Adoption is an expensive undertaking. It can take thousands (tens of thousands) of dollars to adopt a child. Not only does it cost money, but there is also a high price of commitment, time, difficulty, and emotions. Adoption is costly.
Who pays the price for adoption? Typically, the adopting parents cover the cost. The child is the recipient of the benefits his adoptive parents purchased for him. The parents joyfully pay the price to bring the child into their family.
When was the last time you heard of an adoptive parent telling their child, “I will give you five years to pay me back for your place in our family. You may have gotten here at no personal cost, but to stay, you have to give it all back.” The thought is deplorable, isn’t it? A loving, adoptive parent would not dream of demanding their child to pay them back.
The parents paid the price to adopt their child into their family, and they did it out of love. The position and benefits of adoption are a gift that is free to the child because the parents paid everything without expectation of reimbursement.
The Bible says, “In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:5-6)
God predestined us for adoption. He did this through Jesus Christ. The adoption plan included adoption’s cost. The adoption price is the blood of the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 1:7-8). Jesus paid it all. We can never pay him back. We are never expected to do so. Salvation, adoption into God’s family, is all of grace. God has shown us kindness we do not deserve in Christ taking action to save us for himself.
As a gift of grace, the cost can never be paid back. The greatness of the gift and the cost to obtain it are so great we could never begin to do so. And the Good News is that we are not commanded or expected to pay God back. Adoption into his family is a gift of free grace.
Photo by Morgan Lane on Unsplash
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