The God Who Hears: 7 Days in Paul's Prayers From Prisonنموونە

Day 7: Perfectly Qualified

Anytime we’re considered for employment, two sets of criteria are probably at play. Desirable criteria are skills and experiences that an employer would prefer, and essential criteria are the qualifications, experience, skills, or knowledge you must have to apply for a role.

What’s true in the professional world is also true in the spiritual world. To be part of God’s family, to have him as our Father and us as his children, we must be qualified. But here’s the wonderful news: God does the qualifying.

God had a plan to qualify us through his Son and adopt us even when we were unworthy. Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” making way for our inclusion in God’s family. Though we were guilty as charged, Jesus wiped the slate clean, paid off our debt, got us out of the jail of sin, and set us free. But he didn’t stop there to clear our name; he gave us his name. He didn’t just get us out of jail; he took us home and gave us the title deed to his entire estate!

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul told the church he’d been praying that they would give thanks “to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people” (Colossians 1:12).

Colossae was in a Roman province, and wealthy Roman families sometimes adopted full-grown adults, mostly young men - not babies or children. They did this if their sons died but also when their children proved to be unworthy heirs. Fathers wanted a child they could trust to inherit their estate and would adopt a young man. If he proved worthy, he’d be given the estate.

The concept of adoption would not have resonated among the Jews as adoption was not a part of their customs. In Jewish terminology, there wasn’t even a word for adoption. But Paul understood the people and culture of Colassae, who were Gentiles living in a Roman province.

The Greek word translated into English as “adoption” (huiothesia)means to ‘place as a son’ and is used only by Paul in the New Testament.”*

By Roman law, an adopted son

• “lost all relationship to his old family and gained all rights to the new family,
• became heir to the father’s estate,
• was forgiven of all prior debts, and
• was in the eyes of the law the son of his new father.”**

Each of those things—loss of the old with a new right, inheritance, forgiveness, and a Father in heaven—is ours only because God has lovingly and perfectly qualified us. First, John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

If you’ve ever been part of an adoption, you know how wonderful this is because adoption is always intentional. Nobody adopts because they have to; they adopt because they want to. I’ve heard of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, but I’ve never heard of an unplanned adoption.

I’m reminded of siblings who constantly fought with each other. One day, the brother popped off to the sister, “Well, you’re adopted!” The sister replied, “At least they wanted me!”

The Biblical truth is that everyone God calls his child was adopted into his family because he wanted them. Ephesians 1:5 says he adopted us “in accordance with his pleasure and will.”

Because of our adoption, we have the right to call God our Father and ourselves his children, perfectly qualified to share in the inheritance of God’s family in his kingdom. We are co-heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17). John 1:12 says, “To all who did receive [Christ], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

The Father constantly whispers one of two things in our ears: I wish you were my child, or I’m so glad you’re my child. Both speak of his love, but only the latter is possible for all who, through Jesus, are perfectly qualified. And because of God’s grace and love, we are perfectly qualified to say so.

God, I can call you Father and come to you as one of your children because you qualified me to share in your inheritance. Thank you for adopting me and making me what I am. In the name of your Son, amen.

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We hope this plan was helpful to you. You can read more from James Merritt in his book, The God Who Hears, available here.

* “Adoption,” Bible Study Tools, https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/adoption/#.

** “The Spirit Confirms Our Adoption,” Grace to You, May 29, 1983, http:www.gty.org/resources/ser-mons/45-59 /The-spirit-confirms-our--adoption? term = adoption.