Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
In a special sense Ephesians and Romans teach that Christ the Son of God became the world's second Adam and reversed the judicial condemnation that the fallen Adam brought upon us all.
Christ has given to "all men" a judicial verdict of acquittal, and in Himself adopted us. He is "the Savior of the world" (John 4:42), "the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe" (1 Tim. 4:10). "The free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life" (Rom. 5:18; of course, we are free to refuse the "gift" if we choose to).
Says Ephesians: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has ... predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:3-6).
But how can one know this personally? If you had some tangible, intimate evidence you could see, wouldn't that make you happy?
Romans says yes, you have it: if your heart cries out "Father," that is the evidence that you have been personally "adopted." No human could cry "Father!" unless in a real sense he has been "born again," or at least has begun to be born again: "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear [as is natural for all humans], but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father'" (8:14-16; remember, a baby is a live son!).
Think it through: walk softly before the Lord, look to Him for guidance, cry out in your distresses, "Father!" and confess that like a child crossing busy traffic hangs on to father's hand, so do you to Him--you have the evidence that God has adopted you as His child. Now demonstrate your adoption by how you live!
Hold your head high!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: September 25, 2006.
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