Today’s Challenge of Finding Someone We Can Trust

After a number of years, the state of Tennessee has redesigned its license plates. A person can still buy so-called “vanity” auto tags to personalize them, or support their favorite cause or team. But the state’s new official plates are dark blue, along with its nickname, a tourism website address – and one notable option.

 

When purchasing new plates, car owners have a choice – they can select ones that bear the message, “In God We Trust,” or tags that omit that phrase. Recently, someone I know was buying new plates for her family’s vehicles and when asked, “Do you want ones that say, ‘In God We Trust?’ she immediately replied, “Who else can we trust?”

My friend made a reasonable observation. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find someone, or any entity, in whom we can confidently place our trust. Politicians have long been considered suspect when it comes to being trusted – and I’m not pointing at any particular party. When I read where the Word of God says, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10), I’ve sometimes wondered if the Lord has politicians at the top of the list.

 

But diminishing levels of trust in our society – and the world – extend far beyond the once-hallowed halls of government. The news media have seen a dramatic decrease in their perceived trustworthiness as “advocacy journalism” has become entrenched, making it increasingly hard to sort out facts from biased commentary and opinion. 

 

We often hear the mantra, “Follow the science,” but ever-changing and sometimes conflicting pronouncements have caused many to scratch their heads in confusion and doubt. We hear about a strong distrust of law enforcement in some quarters, and even in the realms of education, there’s been growing concern over whether ideological agendas are overshadowing the “three R’s,” the traditional disciplines of “readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmetic.”

 

The business world has had far too many examples of corruption and greed, thus losing the confidence of the public. Sadly, even within the Church, its integrity has fallen under question more times than we would like to admit. No matter where we look, trust seems a virtue in very short supply these days.

 

During my childhood, I sometimes watched a popular game show called “Who Do You Trust?”, that ran from 1956 to 1963. Johnny Carson was an early host before he rose to become a late-night talk show legend. The game show’s title asks a relevant question for today: Who do you trust?

 

The reality is that in our very imperfect humanness, we’ve all betrayed the trust of someone at least once. Probably a lot more than that. We’d like to think that we can trust our family members, close friends, our employers and church leaders. But even the best of us will fail on occasion in that respect. So, we should ask again – who do you trust?

 

Personally, I’ve discovered that there’s only one Person I can trust without reservation – the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who gave His life for me, paying a price I could never pay, so that I might become reconciled to Himself. As we read the Scriptures, they talk a lot about how we can trust God with complete confidence.

 

I’ve mentioned my life verses before, Proverbs 3:5-6, and trust is central to their brief message: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” To me, it’s like that team-building exercise they do at business retreats, where individuals willingly drop into the waiting arms of their colleagues, trusting they won’t let them fall. Except trusting in the Lord is infinitely more profound, because we're believing Him to guide the entire course of our lives.

 

Another proverb addresses our tendency to place our trust in other people, then become upset when they let us down. It speaks of a grim reality: “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe” (Proverbs 29:23). While we may seek the approval and acceptance of other folks, only God is worthy of our unreserved trust.

 

Although addressed specifically to the people of Israel, a psalm powerfully expresses a promise that applies to each of us who is a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ: “O house of Israel, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield” (Psalm 115:9-11).

 

If you do a comprehensive search of the word “trust” in a Bible concordance, you will find it being used hundreds of times. But I particularly like another passage that speaks of it, both in terms of an assurance and a warning: “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God” (Isaiah 50:10).

Who do you trust? Can you agree with the psalmist who wrote, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 50:7)? That psalmist was King David of Israel, and despite his great power, authority and wealth, life’s experiences had taught him that there was just One in whom he could truly, unwaveringly trust. 

It’s Time to Celebrate Love – But What Is Love, Really?

Today is Valentine’s Day, also known as the day for love. Red and pink hearts, bouquets of flowers, boxes of candy, shimmering jewelry, and even engagement rings will dominate – all in the name of love. But when all is said and done, do we really understand what true love is?

