There is incredible need for adoption worldwide, with an estimated 153 million orphans in desperate need of a loving home.
Christians, on average, are more passionate about adoption than anyone else. In fact, in the United States, Christians are twice as likely to adopt than non-Christians!
And two key Bible verses explain exactly why.
If God cares about the orphans, it stands to reason that God has a heart for adoption.
In fact, the Bible says that God has adopted us!
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have experienced a spiritual adoption.
In Romans chapter 8, the Apostle Paul explains a pretty amazing truth. If you have believed on Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have been freed from the condemnation of the law!
As Christians, we were under the law’s condemnation before we were saved. We were sinners, and we were convicted by God’s law! Even worse, we were totally powerless to free ourselves from this condemnation.
But when we believed on Jesus as God’s Son who died for our sins, something amazing happened: we were forgiven and freed of our sins.
We don’t live under that condemnation anymore, but instead under the loving care of a Father! We received the Holy Spirit of God who now lives within us, changing us to be more like Jesus.
In Romans 8:15, Paul calls this the Spirit of adoption:
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
Did you catch that? God hasn’t given us a spirit of bondage or fear. We don’t have to be afraid to go to Him or live under the slavery of sin anymore. Instead, God has adopted us as His children and we can call Him our Father!
What an incredible truth! Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that God is your Father and He wants you to have a deep, intimate relationship with Him.
Before we were saved, we were spiritual orphans in need of a Heavenly Father.
And while God is concerned with every person’s need for a Heavenly Father, He is also burdened for those children who don’t have an earthly mother or father.
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world,” James 1:27.
The truth of our spiritual adoption into God’s family is the impetus for many Christian families to adopt. When we see how God has adopted us in the Spirit, physical adoption comes to life, and we can see how it reflects the amazing spiritual realities we have in Christ!
Knowing God’s love for us as a caring Father, the reality faced by those who have no earthly father hits home in a powerful way.
About 38% of Christian families have considered adopting a child, as opposed to 28% of non-Christians.
That’s wonderful! We Christians should be passionate about adoption when we consider how God has adopted us.
We can see God’s heart for orphans in passages like James 1:27 and Matthew 10:42, where Jesus says that even a cup of water given to a little child will be rewarded.
As Christians, we seek to live out the Gospel and share God’s love with others – and adoption is an amazing way to do that.
While it’s wonderful how many Christians have considered adopting, very few have made the decision to adopt.
While 38% have considered it, only 5% have actually adopted – and that’s still more than twice as many as non-Christians.
There are so many children who need good homes!
Maybe you’ve considered adopting but chose not to; could it be that God wants you to show His love by adopting a child?
Maybe you’ve never considered adoption; have you thought about God’s love for the orphans and considered if He would will you to adopt?
If you’re interested in adoption, here are a few things you can do:
Pray: Adoption is a big decision! Take time to pray and seek God regarding whether you should adopt.
Research: There are multiple routes to adoption: international adoption, foster care, domestic adoption. You can visit great resources like https://www.christianadopt.org to learn more!
Help: Maybe you know a family who is adopting. They may need your prayer or support, financially or otherwise! Consider how you could be a blessing to them.
