The Spirit of Adoption | Jun. 21, 2026 | Pastor Raph

The Spirit of Adoption

This past week, I’ve had several deeply moving, providential, divine-appointed conversations with brothers and sisters in our congregation. And a beautiful, recurring theme kept surfacing in those talks:

the adopting heart of God.

As a church, we believe deeply in fostering and adopting. We believe it is how we become an answer for our broken community, stepping in to love and guide the next generation.

Recently, a dear friend of mine, Pastor Sam Todd from Sanford, Florida, came down to Fort Myers and treated me to lunch.

By the way, if you ever want to invite me to lunch, I am exactly like Jesus with Zacchaeus—I am always ready to say yes. In fact, if you don't invite me, I might just invite myself!

Jokes aside.

As we sat at the table, Sam shared the powerful story of his own adoption.

His late parents had struggled with infertility, but they felt a profound calling from God to be parents to multiple children. To confirm this calling, they bought a stuffed bunny, placed it in their bedroom, and named it Samuel—because in the Bible, the phrase "asked of God" directly translates to the name Samuel in Hebrew. 

That bunny became a daily token of their prayer. It was a “Gedeon fleece” before God, saying, "Lord, if you do not bring a child to our family in 12 months, we will understand that we were just emotionally moved, and we will let it go."

For 11 months, they prayed. No child came.

But exactly 11 months and three weeks into that year of prayer, the phone rang. It was an adoption agency. A young, unmarried girl had just released her baby boy for adoption. That was Samuel.

In that single moment, the Todd family broke a generational curse and completely changed the trajectory of that little baby's life forever.

Fast forward to today. Pastor Sam Todd has two biological sons. At our lunch this week, I sat with his youngest son, Phil. We had the most incredible time talking about Legendarios and about Godly, heavenly things.

But his oldest son wasn't at the table with us. He was busy taking care of his own daughter—a beautiful little girl he adopted from India.

Think about the staggering odds of that. There was perhaps a one-in-300-million chance that a little orphan girl from India would end up in an American family.

But she ended up in a family whose very foundation was built on the adopting heart of God.

She was chosen. Pastor Sam Todd was chosen.

And this morning, on Father's Day, I want to remind every single one of you of this truth: You are chosen.

We have a Heavenly Father who looked at us in our brokenness, called us by name, and elected to adopt us into His eternal family.

(Romans 8:14-17) 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

For many, the idea of "God the Father" brings up a mixture of emotions. If we are honest, sometimes our view of our Heavenly Father is tainted by our earthly experiences.

That is a problem. I remember that in one of my Bible studies, I learned that the only way I could relate to God appropriately was by first fixing my relationship with my earthly father. Again, the problem was that I was unable to fix that relationship perfectly, and it goes back to the thought that the Christian life is centered on what I can do, not on what Christ has done.

It is the other way around.

Be loved, receive the mercy of the heavenly Father. Allow the truth of adoption to take your heart completely. And from this new identity as beloved, you will have a healthy, healed relationship with your earthly father and with everybody else.

The finished work of Jesus Christ entirely defines our relationship with the Father. He is not demanding you earn your keep; He is inviting you to rest in His grace.

The name Revealed: Father

When Jesus stood on the brink of the cross, He prayed what we call the High Priestly Prayer. He did not say, “I have manifested Your name as Elohim or El Shaddai." 

The entire context of John 17 is Jesus speaking to His Father. He revealed God’s name by demonstrating His perfect, unconditional love as a Father to His children.

Jehovah-Jireh, our provider, or Jehovah-Rapha, our healer.

Yet, of all the magnificent titles and redemptive names God revealed throughout history, Jesus came to emphasize one above all others. The name that the Lord Jesus came to reveal to us is "Father".

(John 17:6) 'I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.' 

(John 17:11) 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

Father — Patēr — The word carries a meaning of nourisher, protector, upholder.

(Matthew 6:9) 'Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”'

We do not relate to our early dads primarily through a title.

With God, Jesus is teaching that we pray through an intimate relationship of grace. When you cry out "Father," you are assuming the position of an heir.

Today, in Christ, the Father loves you just as much as He loves Jesus. If you always come before the Father saying "God, God," it is no wonder you might struggle to feel His love or find faith released in your heart. But when you say, “Father," the Holy Spirit fills you with His love and faith.

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, He did not give them a complex religious formula. He handed them the keys to intimacy.

(Matthew 27:46) 'And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”' 

Our access to the throne room is not based on our good behavior, but on our family status. You are a child of God, and you have a Father who delights to hear your voice.

