What does it mean to be adopted in Christ? What does it truly mean to be a child of God?
In a bible study I'm a part of we've been studying the book of second Timothy, and this past week verse nineteen in chapter two gripped my heart:
'Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ''The Lord knows those who are His'', and, ''Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn from wickedness'.
This passage is in a letter from Paul to Timothy in which the apostle is warning, advising, and encouraging Timothy to teach, contend for truth, and spread the gospel to further the kingdom of God by building up the church. In this particular scripture, two false teachers have been spreading lies by twisting doctrine and upsetting the faith of believers, so because of this Paul is reassuring Timothy that God's truth stands firm, even if sinful men try to say otherwise. He then encourages Timothy to hold to the hope of salvation, marked with a seal and promises of the Lord, for He knows the genuine hearts of His children and who belongs to Him. What a beautiful reminder of God's faithfulness.
The first question in reading this that comes to my mind is, 'What is the seal?'. Ephesians chapter one verses thirteen through fourteen say,
'And you were also included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the glory and praise of God'.
We know that all believers have the Holy Spirit inside, sealing us for redemption until Christ returns and we are restored. That concept is truly amazing. The God of life has marked those who believe in Him with His very Spirit-with a part of Himself.
Another question that arises is this: what does it mean to confess the name of the Lord? All believers have accepted Jesus Christ as the Son of God who came to Earth, lived a perfect life, was crucified, and rose again by the power of God and in doing so saved all of humanity from our sinful selves, so that whoever may believe in Him may have eternal life. However, I'd argue that confessing the name of the Lord is even a step further than just accepting Him in your heart. Salvation is primary, yes, but what comes after that? Once saved, do we keep on sinning? Of course not. That would actually be incredibly counterproductive, come to think.
The Lord gives us a new name in Him. When we accept His freely-given grace, we are renamed. Like Jacob in the Old Testament, we are literally given a new name. We go from broken to redeemed, and because of our transformation our lives should shine with His love. We should want to spread the good news of what God has done and is doing in our lives.
To confess Gods name means to willingly identify ourselves with Him, that we belong to Him. When a child is adopted, he or she takes the name of his or her adoptive parents. Similarly, we take on the name of Christ. We are adopted into His family.
So. Beautiful.
Today I was walking on campus at Texas A&M and I saw a girl with a 'Breakaway' tag on her backpack, and honestly I had this moment where I wanted to tap her on the shoulder and say, 'You too? How great! Isn't adoption truly the best?' Before I could say one word, though, a friend called out my name from behind and we engaged in conversation, and by the time I turned around the girl had already walked away.
The Lord has been overwhelming my soul with these truths. The more He shows me what it really means to be His child, the more I am in love with the whole concept. He has chosen us to be His sons and daughters. We are given the chance to live for Him-to live as children of light, as Ephesians chapter four tells us. We have been given a new name, and it reflects the heart of the coolest dad anyone could ever imagine.
