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Adopted Children or Brothers and Sisters in Christ?

As Christians, we are all adopted into God's family.  It is a permanent adoption that gives us the ability to be heirs with Christ.  We will never know all of our brothers and sisters this side of eternity.  The Gospel of Christ stirs us to seek those who do not have a relationship with Him in order that they too can become eternally adopted by God.  


If not for adoption, the child God will give us could simply be another face in the crowd of strangers - one that we would want to have a relationship with Christ.  How, then, would making him/her our child be any different?  It isn't.  We should want our child to become our brother/sister in Christ.  They are still our children, but the things we want to do in order to raise godly children is tied in with how we should treat others as brothers/sisters in Christ.  


We will provide for them, but we will lay down our life for them (1 John 3.16).  We will help them to see their sin, but we will be willing to confess our own (James 5.16).  We will speak truth into their lives, but patiently (James 4.11; 5.7-9).  We will discipline and will encourage them to pursue what is pure and good (Romans 15.14; 1 Timothy 5.1,2) We will help them recognize the right path and will pray for them and seek to restore when they veer into the wrong path (Matthew 18.21,22; Galatians 6.1; James 5.19,20). (Family Ministry Field Guide by Timothy Paul Jones, p.76)

-Josh

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 31, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    So are you adopting? If so that's awesome! There are many children here that need homes. Congrats to both!

    ReplyDelete

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