The Spirit Of AdoptionSample

I came across a short poem on the internet, which I want to share with you, penned by Harriet E. Buell and it is titled….

A Child of the King

“My Father is rich in houses and lands

He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!

Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,

His coffers are full, He has riches untold.

My Father’s own Son, the Saviour of men,

Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them;

But now He is reigning forever on high,

And will give me a home in heaven by and by.

I once was an outcast, stranger on earth,

A sinner by choice, and an alien by birth;

But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,

An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.

I’m a child of the King, a child of the King;

With Jesus my Saviour, I’m a child of the King.”

Adoption is one of the most profound realities in the universe. I say “universe” and not “world” because adoption goes beyond the world. It is greater than the world, and it is before the world was created in the plan of God, and it will outlast the world as we know it. Indeed, if I may say it is even greater than the “universe” and is rooted in God’s own nature.

The objective of the Old Testament or Old Covenant that God made through Moses with the children of Israel was to have a people who were to be like God.  In Leviticus, for example, (and that’s kind of the key place for this—starting in chapter 11 or even earlier and running all the way through to chapter 20 or so—ten or so chapters) you hear this:  “Be holy for I am holy.”  “Be holy for I am holy.”  “Be holy for I am holy.” 

This is repeated and repeated and repeated.  “Godliness”, or be like God, or be holy like God is holy.  How does that happen?  Well, Leviticus gives us a critical insight into that in a number of places, but I’ll just use two of them, or one to start with.  Leviticus 20 and verse 8.  In verse 7, there’s that familiar statement:  “Be holy for I am the Lord your God and I’m holy.”  But in verse 8 it says this: “You shall keep My statutes and practice them. I’m the Lord who sanctifies you.”

Do you understand what that’s saying? Sanctification is done by the Lord in a context of obedience. “You have to know My statutes and practice them.” So again, the Scripture is the instrumental means by which the Lord sanctified His people, even in the Old Testament.  He gave them His Word, they were to obey His Word, they were to practice what He said, and that is the means by which the Lord sanctified His people. 

In chapter 21 verse 8, he talks about the same thing. “You shall be holy for I, the Lord who sanctifies you, am holy.” Again, “I want you holy because I’m holy.” And “I will sanctify you insofar as you believe and obey My Word.” The instrumental means of sanctification is the Word. 

Now, let me take it even a step further. To understand sanctification in the Old Testament, you have to understand one basic truth, and that is this: God was endeavouring in the process of sanctification by the work of the Holy Spirit to produce a family resemblance in His people, a people who are like God.

Remember: BE YE HOLY AS I AM HOLY IS NOT JUST A COMMAND TO BE OBEYED, BUT A REVELATION OF YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER’S FAMILY HONOR!