Adopted Sons and Daughters

[Thompson, Darryl]

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Ellen G. White Estate, Devotional for August 5
Visit us at http://www.whiteestate.org
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Adopted Sons and Daughters

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of
the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph. 1:5, 6.

Before the foundations of the earth were laid the covenant was made that
all who were obedient, all who should through the abundant grace
provided become holy in character and without blame before God by
appropriating that grace, should be children of God.

We owe everything to grace, free grace, sovereign grace. Grace in the
covenant ordained our adoption. Grace in the Saviour effected our
redemption, our regeneration, and our adoption to heirship with Christ.

As we fully believe that we are His by adoption, we may have a foretaste
of heaven. . . . We have a nearness to Him, and can hold sweet communion
with Him. We obtain distinct views of His tenderness and compassion, and
our hearts are broken and melted with contemplation of the love that is
given to us. We feel indeed an abiding Christ in the soul. We abide in
Him, and feel at home with Jesus. . . . We have a realizing sense of the
love of God, and we rest in His love. No language can describe it, it is
beyond knowledge. We are one with Christ, our life is hid with Christ in
God. We have the assurance that when He who is our life shall appear,
then shall we also appear with Him in glory. With strong confidence we
can call God our Father.

All who have been born into the heavenly family are in a special sense
the brethren of our Lord. The love of Christ binds together the members
of His family, and wherever that love is manifest there the divine
relationship is revealed. . . . 

Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was to
implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of
glory became one with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled,
"Love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12); when we love the
world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We
are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts. 

>From Devotional: Our Father Cares, pp. 200, 201.