Adopted Into the Kingdom of God
Ephesians 1:4-7 NLT
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear son.”
Romans 8:15-17 NLT
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory, But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”
I love how the word of God reminds us of who we truly are. What I hear through the scriptures is that God wants us to recognize our identity; our existence is not random. It serves a glorious purpose, and that purpose is to walk in the fullness of Christ as daughters.
As a woman who has adopted three children, these scriptures come alive for me. I understand the legal aspects of adoption and that, legally, I can never unadopt my children; they are permanently mine.
They can choose to walk away from me, but that would never change their status as my children. In the same way, we are permanently His, but it is always our choice to walk away from God.
In Jewish culture, adoption was rare and typically based on bloodline lineage. However, Christ had to be adopted by Joseph to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah coming from the lineage of David. Now, we share in this fulfillment, being covered by His blood through salvation, which allows us to be adopted into the lineage of the kingdom of God.
God is speaking to us about knowing that we are His. We are not a coincidence in this life. God sent His Son for you and me, and if we can grasp this truth today, we will understand that we are true heirs with Christ, destined in Him.
This knowledge covers every part of our lives today and in the life to come. Receive this truth and know your true identity, which is not flawed but perfected in Him. Understand that…
Before the foundation of the world, God’s heart was already set on bringing us into His family. Adoption into the kingdom of God is not an afterthought or a backup plan—it is the good pleasure of the Father. Through Jesus Christ, we are not merely forgiven servants standing at a distance; we are welcomed sons and daughters brought near by grace.
In Roman culture, adoption gave a person a new name, a new family, and a rightful inheritance. Paul uses that picture to show what God has done for us in Christ. Our old debts have been erased, our former identity no longer defines us, and the Spirit now confirms what grace has declared: we belong to God. We can cry out, “Abba, Father,” not with fear, but with confidence.
Being adopted into God’s kingdom means we are heirs with Christ. We share in His glory, walk under the Father’s care, and live with the assurance that we are wanted, chosen, and loved. The kingdom is not only a place we hope to enter someday; it is the family we have already been welcomed into through Jesus.
Prayer: Father, thank You for adopting me into Your kingdom through Jesus Christ. Help me live with the confidence of a beloved child, not the fear of a slave. Remind me that I belong to You, that my old life no longer defines me, and that my inheritance is secure in Christ. Amen.
Written By Liz Jones
