Called to Love: The Gospel of Adoption

You cannot separate the message of adoption from the gospel. We were created to be in a perfect family relationship with God. He is our Father and we are his children. Sin however separated us from that loving relationship and we found ourselves orphans from the loving family relationship we were created for.
 
God, being the perfect Father he is, did not want us to remain orphans so he sent his one and only son so we might be able, by faith, to be reunited to him and once again be placed into the perfect family relationship we were created for through his own sacrifice on the cross.
 
In light of this message of adoption in the gospel it has deepened my understanding of God’s heart for adoption. God uses adoption as a picture of his adoption of us. He adopted us even when we were still in our sin. We didn’t need to be picture perfect for him to pick us out and adopt us. In the same way no child will be picture perfect. No they will likely come with behavioral issues, past abuse and neglect, attitudes, and they will not always thank you for adopting them.
 
Bottom line is that adoption is about shining the light of the gospel and should lead us to thankfulness for our savior adopting us. Adoption is not easy. Adoption comes with a lot of uncertainty. Currently my husband and I are in the process of applying for foster care adoption and a lot of uncertainty has come to my mind such as:
 
Will we get the approval to adopt?
What child will we be placed with?
What if I fail at being a mom?
What if something happens and the child gets taken away?
 
In all the uncertainly I am taken back to the gospel and I am thankful that Christ adopted me. He loved the whole world and died for the whole world even though many will chose to never believe in him. It was his great pleasure to do whatever it took, including suffering on the cross, to include us into his family forever.
 
Here is the message of adoption in the gospel:
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” – Galatians 4:4-7

About Hope

Hope McCleary graduated from Mesa State College with a degree in Mass Communications. After graduating she spent two years working in local news at KKCO 11 News in Grand Junction, Co. She decided to give up her career in the media to share the message of Christ full-time. She joined full-time staff with Master Plan Ministries the summer of 2012 and got married to Forrest McCleary in September of 2012. Through her own personal ups and downs in college Hope has a heart for college women understand their worth as God’s daughters, to see them grow in their faith, to grow in the unique gifts God has given them, and to stand firm in their faith even with the pressures of the world all around them. Hope’s interests include world and local missions, photography, singing, playing guitar and writing music, reading, meeting new people, coffee, and hiking. ​​

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