Think of it this way: If you go to a large corporation, employees address the head of the company as "Mr. President" or "CEO." 

They interact with him based on his title and their performance. But at the end of the day, a little boy can run right past the reception desk, burst into the corner office, and yell, "Dad!" The CEO drops everything for his son. 

The world knows God by His titles—Creator, Judge, Elohim. But because of the finished work of Christ, you do not stand in the lobby of heaven as an employee hoping for a good performance review. You burst into the throne room as a child.

The only time the Lord Jesus called His Father "My God" was on Calvary. On the cross, He took on our sins and proved for us our separation from the Father.

Jesus was forsaken so that you and I would never be.

He cried out, "My God," experiencing the cold distance of judgment and the full penalty of the law, so that today, as born-again believers, we can cry out, "Abba, Father". Because of His sacrifice, our position is eternally secure.

ἀββά

The term ἀββά occurs in the NT only 3 times: Mark 14:36 (Used by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, expressing agonizing intimacy and submission to God's will)

In Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6. In each case, it is used to call on God in prayer.

The Apostle Paul (in Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6) and Mark deliberately chose to write the Aramaic word into their Greek texts using Greek letters (Ἀββᾶ). A transliteration.

English translators maintain this by transliterating the Aramaic word into English letters, honoring the bilingual construction of the original authors.

Biblical scholars conclude that New Testament authors used bilingual expressions to strategically bridge Christianity’s Judean roots with its expanding Gentile audience.

Historically, retaining the exact syllables of Jesus’s native language captured his authentic voice (ipsissima vox) during intimate healings (Mark 5:41: Talitha koum — translated as, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!”; Mark 7:34: Ephphatha — translated as, "Be opened.") and his traumatic crucifixion (Mark 14:36) 'And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”’).

Also, the immediate Greek translations following Aramaic transliterations dispelled pagan notions of magical incantations and clarified narrative misunderstandings.

John and Paul used this dual-language technique to prove Jesus fulfilled Jewish prophecy and to emphasize that Greek-speaking Gentiles were fully adopted into the same familial relationship with God. An act of cultural and theological bridge-building. And maybe even as a password to protect the early persecuted believers.

A vital liturgical function, as untranslated Aramaic words like Abba, Maranatha and Hallelujah. functioned as sacred, unifying passwords of worship that connected the broader Greco-Roman churches back to the mother church in Jerusalem.

(Galatians 4:6) 'And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”'

According to Moisés Silva in the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (NIDNTTE), Abba has absolutely no childish character. Jewish writings demonstrate it was the standard word used by adult offspring

It was also a respectful title for scholars, like "rabbi". In Greek philosophy, the term patēr signified the supreme deity who is the creator, parent, and sustainer of the entire cosmos.

The Cry of the Spirit

The Spirit does not point you to your own works to establish your identity; He points you to your Father.

Psalms 103:11-14 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.

14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

The Spirit we received does not lead us back into the fear of the law.

You do not have to be terrified that God will revoke your adoption if you stumble. Your eternal security is anchored in Christ’s sufficiency, not your performance.

Romans 8:16 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

The Holy Spirit Himself bears witness to your true identity. It is not baby talk, but it is the language of ultimate family intimacy. It shifts our view of God from a distant, conditional judge to a close, nourishing protector.

If a child wakes up terrified in the middle of the night, they don't stand at the edge of their parents' bed and recite their chores or promise to be perfect tomorrow so they can be comforted.

They simply cry out, "Dad!" And the father rushes to comfort them. How much more does our Heavenly Father respond when we simply cry out to Him in faith? You do not have to clean yourself up before He loves you.

Rest in His unmerited favor.

From the Guardian to the Father

Galatians 3:24-26 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

Galatians 4:1-7 1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Under the Old Covenant, the law was a guardian. It was a flawless standard that revealed humanity’s absolute inability to be righteous on its own.

The law is a demand, but grace is a provision; the law says "Do," while grace says "I will do it for you". 

Galatians 4:5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 

You do not work your way into God's family; you are born into it by faith.

We do not have to beg for a place in the house; the Spirit inside us confidently cries out to the Father. When you cry out "Abba," you are assuming your rightful position as an heir.

The Adoption — Huiothesia

The image here is the relationship which God was pleased to establish between Himself and the Israelites in preference to all other nations. Is we receiving the privileges and inheritance rights not as a toddler to be managed and scolded. But God grants us full status, authority, and access as adult sons and daughters through the work of Christ.

One of those divine appointments this week was with Ieda and Chris. Many of you know them; they are two of our most faithful members, here from the very beginning. They are truly children of this house. A couple of months ago, God baptized them with a heart for foster parenting, and they stepped out in faith to get licensed through the 4Kids agency.

