Adoption

Hey, I’m Marissa from Manitoba, Canada. I’m currently a new staff member here at YWAM Maui. These past three months I had the privilege to be a part of Maui’s School of Biblical Foundations and Missions (SBFM) program. This school focuses on building your Biblical foundation by diving into scripture and studying what truth is and what God says about all topics of life.

SBFM was probably one of the hardest yet most rewarding seasons of my life. Not only did I learn so much intellectually, but the things I learnt impacted my heart. The more truth I learnt, the more the lies I believed in diminished. It was definitely a time of heart surgery and God breaking down walls.

One of the concepts that probably impacted my life the most was adoption and how being adopted into the family of God is the highest privilege we can receive. This concept even goes beyond justification. To be justified before God is to be just as if you had never sinned. It’s the gift given to us sinners who are completely separated from God to appear right, holy and blameless before him through Jesus. This concept is difficult for us to grasp; that we don’t need to work to become righteous, but rather we can just receive it. How could adoption be higher than this? Well adoption is a family idea, viewing God as a father. In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship. We obviously need a restored relationship with God, but adoption goes beyond that, to be right with God the judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is a greater.

Being a son of God gives us a renewed relationship with him. We can now draw near to the father with confidence and boldness, knowing that we belong. We no longer need to hesitate on asking because his desire is to give us good things. Just as an earthly father gives good gifts to his children, imagine how much greater our heavenly father’s gifts will be (Matthew 7:7-11).

God knows us better than we know ourselves and he knows our needs before asking for them (Matthew 6:7-8). We can rest knowing that God is taking care of our every need. How do we become a son of God? Scripture makes it very clear that not everyone is in the family of God. John 1:12-13 says, “to all who receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Sonship is not something you’re born into but rather a gift received through faith in Jesus.

One of the things I struggle with the most is believing the lie that I am rejected so this concept of being adopted is something that impacts me greatly. To know that I am accepted by God and there’s nothing I can do to earn his love, but rather just receive it speaks volumes to me.

This has changed my identity and has given me confidence in who God has created and called me to be. I can now go and share this concept with others boldly, knowing that even if people reject the message, I am not. The more I learnt about God’s love for me, the more my response was to fall at his feet and worship because He is so worthy of our praise.