Kevin Twit: How important is adoption to understanding Christianity?

The ultimate end of the gospel is to not just make us his friends, but to make us his sons.

Understanding adopting grace will protect us from the enchantment of legalism.

C.J. Mahaney continues his series on Adoption with this entry...

Over the years I have become aware of how easy it is to focus on justification and fail to prioritize the doctrine of God’s adopting grace. Historically, in my own ministry, and in Sovereign Grace in general, we have tended to emphasize the doctrine of justification over adoption. Please don’t misunderstand; we must never teach less on justification. The doctrine of justification must always remain primary because all the saving benefits (including adoption) depend upon justification by faith alone through grace alone in Christ alone.

Justification provides the foundation for adoption. And, rightly understood, justification positions us to fully appreciate adoption. We cannot speak of the Fatherhood of God apart from the cross.

But adoption is also distinct from justification. Without separating them, we need to distinguish between them.

Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.

“If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.

For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new, and better than the Old, everything that is distinctively Christian as opposed to merely Jewish, is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God. “Father” is the Christian name for God. Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.”

—J.I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: 1993), 201-202

HT: First Importance

Matt Chandler and the De-Churched

A little off-topic I know, but too good of a video to pass up...

The Doctrine of Adoption

Carolina Hope Adoption agency interviews Dr. Dave Garner on the Doctrine of Adoption (spiritually), and discusses it's implications on earthly adoption.

Enjoy!

From Adopted to Adoption

Justin Taylor has posted a particularly good article, From Adopted to Adoption.


At one point, he makes a striking claim that I have never thought about. That Jesus was adopted. Here's that excerpt.

Jesus Was Adopted

Have you ever stopped to think that Jesus Christ was himself adopted? Now we have to be careful — if we say that he was adopted by his eternal heavenly Father than we've expressed a heretical understanding! But at the same time, it's often easy to forget that Joseph was Jesus' earthly father — they had no biological connection but the relationship was very significant and real.

A very good read. Go ahead. Click that link.