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Doctrine of Adoption

Doctrine of Adoption

The doctrine of adoption is the that man is adopted by God into the family of God. Adoption is the gracious and merciful right (John 1:12) bestowed upon unworthy sinners through which a person is given admission into God’s family. This right is given only to those whom God has justified by faith (Romans 3:28; Galatians 3:24) and has caused to be born again (1 Peter 1:3). God, for reasons known only to Himself and for the purpose of bringing Himself glory, sovereignly (Psalm 37:39; Lamentations 3:26) chose from eternity past (Ephesians 1:5) to miraculously and eternally save those who are by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3) and makes them His very own children and co-heirs with His own Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:16-17). Spiritual and eternal adoption is solely an act of God and not an act of man (John 1:13).

Adoption is a legal transaction in which God the Father allows those whom He regenerates (2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 2:13) and justifies (Romans 8:33) to be allowed into His eternal family (Titus 3:7) – a family they were not a part of prior to their adoption. While regeneration and justification secure one’s salvation from sin and death (Romans 8:2), adoption establishes one’s relationship as a beloved child (Ephesians 5:1) to and with God the Father (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6).

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