based on the imputation of the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you understand what I'm saying. A judge that would be sitting
on a bench if I were guilty It's stolen something, a car or something,
and the judge wanted to see the record. Let's see his record. What kind of record you got? Here's the record, Judge, and
it's the record of the Lord Jesus Christ, spiritually. The judge
looks at that record and says, Justify. No guilt. judged to be declared to be just. And I explained justification. Last week, I spoke on the subject
of what does it mean to be saved. We speak of salvation saved. Who has saved us and called us. Scripture does not say God called
us and saved us. saved us and called us. Salvation. This morning I want to speak
on the subject of adoption. Adoption. I looked up the word adopt. I'm going to be reading in a
moment out of Ephesians chapter 1, but on adoption, spiritual
adoption. That's what I've named this,
spiritual adoption. And I think that I want to read
what Mr. Webster, just out of the dictionary,
what the word adopt means. And then I want to look in Scripture. And I want to set forth, Lord
willing, what does Almighty God have to say. And this, what He
says, I think that, you know, will at least outwardly admit. You know, if I had asked somebody
Let's look in the Word of God and just ask, what does God have
to say about adoption? What does Scripture say about
adoption? And then we'll just say this, whose side are we going
to take concerning the final word on adoption? I think outwardly
we would admit, let's say, that we'll take God's side. Mr. Webster says, on a doc. You can get your dictionary and
look it up. Webster's Dictionary. To adopt means to choose and
bring into a certain relationship as into one's own family. That was the first point. The
second point was this. To take into one's own family
by legal process and raise as one's own child. That's what adopt means. Now,
turn with me to Ephesians chapter 1 and I'd like to begin reading. I'd like to read through verse
6. This is what the Scriptures says
about adoption. It says, Ephesians 1 verse 3,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ, 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 predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good
pleasure of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein
He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. Now this is what I want
to do. I just want to just look at the
Word of God and I just want to ask a few questions. about adoption. Adoption. What is adoption? Well,
the first thing I know about adoption, according to Ephesians
1-3, adoption is to the blessing and the merit of Almighty God. Verse 3 says, Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So the first thing I
want to do is I want to say this. Let's bless God for it. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The next thing
I know about adoption, verse 4, is that it is God that chose
us in Him. That is, in the Lord Jesus Christ. God chose us. Now, adoption has
to do with Someone choosing someone else. 2 Chronicles 6 says, and this is
according to God who chose, first of all, a nation, a people whereby
He would be honored. 2 Chronicles 6 says, but I have
chosen Jerusalem that my name might be there. That's what 2
Chronicles 6 says. And also, in that same passage,
it sets forth that God chose or selected a king over. He said, and I have chosen David
to be over my people Israel. So God chose a nation where His
name would be set forth and He chose the king. And the Lord
Jesus Christ, while He was on this earth, made it clear to
all that was around Him who did the choosing. He said in John
15-16, you can just listen to this if you want to get the tape
later and go back and read all these passages. I'll have you
turn to some things in a minute, some Scriptures in a minute.
But John 15-16 says, "...Ye have not chosen Me, But I've chosen you and ordained
you that you should go forth and bring forth fruit." So what
I know about adoption is that it is Almighty God, to the blessing
of Almighty God, because God chose. Adoption has to do with
one choosing another to be in His family. That's what adoption
is talking about. Now the word adoption, this is
what the word adoption means. It means to place a son or to
put among the children. It can be one of the two. To
place a son or put among the children. So what does spiritual
adoption mean? It means that God Almighty chose
and considered in for the sake of His only begotten Son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, a people. He purposed to make them partakers
of the grace of adoption. He willed that they would justly,
in the person of Christ, enjoy the liberties and privileges
of being the children of God, to have His name put upon them,
to receive the spirit of adoption, and to have access to the throne
of grace with boldness. The adopted sons are by grace
enabled, honestly, not in just word only, to truly call Him
Father. As sons, daughters, They are
pitted, protected, provided for, and chastened by Him as a Father. But they are never cast off.
