God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5
First-century Rome was a dark place. Among many horrific things that took place during this time in Rome, it was common for people, when they had an unwanted baby, to leave that baby in an abandoned place out in public. These abandoned babies were left to either be rescued or die. It was truly an epidemic. In response to this crisis, many Christians would take these babies and raise them as their own, adopting them. As Christians adopted these abandoned babies, they were showing the world a picture of what God had done for them.
One of God's most special names found in Scripture is "Abba," which is a term of endearment for the word "Father," similar to our word "daddy." If we are followers of God, Scripture teaches us that we can call God our Father because He has adopted us as sons and daughters. In Ephesians 1:1-14, the Apostle Paul explained that even though we were sinners and far from God, in His loving-kindness, God chose to adopt us. He sent Jesus to come to earth, live a perfect life, and pay the penalty of our sins through His death and resurrection. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, if we have placed our faith in Him, we are adopted as children of God.
Friends, adoption changes everything. It gives us a relationship with our loving Heavenly Father, a new family, and a purpose to live for. It means that we have hope for a good future. Praise God for the undeserved gift of adoption. In the words of Paul, "He has showered his kindness on us" (Ephesians 1:8a).
Take time today to think about adoption. Reflect on the fact that, if you have placed your faith in God, you have been adopted by Him and have a relationship with Him as your loving Heavenly Father. Take time to journal, reflecting on this question: What does it mean to me that God willingly adopted me as His child?
This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
