Since we have been given the gift of adoption, to live as an orphan is no longer an option. This message was given on October 18, 2015 at New City Church in Calgary by Pastor John Ferguson. For more info, please visit: www.newcitychurch.ca

1. Sexual Holiness
~ 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 ~
“The Gift of Adoption”
Galatians 4:4-7

2. What does adoption teach us
about a relationship with God?

3. 4 …when the fulness of time had come,
Galatians 4:4-7
God sent forth his Son, born of woman,
born under the law, 5 to redeem those
who were under the law, so that we might
receive adoption as sons.

4. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still
powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely
will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a
good man someone might possibly dare to die. But
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While
we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
~ Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)

5. 4 …when the fulness of time had come,
Galatians 4:4-7
God sent forth his Son, born of woman,
born under the law, 5 to redeem those
who were under the law, so that we might
receive adoption as sons.

6. “Christ redeemed us
from the curse of the
law by becoming a
curse for us.”
~ The Apostle Paul in
Galatians 3:13

7. “Justification is an act of God’s free grace
in which he accepts us as righteous
in his sight only because of
the righteousness of Christ
given to us and received
by faith alone.”
~ Westminster Shorter Catechism #33

8. 4 …when the fulness of time had come,
Galatians 4:4-7
God sent forth his Son, born of woman,
born under the law, 5 to redeem those
who were under the law, so that we might
receive adoption as sons.

9. “…but to all who did
receive him, who
believed in his name, he
gave the right to become
children of God.”
~ The Apostle John in
1 John 1:3-4

10. “[Adoption] is the highest
privilege that the gospel
offers: higher even than
justification… That
justification…is the primary
and fundamental blessing
of the gospel is not in
question. Justification is the
primary blessing, because
it meets our primary
spiritual need….

11. “...But this is not to say that
justification is the highest
blessing of the gospel.
Adoption is higher,
because of the richer
relationship with God that it
involves…. Justification is
a forensic idea, conceived
in terms of law, and
viewing God as judge….

12. “...Adoption is a family idea,
conceived in terms of love,
and viewing God as father. In
adoption, God takes us into
His family and fellowship,
and establishes us as His
children and heirs…. To be
right with God the judge is a
great thing, but to be loved
and cared for by God the
Father is a greater thing.”

13. “You can sum up the
whole of [the] New
Testament…if you
describe it as the
knowledge of God as
one’s holy Father….
‘Father’ is the Christian
name for God.”

14. 6 And because you are sons of God,
Galatians 4:4-7
God has sent the Spirit of his Son into
our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

15. “If you want to judge how
well a person under-
stands Christianity, find
out how much he makes
of the thought of being
God’s child, and having
God as his Father….

16. “…If this is not the
thought that prompts
and controls his worship
and prayers and his
whole outlook on life, it
means that he does not
understand Christianity
very well at all…

17. “...Our understanding
of Christianity cannot
be better than our
grasp of adoption.”

18. 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son,
Galatians 4:4-7
and if a son, then an heir through God.

19. “…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….”
~ The Apostle Paul in
Romans 8:15

20. “Fear not, little flock, for
it is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the
kingdom.”
~ Jesus of Nazareth in The
Gospel of Luke,12:32

21. Since we have been given
the gift of adoption,
to live as an orphan
is no longer an option.

22. image credit: fruity monkey
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gilesrcook/5346737067/
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flickr images courtesy of:
image credit: Daniel X. O’Neil
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image credit: Erin
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