They are sealed to the day of redemption, and they shall inherit
the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation. And I'm going to,
by God's grace, show you that. Everything I just read in Scripture. 3.1 says, Behold what manner of love
the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the sons of God. Adoption. Now let me ask you
this. Who are the objects of adoption? Adoption means that God chose. Just think about it. Some of
you know something about adoption. Let me ask you this. Who did
the choosing? You or the kids? Who chose? You
or the kids? Who? Adoption has to do with
God making a choice. Who are the objects of adoption? Well, back in Ephesians chapter
1, here is the answer to that. Who are they? Well, the Scripture
says, Us. Us. That's what it says. Ephesians 1 verse 3, Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us. Us. That's the answer. Verse
4 says, According as he hath chosen, Who? Us. in Him before the foundation
of the world." Verse 5 says, "...having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself." Verse 6 says,
"...to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He hath
made us accepted in the Beloved." Us. Us. One thing that I want to, by
God's grace, to do is not leave anything to the imagination. See, if I just stopped right
there, somebody would say, well, us is everybody. It's everybody. Well, turn with me to 2 Peter
3, verse 9. 2 Peter 3, 9. Now here's a passage of Scripture
that is greatly abused, greatly abused. And the reason that it's
greatly abused is because man by nature doesn't understand
what it's saying. 2 Peter 3.9. The Lord is not
slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness,
but is longsuffering Now, don't you look this word, us-ward. Us-ward. Not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He's long-suffering
to us-ward. Now, I just read in Ephesians
1, who has God set His affection on? Chosen. Adopted. Us. That's what it says. Us.
But who are the us? Now, there's the key. He is long-suffering. The Scripture says in 2 Peter
3 verse 9, Lord is not slack concerning His promise. So, whoever
He is long-suffering to has got something to do with a promise.
As some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to usward. Now, I looked that word usward
up. And let me tell you what that
word usward means. That word means the point reached. Look it up. The point reached. It means the place, the time,
or the purpose. That's what that word us-ward.
He is long-suffering to us-ward. He is long-suffering to us-ward,
not willing that any should perish, but that all... Okay, I know
that God Almighty has purposed long-suffering to, according
to His promise, to usward, to the point, the place, the time
that He has purposed. And He is long-suffering, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." All. Turn to John 17. Scripture. We always answer it. Anytime
you need to answer Scripture, Scripture answers with Scripture.
Only Scripture answers with Scripture. Don't ever leave it to yourself
to decide what does the Scripture say. That all should come to
repentance. 17 verse 2 says this, As thou, and the Lord Jesus Christ
is praying here, as thou hast given Him power over all flesh. Now, let me ask you this. Who
is in control? Who's in control? Almighty God
is in control. The Lord Jesus Christ is speaking
to His Father. That's what verse 1 says. These
words speak. Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven
and said, Father, the hours come, glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son
may glorify Thee, as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh,
that He should give eternal life to whom? To whom? The Scripture says, to as many
as Thou hast given Him. So therefore, adoption has to
do with God choosing and giving to the Lord Jesus Christ a people
given to Him. Turn over to John 6.37. John
6.37. Look at this word, all, right here. Back in 2 Peter, we were talking,
God is not slack as men count slackness, but is longsuffering
to the appointed purpose. That's what usward means, the
appointed purpose. That all come to repentance. John 6.37 says this, All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out." Let me ask you this. How many
shall come to the Lord Jesus Christ? All that the Father hath
given Him. All. Adoption is by sovereign
grace without any consideration as to personal excellence in
the creature or the object of adoption. or as to any motive
outside of God Himself." Adoption. Adoption. That's what Ephesians
1 is speaking about. Adoption. Spiritual adoption. Blessed be the Father of the
fire, Lord Jesus Christ. He chose us in Him before the
foundation of the world that we should be holy without blame
before Him in love. Predestinated us. Determined
the destination beforehand. that we should be to the praise
of the glory of His grace. Adoption. Those that God Almighty
has purposed to adopt into His family were considered to be
so from the foundation of the world. That's what Scripture
says. He looked down through time That's
what I've heard men say. They say election means that
God looked down through time and He saw some that would choose
Him, so He chose them. That's what they say. Well, Psalm
14 clears that up real good. Psalm
14, verses 2 and 3. Just turn with me and look there.
This is so important that we understand. whose word, John 14, 2 and 3 says, the Lord
looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if
there were any that did understand and seek God. How many are going
to seek God? He looked down to see. Leave
them to themselves. Leave them to themselves. How
many will seek God? Verse 3 of Psalm 14 says, they
are all gone aside, they are all together, become filthy,
there is none that doeth good, no, not one. There is absolutely
in those that God has chosen and adopted, He looked to see
If there were any that did understand, that did understand anything
concerning God's glory and honor and justice, He looked to see
and they were not going to seek Him on their own. They were all
gone aside, that is, from obedience. They were all together become
filthy. That means they stunk. That's what that word means. And there was none that did good,
no, not one. But these objects of adoption
were those that Almighty God purposed to show mercy to, and
purposed to have compassion on, and purposed not to leave them
to themselves. Now you see, the thing is that
we have to understand, shall get the glory out of salvation. Leave a man, leave a woman to
themselves. And what are they going to do?