 

Our culture insists love is all about emotions, warm, fuzzy feelings we get when looking at that “special person.” It’s discovering your “soulmate,” finding “chemistry,” or as Hallmark romance movies put it, the “magical” moment when you realize that “he’s (or she’s) the one.” We “fall in love,” but people often fall out of it, too. Maybe love should have seatbelts to keep us from falling? 

There is nothing wrong with romantic love. Thankfully, my wife and I have enjoyed that for more than 47 years, and as they say about fine wines, love can get better with age – if you’re willing to invest the time and energy to keep it alive. Sadly, too many people aren’t so willing. Rather than experiencing a love strong enough to endure hardships and adversity, as well as joys and good times, their relationships wind up in Cupid’s junk yard, faint remembrances of what could have been.

 

Books written about love can’t be numbered. There are all kinds of “experts” out there claiming to know how to find and sustain love that works and grows. There’s one book, however, that I believe surpasses them all, one that’s passed the test of time – thousands of years, in fact.

 

That book is the Bible, that amazing collection of 66 books (39 in the Old Testament, 27 in the New), written by dozens of different authors but with one consistent, unifying theme: That God, the Creator of all that is, was also the originator of love, starting with Adam and Eve and continuing to the present day. The Scriptures, we might say, are His comprehensive love letter to humankind.

 

The kind of love found in the Word of God, however, is quite unlike anything we’d see on “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” or any of the other “lust American-style” productions. The love demonstrated in the Scriptures is more about giving than receiving, selfless rather than selfish, unconditional rather than conditional, and sacrificial when necessary.

 

We see this in what’s perhaps the best-known verse of the Bible, John 3:16, where we’re told, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” When God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, it was not only for a cameo appearance. It wasn’t just for Him to serve as a role model, although He was that. 

 

It was so that Jesus might Himself provide the greatest gift of all, dying to pay the ultimate price for our spiritual freedom, becoming what theologians call the "propitiation" for our sins. As Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

 

As the Lord told His closest disciples not long before going to the cross to be crucified, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13). Why would the God of all eternity take on human flesh and willingly surrender to an excruciating death – becoming the one and only atonement for sin – unless motivated by a love beyond anything we can fully comprehend?

 

I’ve cited it before, but 1 Corinthians 13, called by some “the love chapter,” describes love in ways you won’t find in the “love” reality shows or the romance films. It declares that “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). 

 

When you think of love, do terms like patience, kindness, humility, consideration of others, slow to anger, forgiving, truthful, protecting, trusting, hopeful and persevering come to mind?

 

For many of us, those aren’t loving adjectives that immediately pop into our thoughts. But they should be. Why? Because when we cultivate and embrace a love like this then, as the passage continues, “Love never fails…. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:8,13).

I hope you’ll be spending this Valentine’s Day with the person – or people – that you love. And I hope your love for them, and their love for you, is more like that of 1 Corinthians 13 than the counterfeit for it depicted in the fantasy worlds of Hallmark and The Bachelor. 

Grace: Definitely Not a Blue-Eyed Blonde

Some time ago, I was in a Christian bookstore – remember those? – and noticed a book entitled, Grace Is Not a Blue-Eyed Blonde. Curious about the title, I picked it up and scanned the back cover description. As promised, the book was not about someone named Grace, but about an indispensable element of biblical truth: God’s grace.

Many distinctives make Christianity unique among the world’s myriad other belief systems, but in terms of importance, grace ranks near the top.

 

As a friend of mine used to say, “All other religions are spelled ‘DO’ – do this, do that. Christianity is spelled ‘DONE’ – Jesus Christ has done everything necessary for us to experience God’s forgiveness and the assurance of eternal life.” At the heart of this is the biblical concept called grace, which literally means the Lord’s unmerited or undeserved favor – His unconditional acceptance. The Bible teaches we can’t earn God’s love, and if we’re His children, we can’t do anything to lose it.

