What Else Matters?

Adoption is the highest privilege, and our entire Christian life must be understood in terms of it. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said: “The most wonderful thing of all is not that my sins have been forgiven, nor that I may enjoy certain experiences and blessings as a Christian. The thing that should astonish me … overwhelm me is that I am a child of God, one of God’s people.” The certainty that we are God’s adopted children ought to be uppermost in our thoughts.

Almost every day since I became a Christian, I have reminded myself that I have been adopted into the family of God. It has become the dominant thought of my life. Some time ago, when I mentioned this fact to a fellow Christian, he looked at me blankly and said: “So what?” So what? So not only is Jesus my Savior, He is my Brother also. Following His resurrection our Lord said: “Go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father—to My God and your God” (Jn 20:17). Then again, the writer to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers (Heb. 2:12).

When I was young I always wanted a brother. A sister came along twelve years after I was born, but I never had a brother. Not until I became a Christian, that is. Then, by virtue of the fact that I was adopted into the royal family of heaven, I found a Brother. And what a Brother! God is my Father, Jesus is my Brother … what else matters?

Further Study

Rm 8:29; Eph 3:14-15; 1Tm 5:1-2; 1Jn 3:16-18

What are the privileges of being in the family of God?

What are the responsibilities?