They shall rebel against God. They shall remain in rebellion.
They are born in rebellion. But Exodus 33, verse 19 says,
I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. God Almighty has
purposed to be gracious to some that He
has adopted. Spiritual adoption is an act
on God's part, sovereign grace. He is not induced by any motive
outside of Himself. There is no beauty. I know this.
Scripture says in Isaiah 1.6, Take everybody, lump them all
into one lump. And here's everybody from the
crown of our head to the sole of our foot. Putrefying sores. We're evil by nature. We're just
evil. There's nothing in anyone that
God looked at. No one understood. No one sought
God. There was none good. No, not
one. There was nothing in anyone that
induced God to say, Boy, they're all pretty bad, but now I'll
tell you what, old Marvin, now he's pretty good. I think I'll
choose him, since he's showed some goodness. I saw where he'd
seek after me. No, there was none good. No,
not one. Adoption did not begin in time,
but commenced in eternity. Now let me ask you this. Is that
what Scripture says? The Scripture says He chose us
in Him before the foundation of the world. Adoption does not
commence in time, but in eternity. The will of Almighty God is eternal. There is no new thing, no new
will with Almighty God. Ecclesiastes 1.9 says, The thing
that hath been It is that which shall be done. And that which
is done is that which shall be done. It's nothing new with God. I change not, He said, therefore
you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Now, when I speak of God Almighty
adopting a people, what do I mean when I say God
adopted? Well, I mean, first of all, I
mean that this only Almighty God can adopt. Only God adopts. We didn't adopt God. There's
no place in Scripture that says we adopted Him. We decided to
take Him into our family. Or that we decided to enter into
His family. It's not what it says. God, first of all, God the Father. When I say God, I mean Father,
Son, and Spirit. God the Father. involved, if
I can say that in terms that we understand, God the Father
in adoption. The Scripture says, Behold what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should
be called the sons of God. The God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, blessed and chose His people in Now wouldn't you
know, we've heard that term before, chose us in Christ. What does
that mean? That means that He considered us in the person of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and all that was demanded of us, He considered
Christ to be the one who would fulfill it. The surety. Chose
us in Him. If I were to tell you You know,
just consider, I've got a son named Gabe. I'd tell you, I'd
say, now look, just consider Gabe to be in me. Just consider
whatever he owes you, put it to my account. Whatever is demanded
of him, put it to my account. You say, well, yeah, but he owes
me money. I say, well, then put it to my
account. Yeah, but He owes me some time.
He's supposed to come out there. I said, well, I'll take care
of it. Whatever He owes, consider it
to me. God Almighty chose His people,
the Scripture says, according as He has chosen us in Him. Whatever we owe in Him before
the foundation of the world. Romans 8.29 says, He, that is,
the Father, did predestinate us to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Now, He predestinated us to be
conformed to the image. The Father set forth His Son
to be the image, the likeness, the profile, the representation
of the elects sonship. He did predestinate us to be
conformed to the image. He considered His elect to be
conformed. That means fashioned like, jointly
formed to that image. He set forth Christ as the image
and predestinated us to be conformed to that image. That is, that
they should be partakers of the divine nature By the imputation
of His righteousness to their account, whatever they owed,
His righteousness stood for them, imputed to them. Not only has
the Father determined upon the adoption of the elect, but He
has provided this blessing in an eternal covenant and secured
it there. And the covenant runs like this. 2 Corinthians 6, 17 and 18 says,
I will receive you and will be a father unto you, and you shall
be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. A covenant,
a promise, a contract. This is the way it is. I will
receive you, having considered you in My Son. and what you owe,
I will look to Him for." The surety. Whatever you owe, He
will pay. God the Father. God the Son has
a concern in our adoption. Now, there's a mysterious union
between the Son and the elect. And from this union flows all
the blessings of grace to the saints. has chosen us in Him."
Now, John 17, 21, the Lord praying in that high priestly prayer
to His Father, and He says that they all may be one as Thou,
Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in
Us. There's a union between the Lord
Jesus Christ and His elect. The adopted ones are first, the
Scripture says, of God in Christ. They have everything in Him. This is what that means. His
God is their God. His Father is their Father. He is the Son. They are sons. He is the heir. They are joint
heirs with Him. He, that is the Lord Jesus Christ,
has betrothed them to Himself in righteousness and that forever. He is their husband. They are
His spouse, His bride, and these two are one. The one that marries
the king's son becomes the king's daughter. Psalm 45 verse 13 says,
the king's daughter is all glorious within. Her clothing is of wrought
gold. His daughter. Through His incarnation,
that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, God Himself. In the beginning was the Word.