 

This is hardly a new perspective. It was a driving force for the Christian Reformation, and over the years numerous books have been written to help us in fully understanding what the Bible teaches about grace. Philip Yancey’s What’s So Amazing About Grace? and Chuck Swindoll’s The Grace Awakening are just two that I’d recommend. 

 

We even have the classic hymn, “Amazing Grace,” that’s been sung not only in church sanctuaries and chapels, but also in theaters, auditoriums and arenas around the world. However, when I hear people singing it, I sometimes wonder if they’ve really let the lyrics sink in. Here are a few stanzas from a contemporary rendition of that soulful tune:

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see

 

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

 

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood, His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace

 

If anyone ever was a candidate to fully grasp the incredible, incomparable grace of God, it was the writer of “Amazing Grace,” John Newton. In his earlier life, Newton had served as a captain of slave ships, and even after retiring from life on the sea, continued to invest in the slave trade until 1754. 

 

However, after a dramatic spiritual encounter with Jesus Christ during a storm at sea, that all began to change. Time spent in Africa helped him to understand the plight of slaves in a very different light. Instead of being a participant in the reprehensible system, Newton became an advocate for abolishing slavery. Ultimately, he became an ally of William Wilberforce, leader of the British Parliamentary campaign to abolish the African slave trade, and lived to see the passage of anti-slavery legislation in 1807.

 

In 1788, in a pamphlet called, Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade, Newton described the horrific conditions he had witnessed on the slave ships. Repenting of the deeds of his past life, Newton offered "a confession, which...comes too late.... It will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me, that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders." 

 

Can you imagine? How could someone live with the guilt of having been engaged in such evil, inhumane practices? As Newton attested in his now-famous hymn, it was possible only through God’s redeeming and transforming grace.

 

Centuries earlier, the apostle Paul had written about a similar, 180-degree change in his own life. Once a proud, enthusiastic adversary of the first-century Church, he turned into one of the most zealous ambassadors of Jesus Christ. He wrote:

“For I am the least of the apostles and do not deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).

 

Christianity turns the faith-works debate on its head. While so many belief systems concentrate on how a person can become “good enough” to earn God’s acceptance, the Scriptures teach there is nothing we can do to establish ourselves worthy of His love. Our works, therefore, should be an outflow of our relationship with the Lord. As Ephesians 2:8-10 clearly declares: 

“For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Because of this, we need not wallow in guilt and remorse over past sins. When we turn to God, seeking His forgiveness, He not only wipes our slates clean, but also begins the process of turning us into living testimonies of His grace. Like John Newton, we can experience the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:17, which states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 

What Better Standard for Treating One Another?

Several years ago, a friend recommended reading The Founders’ Bible: The Origin of the Dream of Freedom, compiled by historian David Barton and general editors Brad Cummings and Lance Wubbels. Along with the complete Bible in the New American Standard version, it contains hundreds of articles and extensive commentary about what our Founding Fathers thought about Christianity, the Bible, and their role in the shaping of our nation.

 

My family bought me a copy of The Founders’ Bible as a birthday present a couple years back, and I’m finally starting the enjoyable and enlightening process of reading through it. One commentary I came across recently concerned the “Golden Rule,” which Jesus Christ presented in Matthew 7:12, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

This Bible’s contributors cited statements from several leaders that figured prominently in our nation’s history who affirmed that principle. One was John Adams, our second President and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who said, “One great advantage of the Christian religion is that it brings the great principle [of the Golden Rule]…to the knowledge, belief, and veneration of the whole people.” 

 

Another was Frederick Douglas, a minister, statesman and abolitionist, who declared, “I love the religion of our blessed Savior!... I love that religion that is based upon the glorious principle of love to God and love to man (Luke 10:27) – which makes its followers do unto others as they themselves would be done by (Matthew 7:12).”

 

The commentary closed with the statement, “Today, two thousand years after Jesus initially delivered it to His followers, the Golden Rule remains the best standard for how we should treat one another.” Indeed, where – whether in vast realms of religion, philosophy, sociology or psychology – can we find a better standard for treating one another?

