Not Adopted, Real Children Placed as Sons

having marked off our bounds to the placement of sons (υἱοθεσία) through Jesus Christ unto Himself according to the good pleasure of His desirous will – Ephesians 1:5.

Did you know that the Greek words for “adoption” never occur in Scripture? “ἄμφανσις”, which means, “adoption” and “ἐκποίητος”, which is “to give in adoption” are not used in Scripture because we are not adopted into God’s family; rather, we become legitimate children of God.

Beloved now we are the children (born ones) of God… 1 John 3:2. His seed has been placed into us (1 John 3:9) and we are now born again, not from a corruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23).

In Ephesians 1:5, Paul is not writing about adoption, but about son placement. This is a concept in the Roman culture concerning when a child is no longer under governors and tutors (Galatians 4:1). When the father determines the child is trained properly, the child would be placed as a son, into a place of privilege where the child (inarticulate babbler) is no longer under governors and tutors (Galatians 4:2). When it comes to humans and God, those who are inarticulate babblers are under law, but those who are sons live out from faith.

When I was an inarticulate babbler (child), I spoke as an inarticulate babbler (child), I framed the mind as an inarticulate babbler (child), I reasoned as an inarticulate babbler (child). When I became a man, I rendered ineffective the things of the inarticulate babbler (child), 1 Corinthians 13:11.

As children (born ones) of God, let us walk in the light (Ephesians 5:8). As sons, let us exercise our senses to know what is proper and what is wrong in our conduct (Hebrews 5:14) and live out […]