“What, then, could have made God adopt us into His family?” said little Emma.
[Sidenote: Difference between Man’s Adoption and God’s.] “This, my child,” replied the other, “is the thing in which _God’s_ Adoption differs from _man’s_. When a man takes a little orphan child into his house, and is kind to it, and brings it up as his own, it is because of something attractive, and lovely, and engaging in the child. I knew an old gentleman who saw a lovely little boy with golden locks, and he was so struck with his beauty, he would never part with him, but brought him up as his own son. But how different is it with us and God! The Bible represents sinners as lying all filthy and vile in the open field; so vile, that none would look at them, ‘all passed them by!’ But God came, lifted them up, and said unto them, ‘Live!’ ‘_I_ will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters.’ What, my dear Emma, would you call this act of God in Adoption?”
[Sidenote: Adoption all of Grace.] “Oh, I would say,” said her little hearer, “that it is the same as with Justification. It is an ‘_act of God’s free grace_’—that is to say, that there was nothing about us to make God love us, or be kind to us, and that it was all of His own great and wonderful kindness and mercy in Christ Jesus!”
“You are right, my darling; and do you remember the name of an aged disciple of Jesus who delighted more than all the rest to speak of God’s love? And perhaps you remember, too, what he says about this adopting love of God?”
“Oh, yes,” said Emma; “I think that will be the text Mr R. was preaching from last month:—‘Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!’ But, dear [Sidenote: When Adoption takes place.] grandmamma,” continued she, “you told me last Sabbath that Justification takes place _in this world_, whenever the sinner believes in Jesus. It cannot surely be that this great honour of being children of God, and adopted into His family, can begin on earth?”
“Yes, dear child, it does,” said her grandmother. “Justification and Adoption are just different names for one great act. God, as I said, is represented in the one as a _Judge_, in the other as a _Father_. I don’t know if Mr R. [Sidenote: The Apostle John’s Testimony.] took the next verse in that beautiful chapter along with his text. If he did so, it will tell you _when_ the believer is adopted, and can call God his Father.”