The Powerful Truth of Christian Adoption



Lots of people are interested in adoption and you might be surprised to know it is one of the most powerful words in the Bible, it is one of the most important words in a Christian’s vocabulary, and it has been routinely practiced all through the history of Christianity.

The New Testament uses the word five times and it speaks volume about us and God each time. In Ephesians 1:5 it says that God, “adopted us to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ.” One of the biggest reasons Jesus came to earth was to adopt children. In Galatians 4:5 the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ came to earth to redeem us so that we might be adopted. In Romans 8:15 it says that we are no longer slaves to our old sinful life but we have the spirit of adoption as sons. I have told my adopted children that I was adopted. They looked a bit surprised then I told them: you have been adopted twice but I have been adopted once. No one is a natural born member of the family of God. You get in by adoption. 

Adoption has been a huge part of Christian history from the very beginning. It was common for people of the ancient world to get rid of unwanted children by taking them out into the wilderness and abandoning them. Christians would wander the hills around their communities, find these abandoned children, and adopt them. One historian said this contributed greatly to the growth of Christianity. Most of the abandoned children were girls. When pagan families had sons of marriageable age many of the available young women were in Christian families. They had no choice but to marry into these families because Christians had most of the girls. And wives have a lot of religious influence over their husbands.

All through the Middle Ages entire Christian organizations were devoted to adoption. Children would be kidnapped by barbarian tribes during the many wars of the period. These organizations would go to these tribes and ransom the children. If they did not have families to return to they would be adopted by a monastic house. 

This happens today. You may have read about the Korean pastor who ran an orphanage. He installed a drop box at the door of the orphanage. If someone did not want a child they could put it in the drop box. The pastor would then take the child into his orphanage and raise it. He had adopted 19 of the children as his own and was raising hundreds more. This is what Christians have done all over the world and in every culture. Adoption is a huge part of what we are.

My own experience with adoption has been wonderful and full of adventure. My wife and I have six birth children and three adopted children. We are on the three-three-three plan. We have three birth daughters, three birth sons, and three adopted sons. Our adopted children happen to be children of color—they have dark skin.

Raising a large interracial family is not easy. Raising children is not easy. But my goodness is it ever worth it! I am happy to say that my adult children love each other and have tremendous times together. I think my birth children have been blessed beyond words to have adopted siblings. It has given them experiences you cannot have any other way. And now I have the joy of watching the cousins mingle together—I have 18 grandchildren so far. I feel enormously blessed by our generous and gracious God.