The people in Bible times understood very well certain customs and terminologies that have been recorded in scripture. Misunderstandings have occurred in our day because we do not know these things and, instead of searching out the matter, we have filled the gaps with modern-day meanings which nullify the importance of what is being said in the word.

The term ‘adoption’ is one such word. In the Greek it is HUIOTHESIA which means ‘the placing of a son’. . . a mature ‘huios’ son as in contrast with a TEKNON child. We will relate a common happening of life ‘back then’ which will illustrate this word:-

Let us visualize a successful and well established farmer that has, say, four sons, three daughters (quantity not important here), many servants and, of course, a delightful wife. This farmer has been operating his farm efficiently telling his sons and his servants exactly what he wanted to do complete with the ‘how’ and the ‘when’. His sons were heirs to the farm but, while they were growing up, they were treated in the same way as his servants . . . as far as instructions were concerned.

?His oldest (first-born) son would have been close to his father’s side for longer than the others and over many years would have observed, as well as obeyed, his father’s wishes. Many times he would have conveyed his father’s orders by saying to the servants etc., "My father requires this or that done . . ." and so on.

The father has noted the way in which his first-born son has carried out his duties and has likewise seen him steadily maturing by learning his ways etc. Yes, the time for his "adoption" has arrived. Father thus arranges a public meeting to which he invites the whole family, all his servants, his neighbours and business associates. When they are all assembled, he calls his oldest son to his side, puts his coat on his son, a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Next he places his hand on his son’s head and declares, "This is my beloved son; I am well pleased with him and today I adopt him". What a delight the father has on such an occasion.

From this meeting onwards, this son will move AS his father. He will operate in father’s FULL AUTHORITY, be responsible for father’s FULL RESOURCES and, because of his acquired maturity (being now just like his father), he will also move in father’s FULL NATURE. No longer will he operate father’s business AS A SERVANT taking specific instructions . . . but, because he has been adopted, he moves in father’s stead . . . he moves now AS FATHER.

This account is seen in headline form in Galations 4:1-7 along with its link to us:

Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

????? JESUS - THE ADOPTED SON

In Mark chapter 1, there is an account of Father-God’s adoption of His first-born SEED-Son, Jesus. The appointed time came when Jesus was 30 years of age (Luke 3:23) and ‘30’ is the number in the bible for maturity and also the age required to be initiated into the priesthood, which in Jesus’ case, was included with His baptism in water..

Father’s hand/Spirit was placed upon Him in the form of what looked like a dove and the ‘adoption’ words came from heaven, "This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased". The people nearby knew what was meant and from that moment on, Jesus was fully anointed to operate AS His Father on the earth. He now had Father’s Full AUTHORITY, FULL NATURE and FULL RESOURCES which can be witnessed by what He did in the next 3 1/2 years. The word declared that Jesus was one with the Father (John 10:30) and He moved AS His Father (John 14:9).

????? THE PATTERN DECLARED

We would like to point out that a person cannot be adopted twice! Now turning to Matthew 17:, we find an account similar to that of the adoption of Jesus Himself. However, this took place ‘after six days’ which in the spirit, is very illuminating. Back in the beginning (Genesis 1:26) God put Himself in the ‘first Adam’ on the 6th. Day. So that He could hand over the management of His affairs to ‘His man’ on the 7th. Day. Adam failed to walk in his calling, so God "had to wait" until Christ came forth Victor over death caused by Adam’s sin. God would now rest on His 7th. Day, being confident that His plan would be satisfactorily completed by His ‘son’ who would come forth in His image..

God put Himself in the ‘last Adam’ as the redeeming prototype for us to align ourselves with. God thus unveils His plan in the life of Jesus. After six 1000 year-days (II Peter 3:8) from the inauguration of His plan of the ages, God adopts His many-membered son so that he can move and fully act as He would. Notice that this special meeting with God took place up a high mountain apart where just three (NOT all!) of the disciples were taken by Jesus. The provision has been made, the pattern given that ‘we might receive the adoption of sons’. The ‘might’ infers that there are certain conditions for this to happen. . . it is not automatic!

