Love A Lot

I have mentioned before that adoption and orphan care concerns are on the rise in churches across the nation.  As they should be.  It is important to not only respond to that rise, but explore the reasons behind it.

Over the last few months I have spoken with numerous families.  Each one bearing a reason for their call to adopt.  Some families are unable to become pregnant, some have five kids and room for one more and other families just can’t spend another night knowing that there are fatherless children across the ocean and down the street.  All of these reasons are wonderful, beautiful, admirable reasons but as Christians we must look further as we delve into the depths of figuring out our part in caring for the least of these.  In fact, we don’t have to look terribly hard to find the root of our natural desire to adopt.

The doctrine of adoption is fairly simple.  We were in sin, slaves to it in fact, with no way to reconcile ourselves to God.  In his graciousness our Father God sent his son to die so that we could receive the gift of salvation.  When we accept that gift we are called sons and daughters of God! We are Adopted.  Like I said, pretty simple.  But what comes after that adoption is exponentially important.  We begin to walk with Jesus.  Talk like Jesus.  At least that’s what we are supposed to do.  What I’m getting at is this: following the pattern of our Lord will eventually lead us to a place where we fully realize our own adoption and follow suite in the way we care for the orphan.  I love what Russell Moore says about this in his book Adopted for Life, “Jesus reconciles us to God and to each other.  As we love God we love our neighbor; as we love our neighbor we love God. We believe Jesus in heavenly things- our adoption in Christ; so we follow him in earthly things- the adoption of children.  Without the theological aspect, the emphasis on adoption too easily is seen as mere charity.”

As Christians we don’t do charity.  We don’t live a missional lifestyle so we will be noticed or so that people will hold us in high regard after we’re dead.  We live so that others may know Christ through us.  We teach because he taught.  We love because he loved. We go because he came.  We adopt because we were adopted.

Galatians 4:4-7But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a women, born under the Law, so that he might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘ABBA, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

-Erica