We attended the Together for Adoption Conference in Austin this weekend. Words cannot describe how amazing, life-changing, beautiful, heart-breaking, humbling and thought provoking this weekend was for us. I am still processing through it all and will probably be for some time. This will be the first of many posts to come from this conference.
My amazing husband decided to take over blog writing for this intro post....
The Theology of Adoption
Some of you know that Erin and I went to the Together for Adoption conference this past weekend. We have had a heart for adoption ever since we become good friends with the Bacaks (link) and developed a special relationship with their adopted son Treston. The conference was overwhelming, encouraging, and inspiring. I am not sure either one of us has ever experienced anything like this before. Over the next few days and weeks, I will probably post about various things we learned at the conference and what God is doing in our lives regarding adoption. I wanted to start with the theology of adoption. I think an understanding of what God has done for us is essential for understanding why all Christians should support adoption and allows us to be motivated by gratitude instead of guilt.
Adoption is one of the few things we get to do here on earth that dimly reflects something God has done or is doing for us. Another example is marriage. Ephesians 5:22 - 33 indicates that the husband’s love and pursuit of his wife in Christian marriage is a reflection of the way Christ loves and pursues the church. Ephesians 1:3-14 explains our adoption into God’s family:
"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 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. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
God adopted us in His family “according to His purpose,” giving us an inheritance we could not obtain otherwise. He did this “before the foundation of the world” and because of His grace. This passage has caused John Piper to say “Adoption is bigger than the universe” (http://www.youtube.com/user/togetherforadoption#p/a/f/2/ZgNXQ2CazUg). Our adoption into God’s family results from nothing we have done (Eph. 2:8-9) and in our becoming fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17). It is this fundamental aspect of the Gospel that compels our strong feelings towards earthly adoption. Why would we not want to extend love to the fatherless as our Heavenly father has extended love to us? Why would we not want our horizontal relationships to be an example of our vertical one?
As with marriage, not every Christian is called to the physical act of adoption. However, we are all called to support, advocate, and defend the fatherless. The number of verses which indicate our (the Church’s) role towards the fatherless are overwhelming (Exodus 22:22, Deut. 10:18, Deut. 24:17, Deut. 27:19, Ps. 68:5, etc.). James 1:27 states “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” Matthew 25: 31-46 tells us that whatever we do for “the least of these”, we do to Christ himself.
There is a lot of time, energy, money, and pain that goes into an earthly adoption and the process is not easy, which is why a strong theological foundation is needed. However, in spite of all the potential hardships, Christians should be paramount in adoption as we are motivated by what God has done for us. The Church is God’s plan for ending the global orphan crisis.
2 comments:
I'm so excited about what God is doing in so many people's hearts through this conference. It is obviously something we are so passionate about. There truly are so many things about adoption that are hard, but it is a picture of the gospel right in front of our eyes, in front of the eyes of people who know us, who stare at us in the grocery store, or our families. The depth and magnitude of the Gospel is so great, sometimes it's hard to sum up. I feel that way when we talk about adoption too. Thankfully, God tends to reveal it to us in layers. I am excited to process it all with you guys! Love you!
so good guys!
adoption is the tangible gospel. i feel like i understand so much more how god loves us. i mean, not that i can ever understand. and im sure partaking in adoption would and will make me understand more. but just being at this conference stirred something up deep inside of me...
right there with ya...
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