?‘The high mountain apart’ is a picture of being truly ‘in the Spirit’ and thus close to the Lord Jesus . . . it also includes a separation from that which is ‘of the earth, earthy’ . . . the carnal mind that gravitates to natural conclusions instead of being taught of the Spirit within (John 14:26). ‘Man looks on the outward, but God looks on the heart" . . . Jesus knew who was to go up this mountain with Him and witness the transfiguration scene. Is your heart fully yielded to His thinking? He will surely know it even better than you do!

????? THE HIGH (Mountain) CALLING

Jesus was transfigured and Moses plus Elijah were also present. As we refresh ourselves with this scenario, let us observe the three main participants. There was JESUS, the Living word, MOSES, the written word (Law) and ELIJAH, the spoken word (Prophets). This indicates that the written word, the spoken word and the Living word are expressions of the Lord essential to coming to this place of being adopted and transfigured. When this scene was complete, there remained only Jesus, the Living word. We have been changed from glory to glory into the image of His Son. This was God’s original purpose in Gen. 1:26 . . . that of having a ‘man’ in His image and likeness. When we see Him, we shall be like Him . . . for the changing, transforming, transfiguring work will have been completed in us — praise the Lord.

In verse 5 (Matthew 17) it says that a bright cloud overshadowed THEM. Father’s hand/shadow came on ‘them’ and the same adoption words were pronounced, "This is My beloved (now corporate) son in whom I am well pleased". The cloud of His presence overshadowed ‘THEM’ . . . all six — well, at least three! —certainly more than just Jesus!

Remember that Jesus has been declared to be the SEED so that we can become the HARVEST of that Seed (John 12:24). He was the Pattern-Son and we are to fulfil the Pattern as the many-membered son in the image and likeness of Christ-Jesus. For John 14:12 to be fulfilled, we will most assuredly need Father’s full authority, full nature and full authority that were imparted to Jesus, to do the same things that He did and more.

Just as the adoption of Jesus coincided with His being baptized and being made a Priest, so our adoption after 6000+ years is upon us and will coincide with our transfiguration. The word ‘transfiguration’ in the Greek is METAMORPHOO which is also translated transformed and changed. . . which is important. This transfiguration (transformation or being changed) is the releasing of resurrection-life which has been lodged in us since our conversion. ‘Christ in you is the hope of Glory’ (Col.1:27). As He increases in us, we (that part of us that still thinks like Adam!) decreases! It is ‘overcoming evil with good’ (Rom.12:21) or simply - adding to subtract! This whole development is called by Paul, ‘the manifestation of the sons (HUIOS - mature sons) of God’. The whole creation is groaning and travailing for this unfolding event . . . for this many-membered Christ is God’s initial vehicle for His plan to be achieved.

As we prepare to experience the 7th Day, the many-membered son (Christ-Jesus is the Head) who has been in the forming process through the 6th. Day, will ascend Mt. Zion and likewise be adopted. At that time appointed by the Father, we, by the grace of God, will receive the fullness of the Spirit and thus be enabled to move in Christ with Father’s full provision. As one saint said many years ago, "We’ll achieve more in five days that what has been achieved in 500 years!".

?????OUR ADOPTION IS GOD’S PLAN

We can easily see that, as God’s will is released into our understanding, that He has (in His foreknowledge) chosen us in Christ to be adopted. Now read Ephesians 1:3-9 . . .

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself:

Let us be sure there is no hangover of the teaching that we receive it all when we accept Christ as our Saviour and Lord. In one sense, we do receive all of God at conversion: however, this salvation in us is in ‘seed form’ and must needs be nurtured and allowed to develop in us until our whole being is possessed by Christ in reality and there is a harvest of that Seed . . . for every seed brings forth after his kind. In the Old Testament pattern (for God does not change), God’s people had to WALK into the promised land from Egypt . . . we too will have to walk (not ‘fly’!) into the fullness of the Kingdom of God, our ‘promised land’.

Verse 5 also states that Father is well pleased with His plan. There are, however, a few conditions set down for those desirous of being adopted and moving in the fullness of the Spirit. Praise God that we have the earnest/downpayment of this fullness through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We shall need to know that we have been blessed with ALL spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ and that He-in-us is sufficient for this HIGH CALLING.

