Ephesians 1:5

“having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will”

“Foreordained”: To predetermine. God determined in advance that all those who manifest faith in Christ and obey His conditions for salvation, would be adopted as sons (Galatians 3:26). “Adoption as sons”: “The word adoption seems to stress the fact that the Christian's privileges in God's family are totally undeserved” (Coffman p. 124).

In Roman law the adopted child enjoyed all the rights as. natural child would. “In the eyes of the law he was. new person. So new was he that even all debts and obligations connected with his previous family were abolished as if they had never existed” (Barclay p. 80). The adoption is only possible by being born again (John 3:5), which includes faith and baptism (Galatians 3:26). Under Roman law “so long as he lived, the father had absolute legal control over the life of the adopted son. The son, in turn, totally surrendered himself to the new father in order to receive his name and inheritance. The father gave great gifts to the son. The son responded with respect for the father” (Caldwell p. 22). From these truths, obvious conclusions are demanded: “Sonship implies responsibility, because the heavenly Father does not spoil His children. On the contrary, ‘He disciplines us for our good' (Hebrews 12:10). It is inconceivable that we should enjoy. relationship with God as His children without accepting the obligation to imitate our Father and cultivate the family likeness” (Stott p. 40). Being. Christian is not. burden, rather it is the chance to live in. wonderful family (1 Peter 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:15).

“Through Jesus Christ”: There is only one avenue to fellowship with God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). “Unto Himself”: “To bring us to Himself, into true and perfect and adoring fellowship with Him who is the source and giver of all life and blessedness and joy” (Erdman p. 35). God wants us for Himself! “According to the good pleasure of His will”: “Such being His gracious will and pleasure” (Wey). “Because it pleased Him and was His kind intent” (Amp). “Because it pleased Him” (Vincent p. 365).

What motivated God to desire to bring sinners back into His fellowship? The "delight" to see people rescued from physical and spiritual ruin (1 Timothy 2:4). God never has regretted anything that He has done for man's salvation. Even though most have rejected His gracious offer, God still has no regrets about sending Jesus to die for our sins. “God is not merely willing to save us-- He delighted to do so!” (Boles p. 205). Recently. ran across the following quote: “Another feminist theologian who led the Jesus seminar was Kwok Pui-Lan. She said the Asian experience cannot imagine any Jesus. She stated, ‘We cannot allow others to define our sin. What is our sin? Who is this funny God that would sacrifice. lamb'” [Note:. AFA Journal, February 1994, p. 17]

It is really an insult to say that Asian people cannot comprehend the ideas of self-sacrifice and total commitment to those they love. Surely they can. The honest truth is, when you really see the reality of the human condition, then you can image. Jesus, because the reality of the human condition is that we are sinners (Romans 3:23). Every day, such. truth is self-evident. God isn't "funny" and neither is the sacrifice of Christ "weird". It is the highest example of true love, dedication, commitment and compassion that the world has ever seen, and those who "don't get it", mark themselves out as people who do not understand what "real" love is all about.