A story is told of a young couple who, years ago, visited a boarding home which housed children for adoption. The caretaker brought out all the children who were clean, recently bathed, well dressed, properly schooled in manners, for this couple’s inspection and selection. As they passed down the line and spoke to each child, they did not find the one they were looking for to adopt. They asked the caretaker, “Do you have any more children?” He replied, “Yes, but he has not been cleaned up or dressed for viewing today.” The couple said immediately, “That’s alright, can we see him?”
After a few minutes, the child was brought out and stood with the rest of the children. He was dirty: face unwashed, hair uncombed, clothes ragged and torn, no shoes, and his head was hanging down in shame, as he stood next to the other children.
After a few minutes of a private discussion, and wiping the tears from their eyes, they said to the caretaker, “We want this child!” The man immediately replied, “But he is not as nice as the other children; he’s unmannered, and even unloved by his own parents.” He continued, “And we have been unable to get him to behave; why do you want him?”
The couple paused, to regain their composure and replied, “We see in him, the blessings of God for our home, and a better hope in life for him.”
With shame the man asked, “Do you want us to clean him up?” They coupled replied, lovingly, “No, we want the child just as he is right now.”
That’s how God sees us! He has determined that He will take us, just as we are right now.
King David said in Psalm 27:10 “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.” And He has! Through Jesus Christ, we have been adopted as sons of God, heirs with Christ in the glories of heaven.
This Sunday, we’re going to go examine Romans 8:12-17 and look at our adoption into the family of God.
John
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