Today, I want to continue discussing what it means to be adopted into God’s family.
Recognizing your acceptance into God’s family and kingdom is essential for becoming the person God intends you to be. Understanding your authority as a believer begins with knowing you are fully accepted and adopted into God’s family.
By the way, more on this important subject can be found in my book, Fulfill Your Dreams.
Paul explains to us: You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.” Rom. 8:15 CEB
Your adoption frees you from being bound by and afraid of the law. Paul explains in Romans 8:15 that you don’t need to fear God as if he were a slave master. Being part of God’s family, you have all the rights of his family, including his unconditional love.
Paul also explained God’s adoptive process to the Galatians:
4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’ 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Gal. 4:5-7 NLT
In Roman culture, an adopted person lost all rights in their original family and gained all the rights of a legitimate child in their new family. They became a full heir to their new father’s estate. Under Roman law, an adopted child was guaranteed all legal rights to their father’s property, even if they had previously been a slave.
Adopted children had the same rights and privileges as other biological children. They were not second-class sons; they were equal to all other sons in their father’s family. They could not be disinherited.
Likewise, when someone becomes a Christian, they gain all the privileges of being a child in God’s family. We have been set free from the bondage and fear of the law. You are not an orphan, a black sheep, or from a broken family line. You have a new family, with a new older brother, Jesus!
Your new life in Christ grants you a position as His son or daughter. You are not earning His love and acceptance. No actions are needed to receive His gift of new birth. Your new birth in Christ secures your place in the Father’s house. Complete acceptance and adoption through grace are unconditional gifts.
Your inclusion in God’s family grants you the privilege of living as an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ in the inheritance of the Father’s house. Through your union with Jesus, you can confidently claim your inheritance as His child and access God’s promises and resources.
God’s love for you is complete; nothing can separate you from His love, and you can find security in it. You don’t have to strive to earn His love or acceptance. Love yourself as much as God loves you!
In Christ, you gain a new identity and heritage. Allowing the Holy Spirit to renew your mind in the truth of your acceptance into God’s family and kingdom is essential for discovering your calling. When you accept your new identity in Christ, you can begin to embrace the destiny God has for you and live a life dedicated to Him.
Rejection and abandonment are intense emotions that cause profound pain in the human heart.
We love Him because He loved us first. This is a profound truth—not just an idea for the mind, but a reality revealed to our hearts and spirits. When we accept Christ’s love and realize that we are forever adopted, then the fear of rejection disappears, and we worship and serve God out of love.
Knowing you are loved, accepted, and adopted into God’s family is essential for victorious living. It provides the foundation for faith to grow and for effective prayer to work.
If we measure an earthquake, the higher the number on the Richter Scale, the more severe the quake. If we had a similar scale to measure human pain and suffering, rejection and abandonment would rank at the top. Rejection can occur through our relationships with parents, family, friends, colleagues, a spouse, or others.
Commenting about the intense human need for love and acceptance, Mother Teresa said, “There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation than for bread.” Humanity avoids rejection and strives for acceptance.
Why is this important? You can’t wash others’ feet if you’re afraid of rejection.
Here’s the good news: as a follower of Jesus, you can be accepted by the Father forever. You never have to face the Father’s rejection; instead, you receive the benefits of His adoption and the privilege of a relationship with the Creator.
Through your relationship with Jesus, you will always be connected to God’s love and presence—this truth needs to become a foundation in your heart as you walk with Christ. Consider Paul’s words to the Roman believers:
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:35, 37-39 NLT
If you live as a fearful slave, unaware that you are an adopted son or daughter, you will fear God whenever you fall short or don’t perform well. Instead, you never have to fear judgment or rejection again, regardless of the circumstances.
Jesus Christ has forever reconciled you to the Father. His unconditional love and acceptance aren’t based on what you’ve done or will do; they depend on what Jesus did for you. Strive for holy living, but rest peacefully in the completed work of Christ.
Good works come from your walk with God—these flow from your confidence in God’s love and acceptance—but they are not necessary to qualify for your place in God’s family (Eph. 2:10).
From your relationship as God’s adopted daughter or son, you learn to “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12 NKJV). Again, we are not working to earn God’s acceptance; instead, our acceptance into His family empowers us to walk faithfully with Him and live a holy life.
Jesus took the initiative, broke down the wall separating you from Him, and loved you unconditionally. When you fully accept His love and walk in this truth, the fear of rejection fades away. You love God because He first loved you. Your desire to live for God comes from understanding His unconditional love.
Renewing the Mind to Our New Creation Reality
Proverbs emphasizes this truth: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7 NKJV). When you realize your new identity in Christ and understand that you are genuinely a new creation, your life starts to change.
There is strength in positive confession. Focusing on what God has revealed encourages us to believe and receive what He offers.
You have a new nature and disposition, and your inclination now leans toward God. Your behavior will change as you allow your mind to be shaped by God’s character and His word.
