Have you been adopted by God?
In Christian circles, the term “born-again” is often used by Christians who describe themselves as becoming a born-again “child of God” by faith in Jesus Christ. The question is, if you have been born again, have you been adopted by God?
What does it mean to be adopted by God?
When it comes to adoption by God, there are several things that take place. Many people who have been adopted share a similar experience when they are adopted into a family. Although their adoption is physical as humans, to be adopted by God follows a similar path Spiritually. We see several aspects of this adoption by God and how it relates to what those that have been adopted go through.
We are adopted by God when we are born again
The idea of being born again was mentioned by Jesus in a conversation he had with a Jewish Pharisee leader named Nicodemus. Nicodemus had been hearing of Jesus and seeing what He had been doing and wanted to meet with Him. So, they met privately at night as follows:
John 3:1-4. “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?“
We see here that Jesus mentioned being born again as a requirement to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus was confused wondering how anyone could be physically “born again” thinking someone has to reenter his mother’s womb to be born again. Jesus explained it as follows:
John 3:5-8. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus told Nicodemus you must be born of the water AND the Spirit, or else you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So, we see two births here: physical birth by water and birth by the Spirit. Now some have taken this to mean someone must be baptized to be born of water. However, Jesus clarifies this as a physical birth as babies by saying, “…that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
We are born of water
What Jesus is referring to is as humans we are born of the flesh, or the water, from inside our mother’s womb. He is talking about how we, as babies after we are conceived, become are immersed in a tough sac of amniotic fluid, often called water, which is inside our mother’s womb. When the time comes for us to be born the sack containing us breaks and the water escapes. This is why many women when they experience this, they make the comment, “My water broke” realizing they are about to start giving birth. As we are born and are exposed to air, we take our first breath in a new world being born of the flesh.
We are born again of the Spirit
Jesus then explained how we are born of the Spirit referring to being “born again” of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Peter later wrote about being born of the water and born again of the Spirit in great detail and what it means as follows:
1 Peter 1:18-25. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
Peter is telling us what happens the moment we believe the gospel, or “good news” of how Jesus died for our sins, and we trust Him as our Savior. He described how this is not something we earned by works, but of faith, which gives us a new birth, not of water, but of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit comes inside us the moment we believe, and He does several things. First, the Holy the Spirit gives a new life as we are “born again,” not physically of water, but of the Spirit. This new life, unlike the life in physical bodies we were born into as babies, will never end and lasts forever. Just as a mother and father become one and conceive a baby, we are Spiritually “born again” as a child of God when we become one with our Heavenly Father through the Word of God, which is Jesus Christ as follows:
John 1:1-4. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.“
John 1:11-14. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
We become a new creature when we are born again
We are told here that we are born again by the Holy Spirit when we believe that Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again to pay the penalty for our sins. That happens when we place our faith in what God said in His Word that He did through Christ and what He did to save us. This second birth, by the Spirit, gives us eternal life we become a new creature as follows:
2 Corinthians 5:17-19. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
Galatians 6:15. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”
We are sealed by the Spirit when we are born again
Being born again as a new creature involves a “baptism” or filling of the Spirit. Unlike, physical baptism, which is external, this Spiritual baptism by the Holy Spirit is internal and gives a new birth. He also seals us until the day of redemption, or the day we stand before the Lord in Heaven as follows:
Romans 6:1-4. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.”
1 Corinthians 12:27. “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
Galatians 3:26-29. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Ephesians 4:30. “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
We can walk in newness of life when we are born again
Finally, as we just saw in Romans 6:4, when we are born again, we have the power to “walk in newness of life.” We can do all things in Christ because we now have His Wisdom and power needed to do things as follows:
Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.:
1 Corinthians 2:12-16. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
When we are adopted by God we will receive a new name
When we trust Christ as our Savior, we are baptized by the Holy Spirit as a new creature into newness of life as a child of God. In the same way when someone that is adopted into a family, as a new family member a new birth certificate is created. This birth certificate includes their new adopted name and the names of the parents who adopted them. God does the same for us, when we are adopted into His family and receive a new name in Heaven as follows:
Romans 8:14-17. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
Romans 8:21-23. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
Galatians 4:3-7. “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Revelation 2:17. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”
Revelation 3:10-12. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”
When we are adopted by God we are fed Spiritually
As adopted children of God, like many who have been adopted, we rely on our new parents to feed us. This feeding enables us to grow and mature. It is the same way when God adopts us, but He provides us Spiritual food to grow and mature as follows:
Hebrews 5:12 – 6:1. “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 61 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God”
We see that just like a newborn baby, we start our life drinking milk to provide for all of our nutritional needs. In today’s times we know that a mother’s milk contains everything needed for a newborn to grow and be healthy. Even baby formula manufacturers try to replicate mother’s milk in the formula, so a baby receives everything they need to grow and develop into a healthy child, However, we also know that as a child gets older, they get weaned off of milk and start eating solid foods. We know that children have many nutritional requirements to grow up to be strong and mature adults.
