Read Galatians 4:1–7
You are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:7

We do not enter God’s family by adoption the way a homeless child would enter a loving family in our own society. The only way to get into God’s family is by regeneration, being “born again” (John 3:3). The New Testament word for adoption means “to place as an adult son.” It has to do with our standing in the family of God: We are not little children but adult sons with all of the privileges of sonship.

It is unfortunate that many translations of the New Testament do not make a distinction between children of God and sons of God. We are the children of God by faith in Christ, born into God’s family. But every child of God is automatically placed into the family as a son, and as a son, he has all the legal rights and privileges of a son.

When a sinner trusts Christ and is saved, as far as his condition is concerned, he is a spiritual babe who needs to grow (1 Peter 2:2–3), but as far as his position is concerned, he is an adult son who can exercise all the wonderful privileges of sonship. We enter God’s family by regeneration, but we enjoy God’s family by adoption.

Something to Ponder
What does it mean to you that you have been adopted by God?