When the Spirit of Adoption Comes

In Romans 8, Paul contrasts between the spirit of slavery (fear) versus the spirit of adoption (love). There were a few moments over the years that the Lord was really bringing to my awareness which spirit I was operating under in certain circumstances. He started asking me a series of questions that would be the catalytic in breaking the spirit of slavery in my life and fully step into the spirit of adoption.

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There’s no faith in being constantly being reminded of who you are.
Great faith comes in boldly stepping and operating to who I called you to be.

What would happen if you just walk loved?
You have the gift righteousness.
You don’t need a reminder that you have it.
All you need to do is wear it.
Great faith is never taking it off.

What would happen if you never have to struggle loving yourself?
What would happen if you never questioned My love for you?
What would happen if you’re in constant awareness of what I think about you?
What would happen if you never leave that place?
What would happen if you never have to deal with insecurity?
What would happen if you never had to worry about what people thought?
What would happen if you actually believed you can pursue your dream?

How would you live differently?
How would you walk?
How would you speak?
How would you see?
My answer?

IT’S POSSIBLE!

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This one encounter became my anchor and these questions became a gauge to deconstruct what I was feeling, my reaction, my thinking in certain situations. But that brought a deeper question within me about the nature of adoption in our own relevant context.

You see, when a child is born they are placed in a family immediately. There is no adoption process needed. It an automatic integration to a support system where the child can belong, grow, and mature.

Now if the parents decide to abandon, abuse, or abdicate their responsibility to their child withholding love, affection, nurture and belonging then he becomes an orphan or gains orphan-like tendencies where their developmental process of growth and maturity is compromised. Fear becomes the operating system where they no longer feel safe.

To be adopted is the re-integration of a child into a family and introduce safety and belonging once again. The context where we define adoption is based on orphanhood. If there was never any separation there would be no need to create a process for adopting someone.

The New Covenant

Which brings me to covenants. When Adam and Eve chose to eat from the knowledge of good and evil, they chose to separate themselves from God. There was a downward spiral from what God had originally designed and created mankind to be. Covenant is the process of making two separate entities become united and integrated as if they were one. Just as we only know what adoption is in the context of orphanhood we only know what covenant is in the context of separation.

I think this was done on purpose by the writers to show the journey of what God had to do in order to bring humanity back to himself because, as we read, man kept separating themselves from Him. So God had to come himself in the person of Jesus.

With the New Covenant of forgiveness, Jesus brought an everlasting covenant where man and God can no longer be separated. Just like we automatically become part of a family at birth, we can partake in this New Covenant experience through a new birth receiving the Spirit that will not make us orphans ever again.

I want to encourage today with that reality and remind you that you are part of a Kingdom family. Any perception or emotion or thought that tells you that you aren’t, you have the right to prune. Take the questions the Lord had asked me and use it to unravel the system you may still be operating under. Lean in to the Holy Spirit who brought about your adoption and let the Him shape your sight and your senses confirming your identity as the Father’s beloved son and daughter.