Adopted by God

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. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:4-7

Aside from the birth narratives of Jesus that are contained in the Gospels, it is my favorite description of the arrival of the Messiah. In this letter to believers in Galatia, the Apostle Paul makes a statement about God’s perfect timing. When the time was right, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The Savior was and is the gift above all gifts. The birth of a child is the fulfillment of a season of expectation. According to Peter, the birth of the Lamb of God was anticipated before the foundation of the world.

However, Paul does not end his description of God’s gift with the birth of Jesus. He continues with a similar declaration about God’s gift of the Spirit of His Son. Jesus came to redeem us. The Spirit of Christ came to affirm the reality of our redemption. Jesus came as “Immanuel, God with us” and because He came, the Spirit of Christ has come into my heart. The result of His entry into my heart is magnificent. Jesus purchased my adoption with His gift of life securing a change in my identity. I am a child of my heavenly Father. But my new identity is so more than a name change. I have been granted entry into a new relationship. The Holy Spirit wells up within my heart and I cry out to my heavenly Father. He hears and recognizes my voice as the voice of His child. Thank you Father.