The gospel in three words

“Were I asked to focus the New Testament message in three words, my proposal would be adoption through propitiation, and I do not expect ever to meet a richer or more pregnant summary of the gospel than that.”

—J.I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: 1993), 214

(HT: Of First Importance)

Filed under: Adoption, Christ crucified, Doctrine, JI Packer, Jesus Christ, Propitiation, The Gospel

Justified or Adopted? Which Is Greater?

CJ Mahaney has some helpful posts on the believer’s adoption. Here’s a great quote from J.I. Packer he includes:

That justification—by which we mean God’s forgiveness of the past together with his acceptance for the future—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. We all stand by nature under God’s judgment; his law condemns us; guilt gnaws at us, making us restless, miserable, and in our lucid moments afraid; we have no peace in ourselves because we have no peace with our Maker. So we need the forgiveness of our sins, and assurance of a restored relationship with God, more than we need anything else in the world; and this the gospel offers us before it offers us anything else…

But contrast this, now, with adoption. 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—he establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with the God the judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater.

Knowing God (IVP, 1993), pp. 206–207.

Filed under: Adoption, CJ Mahaney, God the Father, JI Packer, Justification

Sons and Daughters by Adoption

“Extol and magnify God’s mercy, who has adopted you into his family; who, of slaves, has made you sons; of heirs of hell, heirs of the promise. Adoption is a free gift. He gave them power, or dignity, to become the sons of God. As a thread of silver runs through a whole piece of work, so free grace runs through the whole privilege of adoption. Adoption is greater mercy than Adam had in paradise; he was a son by creation, but here is a further sonship by adoption. To make us thankful, consider, in civil adoption there is some worth and excellence in the person to be adopted; but there was no worth in us, neither beauty, nor parentage, nor virtue; nothing in us to move God to bestow the prerogative of sonship upon us. We have enough in us to move God to correct us, but nothing to move him to adopt us, therefore exalt free grace; begin the work of angels here; bless him with your praises who has blessed you in making you his sons and daughters.”

Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, p. 240

(HT: John Fonville)

Filed under: Adoption, Doctrine, Evangelical, God's grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Thomas Watson

Primal Scream Theology

Russell Moore on Primal Scream Theology: The Call & Response of the Abba Cry (Rom 8:14-17)

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Filed under: Adoption, Doctrine, Evangelical, God the Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, New Birth, Prayer, The Gospel, The word of God, Theology, Union with Christ

“Reciprocal Love”

Dan Cruver, of ‘Together for Adoption’, writes:

Whenever we think of our union with Christ adoption should be in our thoughts as well. After all, we are sons of God by virtue of our union with the Son of God. That’s why after writing that we’ve been “predestined to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ,” Paul adds that this gracious provision from God the Father was given to us “in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:5-6).

Here’s the beauty of seeing the relationship between union with Christ and adoption: our union with Christ brings us to share in the greatest benefit of our adoption, namely, the reciprocal love between the Father and the Son.  As T.F. Torrance has written:

“Through union with Jesus Christ we are drawn by the Spirit of the Father and of the Son into the Communion of the Father and the Son” (The Christian Doctrine of God, 42).

(Via: Gospel Driven Blog)

Filed under: Adoption, Christ our Mediator, Discipleship, Doctrine, Evangelical, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Salvation, The Christian Life, The Gospel, Union with Christ