At a seminar two weeks ago, John Piper gave a message entitled, Adoption: The Heart of the Gospel.
Taking Gal. 4:4-8 and Rom. 8:14-17 as his main texts, Piper demonstrates eight similarities between God’s adopting of us and our adopting of children:
- Adoption was for God, and is for us, costly (Gal. 4:4-5; Gal. 3:13).
- Adoption did for God, and does for us, involve the legal status of the child (Gal. 4:4-6).
- Adoption was blessed, and is blessed, with God’s pouring out a spirit of sonship (Gal. 4:6).
- Adoption was for God, and is for us, marked by moral transformation through the Spirit (Rom. 8:14).
- Adoption brought us, and brings our children, the rights of being heirs of the father (Gal. 4:4-6; Rom. 8:16-17; 1 Cor. 3:21-23).
- Adoption was for God, and is for us, seriously planned (Eph. 1:4-6).
- Adoption was for God, and often is for us, from very bad situations (Eph. 2:3).
- Adoption meant for all Christians, and means for parents, that we suffer now, and experience the glory later(Rom. 8:22-23).
He also reads a letter that he wrote to his wife, confirming the decision to adopt their daughter, Talitha. (HT: Justin Taylor)
You can either read the transcript or listen to the audio — note that the transcript is ususally condensed.
