Romans 8: 23
... Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
We are already born into the Family as sons and daughters, but we are still children, in school in this World.
When we "graduate," and are pronounced fully mature enough as adults to take on the responsibilities of running the "Family business," the Kingdom of God, and to inherit all the wealth and riches of the Family; that is the idea of the word translated, "adoption."
Today in our modern societies, we don't practice this concept of "confirmation" as the Romans did, so our understanding is not the same as theirs.
Our idea of "adoption" is taking a child who has been born into one family and making that child a legal son or daughter in a different family. This is what God has done with us, in taking us out of the Earthly realm and bringing us into His Heavenly realm; but when God does this it is not only legal, it is also actual, in causing us to be born spiritually, with His Spirit.
So we have not yet been "adopted" in this Biblical sense. This will happen when Jesus returns.
I Corinthians 15: 53-55
For this perishable must put on the imperishible, and this mortal must put on immortality (see vs. 35-58).
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written (in Isaiah 25:8), "Death is swallowed up in victory,"
(and in Hosea 13:14) "O death, where is your victory, O Sheol, where is your sting?"
These scriptures from Isaiah and Hosea are talking about the Day of the Lord, the coming of the King, when He will come to the Earth to conquer the whole World and rule the whole Earth as His Kingdom.
The whole Bible is one story, the story of Time, from the beginning to the end of Time as we know it. The beginning of God's Kingdom. And we are given a glimpse of the next epoch of Time, with the New Heaven and New Earth.
God has told us what will happen, He's laid it all out for us to study and learn to understand.
But it's like He wrote it in a code, so it can be very confusing. But He's given us the key, His Holy Spirit, to unlock it.
Those who have this Key can de-code this missive, and connect the dots to see the bigger picture.
It takes time and effort, and much prayer, and consistency and determination. It takes seeking the God Who founded what exists, and designed how it would work. It takes searching out the Lord Who rules everything that is, and is the Boss over it all to see to it that it all works out according to Plan. And it takes yielding our thinking processes to His ways instead of our own logic, through His Holy Spirit.
I encourage those who have God's Holy Spirit living in their spirits to make their own studies of everything I write here. Even Paul said that the Bereans were "more noble" because they didn't just take even Paul's word, but "searched the Scriptures to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).
So I encourage you, my dear reader, to see for yourself whether everything I say in this blog is really God's Truth. I know I'm not perfect, but I do know that God's Holy Spirit leads and guides me in my studies, and teaches me; and I have gained over the years an understanding of God's Word so that I've been able to see much of what God has revealed.
If what you read here is not clear to you, or if I have mis-spoken anything, please let me know. I will answer whatever questions you have, and I will research your idea that differs from mine.
My prayer for you is that God would use this resource to draw you closer to Himself, teach You His ways, and help you in all of your steps as you walk this life hand-in-hand with our Friend.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
