"Adopted for Life"

As we began exploring different avenues of adoption, I ran across the book Adopted for Life.  Russell D. Moore tells his story of adopting two boys from Russia and draws beautiful parallels with his earthly adoption experience and our spiritual adoption as children of God.  “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will  . .”  Ephesians 1:4-5

The book was a great encouragement for us to begin taking the practical steps towards welcoming children into our family through adoption.  Moore writes, “At a more fundamental level, it’s important to know that you don’t always have to know how God will equip you to adopt before you begin praying and planning toward adoption.”  And that’s exactly what we did. God is directing our steps and the pieces are falling into place.  He’s revealing to us that he truly does work all things together for good! 

Moore clearly explains how adoption is “evangelistic to the core.” “What better way is there to bring the good news of Christ than to see his unwanted little brothers and sisters placed in families where they’ll be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (pg 75). 

 “Some unique challenges go along with adoption – challenges related to finding a sense of belonging, to discipline and discipleship, to answering questions about origins.  Count these all joy.  They point all of us – not just kids who were adopted- to the gospel.  The gospel welcomes us and receives us as loved children.  The gospel disciplines us and prepares us for eternity as heirs.  The gospel speaks truth to us and shows us our misery in Adam and our glory in Christ.  The gospel shows us that we were born into death and then shows us, by free grace, that we’re adopted for life”  (pg  214).

I must confess that I did not make it through the entire book with dry eyes.  Many of the stories of Moore’s earthly adoption experience were heartbreaking, but what impressed me even more was how they so powerfully relate to our spiritual adoption.  I’ll never forget how he described his two young sons crying as they left the orphanage for the final time.  The boys wept for what they were leaving behind because they did not know how beautiful their future was going to be.  How often are we guilty of weeping and clinging to this nasty, filthy world?  Praise God that this earth is not our home!  He has prepared a life and future for us that are far greater than we could ever imagine.  We can stop the weeping and clinging because we are adopted as his sons - We are adopted for life!