 

At the same time, this concept was not some brainstorm Jesus had 2,000 years ago during His earthly ministry. When asked – actually challenged – by a religious leader to specify which was the greatest of all commandments, He responded by referring to Old Testament teachings. 

 

He said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36, Luke 10:27). These were taken from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, passages the Pharisees and others in the religious hierarchy of that day would have known very well.

 

While similar perspectives might appear in other belief systems, Christianity is unique in making these statements foundational for faithful belief and practice. Exodus 20:1-17 gives us the Ten Commandments, but in a wonderful economy of words, Jesus gave a clear and concise summation of them, the first four commandments addressing our relationship with God, and the subsequent six describing how we should interact with one another.

 

It's been said that in the seats of power, such as politics or business, there’s a very different “golden rule” espoused: “He who has the gold, rules.” But that’s not at all what the Lord had in mind when He gave this teaching to both His disciples and His detractors.

 

We find this truth permeating the Scriptures. We’re taught to fear God – holding Him in reverent, worshipful awe, acknowledging His greatness and power – and to love our “neighbors,” anyone we encounter over the course of our lives from day to day, even to the point of sacrificing our best interests so we can put others’ needs and concerns ahead of ourselves.

 

That’s what Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan is all about, even though as our society has drifted further and further from having the Word of God as its anchor, many people would be hard-pressed to identify where the term “good Samaritan” originated.

 

Imagine if by some miracle, people actually began treating other people the way that they themselves would want to be treated; that they actually started loving their fellow man and woman just as they’d like to be loved themselves, unconditionally and without reservation.

Indeed, if that were to be the case, we could probably strike half of the laws off the books – maybe more than that – and no one would ever know the difference.  

What Happens When You Reach the Boiling Point?

Have you ever noticed how people can respond very differently to adversity – how difficult circumstances can result in one person becoming better, while for another, hardships only leave them bitter? Better vs. bitter – what a stark contrast.

 

Recently I heard a speaker make an observation from nature that I was aware of but had never given much consideration. He said, “It’s the same boiling water that softens potatoes that hardens eggs.” 

For those of us who are fans of mashed potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, we thankful for this fact. Perhaps we could expand on this, noting that while boiling water can cause a severe burn, it also can be used sanitize and kills germs. Interesting, isn’t it?

 

Science tells us the specific boiling point for water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s hot. But I wonder about people – individuals seem to have different boiling points. Some take a long time, slowly simmering, while others hit a boiling flash point very quickly. It’s important to know not only what our boiling point is, but also, what do we do when we reach it?

 

We can look at this from at least a couple of different angles. For instance, what triggers a person to reach a boiling point? This also varies from person to person. One seems to carry a perpetual chip on his or her shoulder, almost daring people to knock it off, while another maintains a fairly even keel, not inclined at all to display anger.

 

The Bible offers a number of contrasting observations about both kinds of folks. Proverbs 12:16, for example, states, “A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” Then we read, “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly” (Proverbs 14:29). Yet another proverb observes, “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel” (Proverbs 15:18).

 

One verse even advises that we avoid people who have a habit of reaching their boiling points in a hurry: “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared” (Proverbs 22:24-25). Losing one’s temper quickly is not a character trait to be admired, nor to be emulated.

 

But getting back to the potato that softens in boiling water, while the egg hardens, our response to adverse circumstances and hardships can determine whether they make us harder or softer. This may be one reason we’re advised in Romans 5:3-5 to “glory in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

 

When we read this, many of us are probably tempted to say, “glory [exult] in my tribulations [sufferings]? Are you kidding me? You have no idea what I’ve been going through!” No, we don’t. But these aren’t simplistic platitudes we’re offering. It’s the counsel and wisdom we find in the Word of God. 