The Word was with God and the Word was God. Word was made flesh. He had a body prepared for Him. And He came being sent by the
Father into this world. A Son was given. A child was
born, but a Son was given. Conceived by the Holy Spirit,
the blood of Adam did not run through His veins. This holy
thing, the Scripture says, the Spirit of God speaking of Him.
He came unto His own. As His incarnation, He is the
elect, those that God has chosen to show mercy to in adopting
them from the foundation of the world. He is their near kinsman.
He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Why? Because as He
is the Son, they are sons. They are sons. and through the
redemption that was wrought out by Him, they shall receive the
adoption of children." That is to say, the blessing before prepared
for them. 1 John 1, 12 and 13 says this,
"'But to as many as received Him, to them gave He power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believed on His
name.'" And someone says, Yeah, but you see, there it is. You've
got to receive Him first. You've got to exercise your free
will. This is John 1, 12 and 13. You've got to exercise your
free will and receive Him. Well, the Spirit of God riding
through those men, those men of old that were moved upon by
the Spirit of God, straighten that up before anything else,
wouldn't you, Father? He said, yeah, but you have to
receive Him. The next verse says, which were born, not of blood,
or that is, into the family, nor of the will of the flesh,
just because I decide that I want my kids to be saved, I can't
save them, nor of the will of man, but of God. It is the Son that makes you
free. That is to say, children. not slaves of sin. He has set
at liberty them that are bruised. He was anointed to preach deliverance
to the captives. The adopted ones are free from
the condemnation and the bondage of sin, free from the penalty
of the law and the wrath of God. If the Son makes you free, you're
free. You're free. Thirdly, the Spirit
of God. His work in our adoption. The
Father chose us. He chose us in the Son. What
happens? The Spirit of God is the quickening
God. The author, let me say that,
of Regeneration. Regeneration is the evidence
of adoption. Sons of God are spoken of as
being, we read in John 1.13, "...which were born, not of blood,
nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God."
Sons of God are spoken of as being born of God. Now this spiritual
birth makes men appear to be what God says they are. Regeneration. The Spirit of God is the Spirit
spoken of in the Scriptures as the Spirit of faith. who witnesses
the truth of adoption to the elect in time. God Almighty has
purposed from the foundation of the world, predestinated you
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. God Almighty has purposed from
the foundation of the world to adopt a people chosen in Christ
Romans 8.16 says, "...the Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit that ye are the children of God." Yeah, but you say, yeah,
but what that means is whenever we accept the Lord Jesus Christ
as our personal Savior, then the Spirit of God gives us assurance. Well, won't you just turn with
me to Galatians 4. Galatians 4. We're in Ephesians.
Let's flip over a couple of pages. Galatians 4, 6. Galatians 4, 6. I said that God Almighty predestinated
us into the adoption of sons, children, by Jesus Christ Himself. Galatians 4, 6 says this. This is what happens. Galatians
4, 6. And because you are sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father." Why does the Spirit of God, the Scripture says, why
has God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts?
Why has He sent that? It says, because you are sons.
Because you are sons. God has sent forth the Spirit
of His Son Did the Lord ever speak of sheep, His sheep that
shall come? Turn with me to John 10, 15.
I know we're turning a little bit here, but just look. These
Scriptures, I mean, it does us good. Look into the Scriptures.
John 10, 15, 16. As the Father, the Lord Jesus
Christ says, knoweth me, and even so know I the Father, I
lay down my life for the sheep. Now look at this, verse 16. And of the sheep I have, which
are not of this fold, they are not in Israel, they are not in
Jerusalem, not in Palestine, they are not of this fold, them
also I must bring. Now he is speaking what? In the present tense or in the
future tense? Look what he is saying. Of the sheep I have,
which are not of this fold, they are mine right now. I have them,
they are mine. Them also I must bring, and they
shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Other sheep I have, I have them,
they are mine." When were they given to Him? From the foundation
of the world. Chosen. Sheep. chosen in Christ
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, that is, led out of darkness
into His marvelous light, led in the paths of righteousness
for His name's sake. They are the sons of God. The Holy Spirit is the earnest,
the down payment of the inheritance whereby they are adopted until
the redemption of the purchased possession. That's what Ephesians
1.14. And by adoption, we are in the
eternal counsel and will of Almighty God put into relationship as
children in Christ. God has adopted us. Adopted. The Lord Jesus, by His obedience
in this life and death, has wrought out the righteousness due the
law's demand for obedience and has satisfied the law's demand
for justice by imputing our guilt to Him, God Almighty has adopted
us. We must be conformed to the image
of the Son. We must be holy and without blame
before Him in love. He has predestinated us unto
the adoption of children that we should be holy. What does
that mean? We must have, Mark, a righteousness. We must have a righteousness.
