Our Adoption

1:3-5, “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'. Romans 8:15-16, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but 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”.

I don't think you will find the word adoption in the Old Testament, because the Children of Israel were of the seed of Abraham, but the spirit of adoption was there. Moses was brought up by Pharoah. When Esther's mother and father died, Mordecai brought her up. The Gentiles are not the seed of Abraham. What would you say if I said we were all spiritual orphans? Those who are willing to receive Him, He will make them His children.

When I was three years old, my mother found the Truth through a lovely couple who were our neighbours. From that time on she took us four children to meetings. We were going to meetings for four years when Father died from a ruptured gall bladder. Awhile later mother died of pneumonia. We children were 12, 10, 8 and 6 years old at that time. I was 8. The workers appointed us temporary guardians. One day one of the workers said to me “Tomorrow your new Mum and Dad are coming to get you”. I was excited and collected up my doll, toothbrush, scrapbook and dresses to take with me. My 12 year old sister said “Don't you know that when you leave, you are never coming back!” My sister said the four children could live here and the three oldest could look after our little brother, but Mr. and Mrs. Cossentine came to get me. I had three choices that day, just the same as you had when you listened do the Gospel.

First choice—I could have said “no thanks”, my sister doesn't want me to leave. If we had said no, it would be because we couldn't see very far ahead. If our little brother got sick in the first blizzard, what would we have done? People do that spiritually.

Second choice—I could have said '”You adopt me and I will take your name and
get my name on your Will, but I'll stay here and live with the others here”.
People do that spiritually too—they want God but they want to stay where they
are.

Third choice--There was no discussion that day, whether I would keep my room tidy, etc. I needed them and they wanted me.  We don't say I'll have my own way once a week, spiritually.

My sister and little brother went to another home together and my other brother went to another family. We kept in touch with each other and saw each other at conventions.

I didn't know what to call my new Mum and Dad. I called her lady one day. They didn't understand my plight. They told me to call them Mum and Dad or Mummy and Daddy. Swanson was my really name but Cossentine is my name now, but inside I am still a Swanson.

Jesus cried “Abba, Father”.

The kids at school laughed at my new name after I was legally adopted and I was upset, but my mother said, “Tell the children we loved you and chose you”. Tell them when they were born they had to take what they got! When God adopts us, He gives us His Spirit and we become joint heirs. We have a big-hearted Father who wants to give us His Spirit and aren’t we thankful we have been adopted.  Aren’t we thankful for a Heavenly Father who is able to meet every need that arises?

Hymns #282 and #306

 

H. Cossentine - Our adoption