 

Because as we follow the progression, we find that if we hang in there, tribulations can produce in us perseverance, a determination to come out on the other side as a better person. Which leads to strong, resilient character, and finally, an unwavering hope and confident assurance that if the Lord has allowed difficult circumstances in our lives, He’s intending to use them for our good.

 

The apostle James opened his New Testament letter with a similar sentiment, stating, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). 

 

Have you ever wished you could be more patient? Here’s a hint: Don’t pray for patience, because God may answer that prayer by sending situations in your life that will require you to be patient, whether you like it or not. But think about it. Trials that test our faith can give us more patience, often because we have no recourse but to endure them patiently. And who wouldn’t want to be described as “perfect and complete, lacking nothing”?

 

Too often, unfortunately, people don’t regard their trials and tribulations with this perspective. Instead, they respond with anger, or in despair, wanting to lash out at God – and others – with the complaint, “Why me?!” Instead of seeing hardships as divinely fashioned opportunities to become better people, they instead become embittered, refusing to advance in perseverance and build character, or to grow in the quality we call patience.

In a spiritual sense, unlike in nature where water has a fixed boiling point of 212 degrees, we can allow the Lord to boost our inner boiling points to such levels that people around us will rarely, if ever, witness us blowing off steam uncontrollably or bubbling over in fits of anger. But it requires faith and a steadfast conviction that as Romans 8:28 promises, He is causing “all things to work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose.” 

We Enjoy Our Rights, But with Those Come Responsibility

We hear a lot of discussion about rights these days. Not surprisingly, given the political and ideological divide in our country, there are greatly differing views on what those rights are, and how and when they can be used. 

The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution – which are widely regarded as the Bill of Rights – a number of personal rights are specified, and others were later added. These include such things as the right to worship as one sees fit; the freedoms of speech and the press; the right to peaceable assembly; the right to bear arms; the right to a speedy and public trial with an impartial jury, and the right to vote.

 

We often focus on our rights, but not so often do we recognize the responsibilities that come with those rights. For example, it has long been acknowledged that free speech should not include shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater and inciting an unnecessary panic. There are slander and libel laws to prohibit people from wrongfully maligning others with their words.

 

Laws have been established that affect the right to bear arms. Those who possess guns have the responsibility to use them properly; those who don’t are subject of arrest and other legal actions. Even the right to vote comes with certain responsibility. I’ve always made a point of confirming when elections are being held. More recently, with the widespread use of early voting, I’ve determined when and where that option has been available to me. I won’t wade any deeper into the voting rights debate.

 

But the point is clear: When given rights, with them come responsibilities we’re expected to fulfill. Even in families, where children receive certain freedoms by birthright, parents also can assign to them increasing responsibilities as they get older. In those homes, failure to carry out their assignments may result in the curtailing of their rights and freedoms.

 

Have you ever considered that for those of us who follow Jesus Christ, we also have rights – and accompanying responsibilities?

 

We read about the most important “right” in John 1:12, which states, “Yet to all who have received [Jesus Christ], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” By believing in Jesus, trusting in Him and His atoning sacrifice for our sins, we gain an exclusive right – that of becoming a member of God’s eternal family. What good news!

 

But are there responsibilities that come with this right? If we believe the Scriptures, most definitely so. Speaking to His followers not long before He would undergo a heinous mock trial, be unjustly convicted and then executed by crucifixion, Jesus explained one of their greatest responsibilities: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

 

In essence, their failure or refusal to carry out this responsibility – loving other members of the Lord’s family – could indicate they were not legitimate children of God. Because to love others unconditionally was – and is – a reflection of Christ living in us through His Spirit.

 

Elsewhere the apostle John expounded on this truth. He wrote, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in [God’s] presence…. And this is his command, to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us” (1 John 3:18-23).

 

Just before ascending into heaven, Jesus declared another important responsibility that comes with the right to be God’s children. He directed His followers to, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

 

Commonly referred to as Jesus’ Great Commission, He was stating that our faith is not something to be kept to ourselves, that it must be proclaimed so others can also experience His grace, forgiveness and redemption, and receive help for growing in their own faith.

