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:
- Romans 8:23 — Believers wait for the full experience of adoption, the redemption of their bodies.
- Galatians 4:4-7 — God sent His Son so that we might receive adoption as sons.
- Ephesians 1:5 — God “predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ.”
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:
- A new legal standing — Believers are no longer slaves or outsiders but full members of God’s family.
- A new relationship — We are given the right to call God “Abba, Father.”
- A new inheritance — We become heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).
- A new identity — We are given the status and privileges of sons and daughters.
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:
- Romans 8:15-17 – “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!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Adoption is the Spirit received, not a spirit of slavery. The cry is Abba, Father. The witness is the Spirit with our spirit. Children are heirs, and fellow heirs with Christ. The suffering is not a second price. It is the path of the heir who will be glorified with Him.
- Romans 8:23 – “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Adoption is already received, and adoption is still waited for. The Spirit is the firstfruits. The body is not yet redeemed. The groan is the child’s groan, not the slave’s. What is left is the redemption of the body.
- Galatians 4:4-7 – “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. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” The Son was sent to redeem, so that adoption could be received. The Spirit of His Son is sent because they are sons. Slave and son are the two names. The heir follows the son. This is not earned at the end of the tutoring. The fullness of time sent the Son.
- Ephesians 1:5 – “He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” Adoption is not an afterthought once faith appears. He predestined us for it, to Himself, through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will. The next line says this is to the praise of His glorious grace. The family is the goal of the purpose, not a side benefit of pardon.
- John 1:12-13 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” The right of children is given to those who receive Him and believe in His name. The birth is of God, not of blood, flesh, or a man’s will. John does not use the word adoption here. He gives the child-right that adoption names in Paul. Receiving Him is how the right is given.
- 1 John 3:1-2 – “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are… Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” The love is the kind that calls us children, and the call is true. We are God’s children now. What we will be has not yet appeared. That matches Romans 8:23. The appearing will make us like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.
- Hebrews 12:5-11 – “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives… God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? … He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.” Discipline is not evidence that the adoption failed. It is how a father treats sons. Illegitimate children are left alone. The pain is not pleasant. The aim is holiness, the family likeness. Sons endure because they are sons.
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.