PODCAST
An Adoption Story
March 20th, 2015
Galatians 3:26—4:16
Through adoption, a family chooses to reach out and unite themselves with a child who needs love and a home.
Galatians 3 compares our salvation to just such an adoption story. We were once slaves to sin, now by God’s grace we are adopted as sons and daughters. We are given love and a home. Not only that, we also receive a rich inheritance!
Adoption was common among the Greeks and Romans, the adopted son received all the privileges of a natural son, including inheritance.* In the apostle Paul’s day it was understood that inheritance was not based solely on biological lineage, but also on adoption. Adopted sons and daughters were chosen because they were considered capable and worthy to inherit.
Augustine said, “We are sons by grace; He is so by nature.”** Through the sacrifice of God’s natural Son, we can be children, too. God did not adopt us because He felt sorry for us; he took us into His family because, by His grace, we become worthy to be a child and an heir.
* NIV Study Bible Notes. Pradis CD-ROM: The New Testament/Romans/Study Notes on Romans/Chapter 8. * Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians (Lightfoot), Pradis CD-ROM: The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians/Commentary/The faith of Abraham, Book Version: 4.0.50
Author: Laura E. Roller
