The WESTMINSTER LARGER Catechism

WLC 74. What is adoption?

A. Adoption is an act of the free grace of God,1 in and for His only Son Jesus Christ,2
whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of His children,3
have His name put upon them,4 the Spirit of His Son given to them,5
are under His fatherly care and dispensations,6
admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God,
made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory.7

Proofs

11 Jn 3:1; 2Eph 1:5; Gal 4:4–5; 3Jn 1:12; 42 Cor 6:18; Rev 3:12; 5Gal 4:6;
6Ps 103:13; Prov 14:26; Mt 6:32; 7Heb 6:12; Rom 8:17

Adoption denotes the taking of a child who is a stranger into a family, and treating him as a member of it. This is what God does for us, except that we were not merely strangers and foreigners of the household of God (Eph 2:19), but we were by nature children of wrath (Eph 2:3)! This is the reason for the joyful exultation of the apostle John as he contemplates on the goodness of God towards us:

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 Jn 3:1a; cf. 2 Cor 6:18; Rev 3:12).

How does God make us His children? He does so in two distinguishable acts. First, He regenerates us so that we may be conformed to the image of His only begotten Son (Jas 1:18). This is also the act by which He gives us faith by which we may receive the grace of justification. Then upon our being reconciled to Him in our justification, He formally adopts us by sealing us with His Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13; cf. v. 5). The sealing happens in conjunction with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

It is this second act,—which is an act of ratification,—that is formally called ‘adoption’ in our Standards. Adoption by this definition follows logically after justification, though they occur in the same time in our experience.

As the adoptive children of God, we are given the right to all the privileges of the sons of God. Our Catechism summarises these privileges in terms of "[God’s] fatherly care and dispensations, [admittance] to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, [being] made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory." We may enumerate the privileges more specifically thus:

  1. God’s fatherly audience and response to prayers. The Lord Himself teaches us:

    2. "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Mt 7: 11; cf. 1 Jn 5:14-15; Eph 3:12).

  2. Inward assurance that we are the children of God, and therefore can be sure of His fatherly love and care. The apostle Paul says:

    3. "…ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" (Rom 8:15-16).

  3. God’s fatherly pity in trials— "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him" (Ps 103:13).

  1. God’s fatherly protection through temporal and spiritual evils—"In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge" (Prov 14:26; cf. Ps 121:7).

  2. God’s fatherly provision for our spiritual and temporal needs—"your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things" (Matt 6:32b; cf. Ps 34:10).

  3. God’s fatherly chastisement when we stray—"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth" (Heb 12:6).

  4. A sure title to the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven—"And if children then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17; cf. Heb 6:12; 1 Pet 1:3-5).

Thank God that we are not only reconciled to Him (through our justification), but made His children, recipients of the princely benefits that He has prepared for us as joint-heirs of His only begotten Son. May the Lord grant us help that we may live for Him as obedient and grateful sons and daughters (see 2 Cor 6:14-18). W