Ieda had been carrying the heavy weight of a deferred dream. For various reasons, she is unable to pursue her medical career at this time. She was feeling the sting of that apparent failure, mourning that she did not yet have her doctor's diploma. But she and Chris asked God for a new story of victory. And God answered. On the exact same date, she would have been thinking about that diploma; instead, God handed them their official certification as foster parents.

In a short period of time, they welcomed children under their wings. As I listened to their story this week, I could see pure joy radiating from them. They hold so much love in their hearts for these kids, driven by the profound conviction that they are raising the next Elijah of this generation.

That conviction fuels them to pour out everything they have, sacrificing far more than they can comfortably afford, financially, emotionally, and physically.

But God is honoring His promises to them. While many people right now are wondering where their next job will come from, God has blessed Chris with so much work that he has to hire others just to keep up. That abundance is God testifying to His own joy, pouring out blessing over them because they are so beautifully expressing His adopting heart.

Through Jesus, we have stepped into full sonship. We no longer live for God's approval; we live from His approval.

Imagine your family has a massive family trust fund. While the heir is young, the wealth is controlled by strict managers. The child gets a small allowance and a list of rules.

Maybe even as an employee of the estate.

But on the date set by the father, the heir steps into full adult rights. 

The strict manager—the law—steps aside.

Lora and Tyler

Over the past four months, the Lord has entrusted us with more than eight children. Just when we think we have hit a comfortable moment of peace or rest, the phone rings again. We answer the calls, and we pray. In these moments the Lord calls us to say yes to the uncomfortable and to find comfort in obedience to Him.

So far this season, we have learned that when we stop relying on ourselves and fully submit to the Lord, our weakness becomes the very place where His greatness is put on display. 

The Lord has called us to, as Paul says, “boast all the more gladly of our weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon us.” 

That is exactly how Tyler and I feel, and what we have to choose every day as we continue saying yes to the children He places in our home.

Foster care has also taught us that we are not the main characters in these stories. These children are not stepping into our story; the Lord is allowing us a small role in theirs. 

We get to be a part of what He is doing in their lives as He pursues, redeems, and loves them.

Some children have come into our home never having heard the name of Jesus, never opened a Bible, and never been told that they are deeply loved by their Creator. 

By God's grace, they are leaving knowing who Jesus is, hearing Scripture read over them, singing songs about Him, praying before meals and bedtime, and knowing exactly who they can call on in every season of life.

One of our foster daughters now stops to pray for everything—before meals, before bedtime, when someone gets hurt, when she is afraid, and for all of the little everyday things.

Watching her go from not knowing Jesus to instinctively turning to Him in every circumstance has been such a blessing and a sweet reminder of why we do what we do.

Each time the phone rings, we are reminded of Abraham, who by faith "went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8). We answer these calls without knowing how long the children will stay, what challenges they may bring, or what plans God has for their future—but we answer, and He remains faithful.

Some people may think foster parents are saving children, but we're not. Jesus is the Savior. We are blessed to have the privilege of stepping into these kid’s stories, introducing them to the One who can truly save, and witnessing Him work in their hearts and lives.

We are not incredible people doing extraordinary things.

We are weak people serving an incredible Savior, and foster care has given us a front-row seat to watch Him work.

Heirs with Christ

(Romans 8:17)'and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.'

Eternal life is a completely free gift, but reigning with Him as an overcomer is a reward for faithful endurance at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Becoming a managing partner in the family business—reigning alongside the Father—requires dedication, learning the ropes, and sometimes enduring late nights and struggles alongside the boss.

God invites every believer to step up from merely being a child to becoming an overcomer. He provides the grace to endure, and then He rewards you for the very grace He supplied!

You are sons and daughters of the Most High. God does not adopt us as probationary members of the house who must earn their keep. He grants full, irrevocable status. Our assurance of salvation rests entirely on Christ's promise, never on our own fluctuating performance.

Imagine a child who has been rescued from a terrifying, abusive situation and legally adopted by a loving family. For the first few months, that child might try to "earn" their dinner by doing chores perfectly, terrified that if they make a mistake, they will be sent back. What does the adoptive father do? He sits the child down, shows them the signed, legally binding adoption papers, and says, "You do not work for your food here. You are my child. This is permanent."

The Holy Spirit acts as those signed papers in our hearts. When we fail—and we will—the Spirit does not threaten us with spiritual eviction. Instead, He reminds us of our permanent adoption by crying out, "Abba!" Assurance flows from the sufficiency of Christ's work, not the perfection of our walk.