My favorite concept in Ferguson's book has been adoption. He identifies this adoption into God's family as both legal and creative. God acts in a creative manner to bring us into the new family and He declares us legally as His children. Before the Law and its' demands, we are His. We've been regenerated and adopted. The second part to me is the one that hits my soul deep. Ferguson lays out the thickness of the adoption we have as sons and daughters.
I cannot negatively critique Ferguson. He does a beautiful job of displaying the biblical evidence for our adoption. He even goes into the parable of the Prodigal Son and does a brilliant job of explaining son-ship from that text. He and Tim Keller have both enlightened our minds on the depths of the Father's love for His sons in that parable. Also, Ferguson shows us the example of David and the son of Jonathan. David's love for and covenant with Jonathan includes Jonathan's heirs and household at David's table. God has done this with us because of Jesus and that's all over the Bible. Ferguson shows the scriptural support for his thesis and that's important to do with something this scandalous.
I've been adopted by God. And that's crazy because I know how rebellious I am. Like even as I write this I sit in wonder and awe. Adopted? Who me? Surely not me. Do you know who I am? Do you know what I've done? How could God ever adopt a child like me? The answer is Jesus. Jesus' blood purchased the Father many sons. And I am one of those sons.
I know how I've offended the God of the universe. It's absolutely mind blowing to think that he would choose to adopt me. Sons that are adopted are chosen. They don't just happen by accident. This part of the gospel needs to be preached to everybody. And adoption needs to be something we as Christians do if God calls us as individuals to adopt children from other nations and our local community. We need to live out the gospel to the world through adoption. We're all called to at least consider it because God has done a mighty thing and given us a way to display it to the world.
I cannot negatively critique Ferguson. He does a beautiful job of displaying the biblical evidence for our adoption. He even goes into the parable of the Prodigal Son and does a brilliant job of explaining son-ship from that text. He and Tim Keller have both enlightened our minds on the depths of the Father's love for His sons in that parable. Also, Ferguson shows us the example of David and the son of Jonathan. David's love for and covenant with Jonathan includes Jonathan's heirs and household at David's table. God has done this with us because of Jesus and that's all over the Bible. Ferguson shows the scriptural support for his thesis and that's important to do with something this scandalous.
I've been adopted by God. And that's crazy because I know how rebellious I am. Like even as I write this I sit in wonder and awe. Adopted? Who me? Surely not me. Do you know who I am? Do you know what I've done? How could God ever adopt a child like me? The answer is Jesus. Jesus' blood purchased the Father many sons. And I am one of those sons.
I know how I've offended the God of the universe. It's absolutely mind blowing to think that he would choose to adopt me. Sons that are adopted are chosen. They don't just happen by accident. This part of the gospel needs to be preached to everybody. And adoption needs to be something we as Christians do if God calls us as individuals to adopt children from other nations and our local community. We need to live out the gospel to the world through adoption. We're all called to at least consider it because God has done a mighty thing and given us a way to display it to the world.
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