We are saints—we are chosen, and we are the ones “Predestined For Adoption”.
Paul wrote, “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He [a]made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:5–6). Before we get to the concept of adoption let’s take a moment and explain the term Predestined which has been so twisted and misused by the majority. The word “predestined” [προορίζω] is a verb and is defined by Thayer’s as : “to predetermine, decide beforehand”. Literally—from PRO which means to “before” and HORIDZO “to mark out the boundaries or limits”. It means just what it sounds like — to decide something to be – before it is. Just like God decided that He was going to have a people for Himself and first that was Israel. The church exists because it was predestined – thought of in the mind of God before it was. Friends—this simply means God determined, decided ahead of time that the church would exist at some future point in time. Nothing more.
Simple Example: A group of people are meeting in one family’s home as a church. Because of their evangelistic efforts they begin to outgrow the home where they meet. So, they predetermine—that is decided to build a building that is larger than they currently need. Why larger? Because the also predetermine that they will grow in number, that by sharing the gospel, others will obey and be added to their number. So, as they say, that my friends is that! There isn’t a supernatural, super-spiritualized, or mystical meaning attached – it just means God determined ahead of time as the New Living Translators put it, “God decided in advance”.
As for this lesson we want to focus on what God decided in advance…namely our “Adoption” and on the five basic truths. 1. Adoption is not cheap! 2. You cannot make someone adopt you. 3. Adoption is decidedly permanent. 4. God wants to adopt you, and 5. To the praise and the glory of His grace.
Join me in this study as we learn about who, when and how one is adopted into the family of God. . .