Day 7 Applying the benefits of adoption (Ephesians 1:3-6)

Day 7 - Applying the benefits of adoption

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6

As believers in Christ we should not overlook the importance of the act of adoption in God’s plan to redeem us from the power of sin and death. Adoption is a legal judicial act of God. It is an act where God places a sinner who has confessed their belief in him, into his universal family in Christ, and makes them his child. Once repositioned in Christ, God by his Holy Spirit proceeds to mature the child into a son whilst granting them rights and privileges that heirs of God are entitled to.

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “ Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

Are you a Christian who acknowledges their adoption status in Christ, but often fails to fully engage and apply the benefits of their newly adopted identity into sonship? There are millions of people claiming to be Christians worldwide, but not everyone knows what it means to be a part of God’s family? Being in God’s family means that you carry more than just the family name. As a child of God you will receive:

• Christ (John 1:12, Acts 4:12)
• The family spirit and power John 1:12
• The family character ( Romans 11:16, Galatians 5:16-24
• The family supply Matthew 6:33
• The family health (Matthew 8:17
• The family privileges and rights (Mark 11:22-24)
• The family graces and gifts ( 1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5

The redemptive work of Jesus Christ has opened the door for us to be adopted into God’s family. Our God is a father to the fatherless and a defender to the oppressed ( Psalms 68: 5). His fatherly role reveals his caring provision, protection, and guidance to those who need him and seek Him with all their hearts ( Jeremiah 29:13 Ephesians 3:14-15, 1 John 3:1).

If you have been a Christian for years and you are still struggling to see the fatherly love of God in your life, I want you to know that you do not need to struggle any more. Here are some things you can do to help you fully discover the transformative power of adoption for you?

1. Spend time talking and listening with God the Father ( Galatians 4:7, 1 John 3:1)
2. Allow yourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit of God ( Romans 8:14-17)
3. Be willing to be disciplined. Remember, God corrects those he loves. ( Hebrews 12:5-6)
4. Fellowship with the brethren in Christ. ( 1 Timothy 5:1-2)
5. Spend time in the word of God.
6. Yield to the plans of God for your life and allow him to use the gifts and graces he has deposited into your life ( 1 Peter 4:10, 1 Corinthians 12:4, 1 Timothy 4:14)
7. Walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
8. Be an imitator of God’s holiness ( Matthew 5:16, Philippians 2:14-15)

Today in this fast, why don’t you exercise your faith upon God. Yield yourself under his fatherly care, commune with him in his presence and watch him reveal his fatherly love to you.

Let us pray,

Father Lord, thank you for your love towards me. As I seek you in Spirit and truth, reveal to me your fatherly love, counsel and protection. I declare Ephesians 2:19 boldly, I am no longer a stranger or a foreigner, but I am a fellow citizen with the saints and a member of the household of God, in Jesus name.

Amen.

For further studies in this fast read: Matthew 19-21