As children of God adopted into HIs family, it is the same way, only our food is Spiritual. We start out with the milk of the Word of God and mature to the meat of the Word. All along the way, we get stronger and more mature with the more time we grow up learning and living by the Word of God. We see references to the Word of God being food as follows:
Deuteronomy 8:3. “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”
Psalms 34:8. “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
Jeremiah 15:16. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”
Matthew 4:3-4. “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
John 6:26-27. “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
John 6:47-51. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
1 Corinthians 10:2-4. “And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
1 Peter 2:1-3. “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
Revelation 2:7. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
When we are adopted by God we receive new education
As adopted children of God, we received His Holy Spirit Who enables us to learn and grow intellectually and Spiritually. Like a child adopted into a family, there are things beyond school that parents teach their child. It starts out by getting to know their new family and growing to learn their place in the family and eventually their way in the world. This education, along with our being fed Spiritually helps us to grow to maturity in Christ in the same way. This new education helps an adopted child grow in their family role and to represent the family to others. Likewise, Christian education helps us as children of God to grow in our role in His family and represent Him to others. The educational process is founded in Scripture as follows:
Deuteronomy 6:3-9. “Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”
Proverbs 1:1-9. “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. 2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.”
Proverbs 22:6. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Isaiah 28:9-10. “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little…”
1 Corinthians 2:9-10. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:12-16. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
When we are adopted by God, we receive a new Father
As adopted children of God, we receive a new Father. Like the father of an adopted child that leads and provides for His Family, He provides leadership and fulfills their needs. Although the process of having a child is physically and emotionally intense, the same can be said about being an adopting a child. However, our Heavenly Father is the example that we should follow as the head of our families. In the case where there may be no father in a family, we are called to provide for widows and orphans so that there is a father figure that can serve as an example of our Heavenly Father. We see these things and many more as follows:
Matthew 5:16. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:44-45. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Matthew 5:43-48. “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.“
John 16:21-33. “A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. 28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. 29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. 30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. 31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? 32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
James 1:27. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
1 John 5:7-8. “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”
As we see here, our Heavenly Father is there every step of the way as we are born again into His family. He is there to provide for our needs when we ask for something and knows us well enough to see our needs, we may not even ask for. Our Heavenly Father also will help us to grow to understand why he teaches us the things we learn growing up. This means that He will also teach us how a father should lead, serve, and protect his family and prepare the children to do the same as the become adults. Likewise, He wants us to reach out to help widows and the fatherless. Finally, knowing that we came forth from God when we were born again, we can be assured that He is always with us.
Final Thoughts
We have covered many things as we consider our adoption by God and are born again when we trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior. We receive a new name; we are fed Spiritually, we are educated; and we receive a new Father. With all of these, as we become adults, we can know that the wisdom of a good, Heavenly Father who loves us and adopted us. This will go a long way in leading and guiding us through our life and how we in turn, seek to positively affect the lives of others.
Likewise, even if we have no father on earth that is in our lives nor one that adopts us, we should always consider our Heavenly Father as a role model of an earthly father. In doing so and honoring our parents, we honor our Father in heaven and serve as an example to our brothers and sisters in Christ and the rest of the world.
Exodus 20:12. “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee…”
May God the Father bless us and keep us as we rejoice in His adoption of us into His family.
For more information about what it takes to be born again by placing our faith in Christ, check out our “Got Jesus” page:
Dr. Michael L. Williams, Head of Ministry Operations and Technology at Christianity Every Day, is a Christ-centered Author, Educator, Biblical Counselor and Advisor. He is ordained in Pastoral Ministry and formerly the founding Pastor of Selah Mountain Ministries, a church started along with his wife, Pamela Rose, after several years of pastoral experience and training in Biblical Counseling. Selah Mountain provided Biblical counseling and education to the public on how to overcome life issues Biblically on topics such as anger management, marriage, addictions, and other subjects – often referred to as mental illnesses. To learn more about Dr. Mike visit the About page.