God has blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings. . . in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). The Greek word here translated ‘blessed’ is EULOGETOS from which we get our English word ‘eulogy’ which is the ‘good-word’ spoken over someone who has died. This therefore infers that we are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God (Col.3:3) . . . so God has spoken His ‘eulogy’, the good things that He says we have. The reality of this provision will not be seen until we have a revelation by the Spirit that the first Adam (wherein is our ‘old man’) is really dead and buried with Christ some 2000 years ago. Such conviction will release the resurrected life of Christ in us and we shall hear Father say that He is well-pleased with us.

Next we are challenged to be holy and without blame before Him in love in a realistic experiential way. We need to grasp the fact that He has abounded toward us in all wisdom (God-think) and prudence (‘reason-able’ self-control in using this wisdom) through which we have Father’s will unveiled to us . . . and that pleases Him. ‘We have the mind of Christ’ (I Cor. 2:16), so our hearts’ cry should be for the Lord to speak to us and through us from that mind of His that contains His will in every detail.

Romans 8:23 says that because we have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we long for the promised adoption as there will be a full redemption of our body . . . transfiguration, nonetheless! Notice that it says OUR body, showing that there is one, but corporate, body of Christ. What a release. . . no more limitations in knowing and doing Father’s will. This is for those maturing and growing up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ — that complete corporate man who is to be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph.3:19). Thus, after our adoption, there will be no limitations because the ‘mind of Adam’ has been fully superseded by the mind of Christ. Rom.12:3 states that we are transformed (transfigured/changed) by the renewing of our minds. What a glorious provision our Father has given us. God rules in the affairs of man(kind) including each one of us! He is Lord and He is King and He is ruling now as King over all. . . else He wouldn’t be God! The full manifestation of this truth will be seen and experienced by all in His adopted, transfigured sons.

?To this end we must progress from being BORN of the Spirit to being BAPTIZED in the Spirit (the downpayment of the fullness), to being LED of the Spirit and that means FULLY SO! This can also be seen as the 30fold, 60fold to the 100fold release of His life . . . adopted and transfigured. Jesus was made a priest after the order of Melchisedec . . . He was not born a priest in the O.T. sense, because He was not from the tribe of Levi. Similarly we are to be MADE priests after the same order as we grow up into Him in all things (Eph.4:15). Melchisedec priests are brought forth in order under the High Priest, Jesus Christ shown forth by the power of an endless life. We shall not all sleep (some will and that’s OK) but we shall all be changed. The full manifestation of His resurrected life will be seen in this mature son following his adoption by Father . . . according to the pattern. Let us be alert that we do not replace what God has said about Himself and about us with man’s educated substitutions!

Let the cry that is within us cause us to yield to the Lordship of the mind of Christ in us (I Cor.2:16) that we might mature into the plan of God and be a part of His adopted son for His glory. God does not bring forth every one at the same time just as Jesus took three out of the twelve up the mountain with Him. If the ‘HEAD’ had to be adopted (even when He was ‘born of the Spirit’) in Father’s plan, the BODY will likewise needs fulfil the pattern.

Remember that this is process is dependent upon our yielding to what has already been provided by His grace; it is not dependent upon one’s working hard to obtain it. To see Christ revealed out of us, is not a matter of ‘doing more’ or ‘adding’ to whatever we have already accomplished, but rather to the removing of everything of the ‘old man’ that appears to be hanging on to us. Our ‘old man’ is dead — he died when Jesus died. Old Adam did not get raised when Christ was raised, but the risen Christ-life was raised from the dead in us. It is all by faith in the revealed word of God. . . for faith comes by hearing the word — the Holy Spirit gives the revelation when He enables us to believe what He says (John 6:29).

I pray God that your whole spirit and mind and body be preserved blameless unto the coming (PAROUSIA = the full reality of His presence alongside/in you) of our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thess. 5:23) . . . but first comes being fully sanctified . . . which the God of peace will accomplish. Amen. §