Adoption is the gracious act of God
by which He takes those
who were once strangers and enemies
and makes them His own beloved children,
with full rights and privileges
as members of His family.
In the New Testament,
this is a key aspect of salvation
and is closely related to
the concepts of sonship
and becoming children of God.
The Apostle Paul is the primary New Testament writer who develops the doctrine of adoption:
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15)
Other key passages include:
Adoption is made possible through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and is applied by the Holy Spirit.
In the ancient world, adoption was a legal act that gave a person the full rights of a natural-born child, including inheritance. When the New Testament uses this concept, it emphasizes:
Adoption is distinct from the new birth (regeneration). The new birth gives us spiritual life; adoption gives us legal standing and full family rights.
Those who have been adopted by God enjoy many blessings:
Adoption is one of the most comforting and identity-shaping truths in the gospel. It means that God did not merely forgive us and leave us as distant servants — He brought us into His family and gave us the full rights of children. This truth should fill believers with gratitude, security, and the confidence to approach God as a loving Father.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.