22 September, 2019 – Berlin Immanuel Church continued in the series on Ephesians in chapter 1 verse 5. Apostle Paul, writing to the Gentile Christians brings out a Roman legal term ‘adoption’ that they were closely familiar with, as many of them would have been slaves and servants. No matter what the position of the person getting adopted was before, even if he was a slave, after adoption he would enjoy the same rights and privilege as a natural child. This term emphasizes the status and position we have as children of God. Paul wants us to realize that we are firmly in the hands of both the Son and the Father (Jn 10:27-29) and no one can snatch us away from Him. God’s predestination for us to become His children through adoption reveals His great love for us. We are not His children based on our own nature, based on what we have done or who we are. We are called God’s children according to the kindness of His will. Our weaknesses and insufficiency don’t make us less of a child; in times when we feel like we failed, we are not less of a child of God. We are the children of God solely thanks to the great love of God that was lavished on us (1 Jn 3:1) and if we are in Christ, nothing can change that fact, because the one who is greater than all called us so. Let us therefore rejoice in this truth, knowing that since we are sons we are also the heirs (Rom 8:17). Let us not forget we have the Spirit of adoption that cries Abba Father. Let us not forget that there is nothing that can separate us from the great love of God that is in Christ Jesus, for we are His children.