Adopted By God’s Grace

I am amazed at the fact that God has adopted me into His family by graciously granting me faith in His Son Jesus Christ. I am not an Israelite. I am not of the lineage of Abraham. But He says in the passage below that the children of the promise are counted as the seed. The seed that He is referring to is Jesus Christ. All who believe in Christ whether Jew or Gentile are counted as the true Israel of God.

“…They are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called.’ That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.” [1]

Children of the promise are those who believe God’s promises and live by them.

In regards to adoption into God’s family. God cannot be forced, manipulated or dupped into adopting someone. His election starts with His own initiative to love someone.

“When Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.’” [2]

God chose to love Jacob. That is His prerogative! He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is holy! Totally without sin! All people have sinned against Him. It is amazing that He chooses to love anyone of us.

This point is further strengthened by what the Lord said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” Paul adds, “So then it [adoption] is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” [3]

The Lord said through His servant Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved.” “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God.” [4]

Israel was not God’s people until He called them His people. I, and those like me who believe in Jesus, were not God’s people until He initiated the change in us to adopt us into His family via the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

God’s servant Isaiah wrote, “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved.” “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.” [5]

The seed is Christ. It is He that both Jew and Gentile need to be adopted into God’s family. It is the remnant of both Jew and Gentile that believe in and profess Jesus Christ as the resurrected Lord and Savior that are saved.

Paul wrote, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” [6]

God has made salvation simple by making His Own Son Jesus the access point for all to enter into His family. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” [7]

As simple as this is, no one will believe unless the Father draws Him. [8]

Apart from God’s grace, people will inevitably try to make their own way to God. Like the people who built a tower (Babel) to heaven that yielded confusion and division.

Paul said that many Jews erred because they sought to establish their own righteousness. They did not submit to the righteousness of God. “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” [9]

God declares righteous the one who believes in His Son, not those who try to work around Him and enter through an imaginary backdoor that does not exist.

“The Word of faith which we [Paul and the apostles] preach: that If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” [10]

“There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.’” [11]

It is not ours to assume that we know whom God loves and whom He does not. When Jesus walked on earth, He ministered to a Roman Centurion, a rich man whose daughter died, to fishermen, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, tax collectors, prostitutes, cripples, blind people, deaf people, mute people, lame people, a widow whose son died, as well as to people who needed deliverance from demons. God’s grace is amazing.

Thus, the Lord urges us to preach the Gospel to everyone, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” [12]

“Faith [in Christ] comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” [13]

The Lord says, “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” [14]

God often brings “orphans” into His family when they have given up all hope of being adopted.

The Lord says, “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise, grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise, work is no longer work.” [15]

Thank God! We are saved by His grace! “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” [16]

Being that it was by God’s grace and love that we were adopted into His family, we should by the mercies of God, present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service. And not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” [17]

For as the Lord said to Moses, “You shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose Name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” [18]

He loves us deeply. He has shown us great grace. He has adopted us into His family. He is also jealous of our affections. And the Lord really just wants what is best for us.

[1] Romans 9:6-8
[2] Romans 9:10-13
[3] Romans 9:15-16
[4] Romans 9:25-26
[5] Romans 9:27, 29
[6] Romans 9:33
[7] John 14:6
[8] John 6:44
[9] Romans 10:3-4
[10] Romans 10:8-9
[11] Romans 10:12-13
[12] Romans 10:13-14; Mark 16:15
[13] Romans 10:17
[14] Romans 10:20
[15] Romans 11:5-6
[16] Romans 11:36
[17] Romans 12:1-2
[18] Exodus 34:14