 

We could enumerate many other responsibilities that come with the right to be children of God, but let’s close with one that in essence says we must be willing to give up our rights. In Philippians 2:3-4 we read, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

 

In a society that emphasizes mantras such as “You have to look out for No. 1” and “It’s all about me,” we’re called to selflessness and service, being willing to put the needs of others ahead of our own. 

As Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). There’s no greater blessing than to have received the right to become children of God. But are we showing ourselves worthy of such responsibility? 

Adoption – the Oft-Overlooked Option

This time of the year is very special for our family. The hubbub of the holidays has subsided, and we pause to celebrate the birthdays of several of family members, including two adopted grandsons. It’s an annual reminder of the courageous, selfless decisions of their birth mothers to bring them into this world and then, because they were not able to raise them, to entrust them to loving adoptive parents.

 

In the ongoing “pro-choice/pro-life” debate, often overlooked is the option of adoption, instead of abortion. If we “follow the science,” as we’ve been admonished so many times, we know that inside a pregnant woman’s womb is a living being – a human being – patiently waiting for the time it can enter the world and live without a sustaining lifeline called the umbilical cord. So, despite the arguments, abortion is the taking of a life. 

 

Sadly, many times women become pregnant and are unable or unwilling to take on the responsibility for raising a child – or another child, if they already have one or more. The alternative, some in our society insist, is abortion. But adoption – ironically the juxtaposition of two letters – is the better option, what we could term a win-win, for the birth mom, the baby, and the parents who adopt him or her.

 

Which brings us to our family. In addition to our two adopted grandchildren, we also have a son-in-law, now in his 50s, a highly successful entrepreneur who employs 60-80 people in his businesses, and is devoted to serving hundreds of clients. He’s also the father of two daughters and now the grandfather of a little boy. The lives of many hundreds of people have been positively affected the brave decision of a birth mother whom he was blessed to meet for the first time several years ago.

 

Abortion, therefore, isn’t simply a “personal decision” for a pregnant woman. Taking a long view, it literally is a life-changing decision for countless people, continuing many years into the future. Of course, adoption isn’t a simple, inexpensive option. To adopt a child often carries a cost that could total well into thousands of dollars. But how do you put a price on a life?

 

Rather than writing what might seem like a strident pro-life editorial, I’d like to offer a very different view on adoption – one presented in unequivocal terms in the Bible. Because it states that every person who is a child of God, who has been “born again,” as Jesus explained in John 3:3-8, has been adopted by the Lord.

 

Romans 8:15 declares, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom you cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” [literally, “Daddy.”] Eight verses later we read, “…even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

 

The apostle Paul writes more about this elsewhere, as in Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

 

Perhaps the strongest statement of all is found in Ephesians 1:4-5, which declares, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

 

Earlier I mentioned the considerable expense of adopting a human child. But that cost, however high, could never approach what it cost God the Father to adopt us as His spiritual children. Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

 

To make provision for our adoption as His children cost the sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus Christ. So that Paul could write in Ephesians 1:7-8, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”

 

Across our nation, many thousands of childless couples would love to have the opportunity and blessing of adopting an unwanted child. Many other families with children would generously open their homes to adopt additional children. If only we could hear that option explained and advocated more often as this great social debate continues.

 

From the moment each of our grandsons was welcomed into our family and adopted, our lives were changed forever. Now we can’t imagine what our lives would be like without them. And for the birth mothers, they had the peace of mind knowing they had made the right sacrifice, seeing to it that the infants they carried into this world would grow up in safe, loving homes.

But even more, think of the countless men, women, and children whom God longs to adopt – for all eternity – because of the priceless sacrifice He has already made. If you’re reading this, you’re probably already spiritually oriented. But the question every one of us must answer is, “Have I been adopted? Have I truly accepted God’s invitation to become a member of His everlasting family?” If not, this could become the day of your own adoption!