I got to watch a neat video the other day from one of the girls I went to school with. It was a video of her husband in China meeting the little boy they were adopting for the first time. It was one of those things you watch and catch yourself thinking about later on throughout the day, and then throughout the week. It was the first thing that popped into my mind when I started thinking about today's verse. Ephesians 1:5 tells us that...
(5) Having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.
When I think about the video I find myself wondering when did the little boy actually become part of their family. Legally I would imagine it was when papers were signed. But the look on the father's face tells me that he loved that little boy before he ever met him. Maybe this love sparked when the couple first talked about adopting or maybe it occurred when they saw his picture. Perhaps it occurred while they were dating and the topic of kids came up for the first time. Truth is that all of these answers may be correct. I do know that when the camera showed the fathers face, there was love there.
When I first saw my little boy I remember my heart just blowing up with love for him. The first time he held my finger that love grew. Even today, when we were playing peek-a-boo under the blanket I felt that love swell inside . I can honestly say my love grows for him a little more every day, even on the days he hits me with a block, or cries cause I won't play with him. This verse states that "Having predestinated us". I think the "pre" here is important. I didn't start loving my boy on the day he was born. I remember loving him when my wife told me she was pregnant. I remember loving him the first time I heard his heart beat and that love grew when I saw my first ultrasound of him. I loved him before he was even born. Just as God loved us and knew us before we were born. Ephesians 1:4 tells us this....
(4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him
The use of the term predistinated, to me says that this adoption wasn't thought up on the day it took place. God wasn't sitting up in Heaven with his jaw dropping surprised because we turned our hearts over to him. God knew we were going to be adopted into his family. How did he know? that's easy, our God is an all knowing God. The use of the term "Predestinated" only supports this.
Romans 8:15-16 states....
(15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father.
(16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit; that we are the children of God.
To me this is a powerful verse that only backs up what is stated in Ephesians 1:5. The spirit of adoption, adoption being a legal action; our adoption into the body of Christ has to be Baptism. It is in this formal action that we become part of the family, that is the family of Christ. It is through that adoption that we become children, as is spelled out in Romans 8:16; children that cry out Abba Father. Abba is also another interesting word, in the Greek it means "Daddy". Daddy is what my little boy calls me. He calls me that out of love, he calls me that knowing that I would do anything to help him.
There is another little boy, the boy I talked about in that video, he too has a Daddy. That look I saw in his Daddies face I imagine is the same one that appears on my own. Just as I loved my son before I ever saw him, I know that Dad loved his little boy too, loved him before he formally adopted him. Just as both of us loved our sons, our spiritual father loved us too; loved us before we were even born. Isn't it great, isn't it comforting knowing that one day we will look up into the face of our father and say Abba Father. Why will we do this? Because it states in Ephesians 1:5 "according to the good pleasure of his will". That smile that is on my face when I see my little boy, the face that was smiling when I watched that Dad in the Video looking at his little boy; That will be the same smile I see on my Father, my spiritual fathers, face when I stare up at him in heaven. That's what Daddies do.
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