God doesn’t just want to change you; He wants to transform you. This process began when you accepted Christ and His gift of grace through faith. The Holy Spirit lives in you and starts the ongoing work of transforming your mind and heart.
The transformation God wants to bring into your life goes far beyond just turning your “bad behavior” into “good behavior.” Of course, that matters to God and to you as well.
However, God desires a complete transformation of your mind; that you develop a positive, faith-filled, overcoming attitude toward Him, enabling you to do the impossible through your life. This can only happen when you die to self through the power of Christ’s cross and faithfully follow Him.
You are part of God’s royal family. You have a new identity and a new family lineage. Your past is behind you. God’s grace is a beautiful mystery; it transforms you into who you were originally created to be, bringing glory to God and fulfillment to your life. Live as a royal son or daughter because you truly are one.
You have been adopted through Christ, and just as Jesus is, so are you now—completely accepted and loved by God (1 John 4:17). No longer an orphan, but an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ! You are fully accepted and loved, just as Jesus is.
Spirit of Sonship versus an Orphan Spirit
Unfortunately, many in the body of Christ have not had their minds and hearts renewed to this revelation. They fear God, are tormented, and hesitate to draw near to Him. They are afraid of rejection and struggle to trust God as Father. Why?
Because understanding (revelation) occurs in the heart, if hurts or rejection are lodged there, they won’t receive this message of the Father’s love and adoption.
Many act with an orphan spirit rather than as a son or daughter because they never properly developed basic trust in childhood.
John and Paula Sanford, in their book ‘Restoring the Christian Family,’ discuss a concept called basic trust. This idea was derived from the Havighurst Developmental Task Theory on human development.
Based on Havighurst’s theory, basic trust is described as the ability to keep one’s heart open to people one cannot fully trust. It involves taking the risk of maintaining genuine, ongoing emotional connections with imperfect individuals.
Basic trust is an inner strength and resilience essential for human relationships. “In the first six years of his life, a child learns more than he will in all his remaining years, even if he earns several degrees. That learning is more intense in his first year than in all the rest.”
Without a basic trust established in our lives, we tend to follow behavior patterns aimed at controlling the people and situations around us because we are afraid of intimacy and fear being rejected or hurt again.
There are many types of legitimate control: parents, bosses, teachers, pastors, leaders, etc. The Kylstras estimate that 90-95% of people try to control their feelings to avoid more hurt and pain – they will do almost anything to hide from pain. Many will control, strategize, manipulate, reason, argue, etc., to avoid pain or to allow others to help.
They will go to any lengths to achieve their goals, hiding their pain and seeking security and protection. Consequently, they find no rest or peace. Their need for control originates from a lack of trust in God and others, a mindset the devil further fuels.
How do you see yourself?
Are you a child of God or an orphan? Is God your Father, close and personal? Are you dependent on God and others, or self-reliant and independent? Do you see authority as a source of pain or as God’s servants for good? Do you seek praise from people and acceptance, or do you know you are accepted through God’s love?
We need to know that as an adopted son or daughter of God, we are:
Loved by my Father
Father loves you with an everlasting love – Jer. 31:3, loves me so much, gave His Son for me to die for me that I might know His love –Jn. 3:16, Father loves me so much, He wants to express His love and affection to me – Jn. 16:27
Pleasing in the Father’s eye
His thoughts toward me are always good – Jer. 29:11, He sees me as beautiful, handsome, and pleasant – SS 1:15,16, He will never leave me, He wants to meet all needs – Luke 15:31. God is not ashamed of me. Heb. 2:11, 11:16
Accepted by My Father
I am called a child of God, His friend – John 1:12; 15:15, In Christ it is just as if I had never sinned – Rom. 5:1
Secure in My Father
Free from condemnation forever – Rom 8:1,2, Father is always for me, not against me – Rom. 8:31, Troubles don’t separate me from His love – Rom 8:35, I can find grace and mercy when hurting – Heb. 4:16, His perfect love casts out all fear – I Jn. 4:18
Final Thoughts
The first step in freeing yourself from the orphan spirit is to understand and renew your mind, recognizing that you are loved, accepted, and a child of God. This happens only when you apply the cross in those areas. As He is… so are we!
The second step is to invite the Holy Spirit to minister to your heart—if there are areas of Basic Trust that need healing or proper establishment—such as rejection or abandonment—allow healing to take place. Repent of any fear, lack of trust, or desire to control.
PRAYER
I ask you, Holy Spirit, to reveal the hurt You want to heal (listen or watch as He shows it to you). I choose to pour out my heart, to express my hurt, frustration, pain, fear, or anger (be honest with God about how you feel). (Take care of any unforgiveness, repentance, issues, etc.) (Listen to the Holy Spirit and/or interact with Jesus about your hurt.)
I receive your healing touch (listen/watch as Holy Spirit comes with healing). I break my agreement with any and all of the “lies” (ungodly beliefs) found in this hurt.
