Great Doctrines - Grace Church of DuPage
Great Doctrines - Grace Church of DuPage
Great Doctrines - Grace Church of DuPage
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L<br />
D OCTRINAL OCTRINAL LLESSON<br />
L ESSON SSECTION<br />
S ECTION 19 AADOPTION<br />
A DOPTION IINTO<br />
INTO<br />
NTO TTHE<br />
T HE FFAMIL<br />
F AMIL AMILY AMIL OF OF GGOD<br />
G OD<br />
DOCTRINAL SUMMARY<br />
Regeneration begins new life in the soul; justification deals with a new attitude <strong>of</strong><br />
God towards that soul; adoption admits that soul into the family <strong>of</strong> God with<br />
familial joy. Regeneration has to do with a change in our nature, justification with a<br />
change in our legal standing, and adoption with a change in our position. And our new<br />
position is that we have been placed into God’s family. Adoption means “the placing <strong>of</strong> a<br />
son”, the taking by one man the son <strong>of</strong> another man to be his own son. Spiritual<br />
adoption means that the one placed into the family <strong>of</strong> God has all the privileges,<br />
blessings, and liberty <strong>of</strong> an adult son ~ and so it also imposes the responsibilities that<br />
belong to a mature man.<br />
This is clear from the fact that whatever God addresses to believers, He addresses to all<br />
believers; no part <strong>of</strong> the Bible exhortations are restricted only to beginners in the<br />
Christian life. But rather, the same holy walk and exercise <strong>of</strong> gifts is expected from all <strong>of</strong><br />
God’s children. All <strong>of</strong> this is due to the new responsibility which adult maturity imposes<br />
and to the divine plan that the believer’s life is to be lived, from the start, in the power <strong>of</strong><br />
the Holy Spirit.<br />
In conclusion, adoption is a word <strong>of</strong> position. The believer’s relation to God as His<br />
child results from the new birth; in the adoption, he is placed in the position <strong>of</strong> an<br />
adult son ~ the indwelling Spirit gives us the realization <strong>of</strong> this, but the full<br />
manifestation <strong>of</strong> the believer’s sonship awaits the resurrection, i.e. the redemption <strong>of</strong> our<br />
bodies.<br />
<br />
AS YOU PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER YOUR RESPONSE:<br />
1 John 3:1 ~ “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be<br />
called the children <strong>of</strong> God! And that is what we are!” (NIV)<br />
HOMEWORK:<br />
Read the central passages daily.<br />
Read Grudem chapter 37.<br />
Notes<br />
GREAT DOCTRINES II ~ MAN AND SALVATION PART 2~SECTION 19~PAGE 3<br />
S<br />
19 A<br />
I<br />
T<br />
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