The Adopted Child

The idea of adoption is something I am passionate about. You see both my kids are adopted. While reading in Romans 8:12-17, Paul writes these words:

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father! The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (ESV)

Here Paul wraps up our salvation by saying we are God's adopted children with all the rights and responsibilities that go along with this.

As I think about adoption there are three points I want to highlight. First, there are costs associated with adoption. In our case, the mothers of our kids had to give them up, I am sure this was not an easy thing to do. For one we know the reason was the the mother wanted a better life for her child. In God's case, He had to send His Son to earth to pay the penalty for our sins. The cost, Jesus died on the cross. The second point is that we have a new identity as a result of adoption. The birth parents of our kids lost all rights, responsibilities and obligation to their kids when they signed the adoption papers. Conversely, my wife and I took on these same rights and obligations. In the same way since we are now God's children we are heir with Christ. We need to live our life in such a way as to reflect this. Neil T. Anderson in his book Victory over the Darkness does a great job of spelling out who we are in Christ. The last point I want to make is that adoption leads to a greater sense of intimacy. My son shared at an open mic about how happy he was that we came and got him and made him part of our family. Needless to say there as not a dry eye in the church after that. But it got me thinking, when was the last time I really thanked God for sending His Son to die for me? Next time you take communion think about that.

So what does it mean to you to be a child of God? Should you be living your life any differently if you took to heart the idea that you are an heir with Christ?

Picking up on James

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27 (NASB)

I talked about the first part of this passage a couple of postings ago. Now I want to come back to the last part of the verse, keeping oneself pure or unstained by the world. As I read this my thoughts keeping drifting back to Matthew 22 and the passage where Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment, he replies love God and love your neighbor. The first part of this passage is about loving your neighbor and the second part seems to fit "loving God." You see if we love God with all we have, we won't have time for things of the world. I know, this is easier said than done. Then again, who ever said being a Christ-follower is easy? James is writing about trials in the first section of chapter 1. This entire letter is written to the twelve tribes who have been scattered due to persecution.

So how do you stay unstained? Do we do it by loving God (Mat 22), focusing on God (Col 3), serving others John 13). I would answer yes to all of these. We also need to align our belief and values with what the Bible teaches. We need to live out a Biblically informed faith.

Here is a challenge that I was given and that I pass along to you. Take a passage of scripture, the Beatitudes, this passage in James, Col 3 or Matthew 22 and live them out. Ask yourself what would my life look like serving widows and orphans, setting my heart on things above, loving God with every fiber of my being? Then apply what you have learned for a week and see how God can use you and transform you into His likeness.

Lost in James

I am blogging this on Thursday Aug 7th, from a state park in South Dakota, but I don’t know when it will get posted. I have access via my iPhone, but I really don’t want to us it for blogging.

I am stuck in the last section of chapter 1 in the book of James. I am not stuck intellectually, rather I am stuck practically. James lays out two things that define pure and undefiled religion, serving orphans and children and keeping from being polluted by the world. I blogged about the first part the other day it you want to look back.

This section begins with the author telling us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry. We are then told to not only listen to the word, but to do it. Our faith, our religion, our relationship is not static, rather it should be active and alive. My question is how have you shown your faith lately?

Pure and Undefiled Religion

Don't blame me if you don't like the title, but it comes right out of the epistle of James (1:27).

When I read this yesterday I don't know why I hadn't noticed this verse before. Perhaps I was reflecting on the beginning of the section were we are told to "be doers of the word, and not hearer only..."(James 1:22 [NKJ]). James 1:27 says this:

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (NASB)

There were Old Testament laws to help protect the widows and orphans of the day, but they were not always followed. This class of people were often oppressed or neglected.

Who in our society today may be classified as oppressed or neglected? This is where the ideas of social justice and liberation theology come into play. We who call ourselves Christ-follower need to be ready to give voice the voiceless. We must stand with the oppressed. The question I as is how can I do this? How does the community of believers I am a part of do this? How does the Church do this?

Here are two things that I am currently involved with. One, is my work with Habitat for Humanity. Not only do I help pound nails but I help educate high school and college age student in the areas of poverty, homelessness, and affordable housing. Second I spend most of my Wednesday evenings with a group of men at the state prison in Lino Lakes. We are working through materials from Heart of a Warrior ministry.

I would love to hear from you about how this can be accomplished in your life.

I will touch on the second part of this verse in the coming days.

I leave you with this translation of this passage from The Message:

Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.