We should be holy. Holy. We must have a righteousness
that will answer to God's law. that we should be holy and without
blame. How am I going to be without
blame? He looked down through time and saw that I was evil. I was none good. What happened?
He took my guilt and charged it. I was talking a while ago
about the imputed righteousness of Christ. That means that God
Almighty considers His righteousness for me. But on the other hand,
He considered my guilt to Him. He was made to be sinned by law,
by His righteous law. God Almighty considered Him to
be guilty with my guilt put on Him. That's what 2 Corinthians
5.21. He had made Him, legally considered Him to be guilty with
my guilt made Him to be sinned. Who knew no sin? that we might
be made or considered the righteousness of God in Him. A divine exchange
is what Scripture says. He adopted us, predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ Himself. Adoption. The adopting parents
in this life take care of everything. All that sonship requires. Almighty
God has provided and given us in the Lord Jesus Christ. And
the Spirit of God has given us, that is, those that God has chosen,
a nature in time, they shall, that is suitable to the relationship
that Almighty God has called them to. The Spirit of God. Ephesians
2.10 says we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works which God hath before ordained, that we should walk
in them." Let me tell you something. Adoption is not a new thing.
Left up to feeble, frail men who are incapable of doing anything
for themselves, God adopts. We must be born again. But you remember, that which
is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit
is Spirit. And we were born not of the will
of the flesh nor the will of man, but we were born of God. Colossians 1.12 says, giving
thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet. M-E-E-T. That word, meet, means
qualified, made us meet. He has qualified us to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in life. He has qualified us. He didn't leave it to us to qualify
ourselves. We couldn't. We could not. Those adopted in this life, in
closing, are considered as children. In this life, I'm talking about,
in this life, in human life, couple decides to adopt a child. In this life, you adopt a child. You are required by law to educate
them, feed them, clothe them, protect them, and have an inheritance
for them. As adopted children, sons, We
are taught of God by His Spirit, through His Word, set forth by
pastors, instructed by the preaching of the Gospel according. This
is the God of this Bible. This is God. This is what Scripture
says about Almighty God. You adopt a child, you have to
educate them. We're educated. You adopt a child,
You take care of them. You feed them. We're fed by the
sincere milk of the Word, that hidden manna. Fed them. We feed
them. We look into the Word of God
and the Spirit of God. Bear witness with our spirit.
That's the truth. That's the truth. That's what
God said. We're clothed with the robe of
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is, the Scripture
speaks of, as the garment of our salvation. were protected
and kept by the power of God through faith as the apple of
His eye. And we possess an inheritance
that He has prepared that is incorruptible and undefiled and
fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed, bestowed, that's a key word, bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God. Almighty God
in His eternal will and purpose and counsel chose a people, predestinated
them unto the adoption of children. He did it by Jesus Christ. All that was demanded of those
that He eternally purposed to adopt into His family What was demanded of them, they
were going to be holy and without blame before Him in love, having
chosen them in the Lord Jesus Christ. All that was demanded
of them, Christ supplied. Let me say it like that. He took
our guilt and gave us a righteousness, a righteousness that He wrought
out as the obedient Son, made us fit meet, qualified us to
be partakers of that inheritance in Jesus Christ. And in time,
the Spirit of God, Scripture says, because you are sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your heart, whereby
you cry, Abba, Father, because you are sons, God sent forth
His Son, His Spirit. He came to you and removed the
heart of stone. Rebellion gave you a heart of
flesh. Revealed Himself to you. Told
you. He said, I adopted you. I chose
you. You didn't choose Me. I chose
you. We say, Father, all honor and glory and praise, You didn't
leave Me to Myself. You called Me out of darkness.
If he had left it to myself, I would have just gone straight
to hell. Going straight to hell. Deliver
them, though you said. I'm going down to the pit. I
found a ransom. Adopt it. You chose me. Why would you set your affection
on me? What's the evidence of adoption? They believed God. They believed
Him. They believed Him. They believed Him that He didn't
leave them to themselves. They believed Him. Well, that's
you come, Jesus.