For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 

Romans 8:15 

Let us today, extend our consideration of the subject of adoption a bit farther. Consider, the implications of our text. What is the fruit of our adoption by God in practical terms? It is, so far as our text declares, the ‘spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, “Abba, Father.”’ The story goes that the word, ‘Abba’ is one of the first a toddler learns by which to address his father because it requires no teeth to say. We are much like toddlers in the early days of our spiritual experience. We stumble and tumble, whimper, whine, and drool. We have little knowledge and experience, and are bottomless pits of wants and needs. For all our weaknesses and lack of stalwartness, we look up with tear-stained faces and cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ Perhaps you find this description very accurate of yourself today. Realize, trembling Child of Grace that, ‘This God is our God forever and ever.’ He marries and never divorces. He adopts and never disowns. You have found yourself failing in spiritual matters at every turn. You stumble from day to day, feeling as if you will never find your feet or make a right decision. Yet, you are a Child of the King. He has adopted you into the Royal Family. You may feel as if you are a failure today, but understand, Christ has lived and died; has risen, and intercedes. He is coming again to receive you unto Himself. There is for you a place at the King’s Table where the Children of the Realm sit. The Sovereign God of Heaven is your Heavenly Father, and He loves to hear you cry, ‘Abba!’ 

Our Loving and Kind Father, 
You are acquainted with all our ways. 
You graciously tolerate our weaknesses, 
And labor over us, until You have made us strong. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 

Galatians 4:4,5 

‘Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.’ It is to this glorious end that God the Father waited until ‘the fullness of time.’ It is to this end that He ‘sent forth His Son.’ It is to this end that Christ came, ‘made of a woman, made under the law.’ It is to this end that He accomplished His Mission, ‘to redeem them that were under the law.’ God finishes what He starts. We may have entered this world, ‘by nature the children of wrath,’ but because of the redemptive work of God, through Christ, ‘Beloved, now are we the sons of God.’ Here is a God Who makes ‘king’s and priests’ out of wretched, vile and helpless sons and daughters of Adam’s fallen race. Here is a Christ Who condescends ‘to men of low estate,’ not that they might remain there, but that He might raise them up, ‘that we might receive the adoption of sons.’ As we realize this, in practical ways, we will find that it transforms our approach to everything and everyone around us. We need not have the recognition of man, as long as we are accepted of God. We need not live to please, ourselves or others, so long as God claims us as His Own. We need not fear the shunning of society, so long as Our Father embraces us and our Elder Brother upholds us. 

Our most Gracious and Loving Father, 
we rejoice that from all eternity You have chosen us, 
to be members of Your Royal Family. 
We shall be forever grateful, that You have included us, in such a Grand Company. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 

Galatians 4:4,5 

As we continue to contemplate the subject of adoption, we come today to consider, who will God adopt into His Family?  Our text has laid the groundwork for this discussion.  Looking back over our previous thoughts upon this text, we see that they are a people included in the Providential Plan of the Sovereign God.  They are a people for whose sake God the Father sent the very willing, obedient Son.  They are a people for whom Christ endured great humiliation, both in life and in death.  They are a people whom Christ came ‘to redeem,’ according to the phrase we are considering today.  They are a people ‘under the law.’  These are all indicators as to whom God intends to adopt.  Ephesians tells us that these are people whom God ‘predestinated…unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the pleasure of his will.’  To this point, David, speaking in the 110th Psalm declares, ‘Your people shall be willing in the day of your power.’  There, David is quoting God the Father, Who is addressing Christ.  Christ declared in John 6, ‘All that the Father gives me shall come to me.’  From these evidences, taken together, we conclude that Christ came ‘to redeem’ these people who were, ‘chosen…in him before the foundation of the world.’  We have no reason to equivocate about our inclusion in this company since what it elicits from us by way of response is, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.’  Many of us have heard the call of a loving Savior.  We invite you to hear His call as well. 

Our Great and Saving God, we rejoice in Your Redemption, 
accomplished and applied, 
unto all for whom You have intended it. 
We look to You, the only Redeemer of God’s Elect.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 

Galatians 4:4,5 

We have been considering, of late, our adoption into the Family of God. As we continue today, let us dwell for a while, please, upon the words, ‘made of a woman, made under the law,’ as they relate to Christ, and ultimately to us. We refer to the incarnation of Christ, along with His ministry and death, as His Humiliation. We find a summary of it in Philippians 2:6-8, ‘who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.’ Remember, please, that the end purpose in view, so far as our text declares was, ‘that we might receive the adoption of sons.’ In order for God to adopt us into His Family some man, some truly human person, must satisfy all the demands of the Law. There must be an active obedience to satisfy the Law in precept. There must be a passive obedience to satisfy the Law in penalty. The only Person capable of accomplishing this would be Christ, Who being God, took ‘to Himself a true body and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.’  The Humiliation of Christ was necessary for our adoption to become a reality. There were no other options. This engenders in us both love and gratitude. For Christ, Who enjoyed the unbroken fellowship with the Father and Holy Spirit, as well as the adoration of angels, to humble Himself to guarantee our adoption, is far more than we can comprehend. We can but love in return. 

Our most Gracious and Loving Savior, 
we praise You that You, the Great King, 
were willing to humble Yourself in order to raise us up and make us  
‘kings and priests unto our God.’ 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning