Adopted
“But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name,
He gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12 (ESV)
A New Kind of Family
Every human being carries an ache to belong. It starts early—on playgrounds, in classrooms, in locker rooms. We all want to know that we’re wanted. But for many people, that sense of belonging has been fractured. We know what it feels like to be chosen last, left out, or told we’re not enough.
Into that ache, John 1:12 speaks a breathtaking truth: “To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
When we believe in Jesus, we are not merely forgiven of our past—we are welcomed into a family. God does not simply issue a pardon; He extends adoption papers. He doesn’t just say, “You’re free to go.” He says, “You’re free to come home.”
From Rejection to Reception
John’s Gospel begins by describing the great tragedy of human history: the Creator entered His creation, and His creation rejected Him. “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him” (John 1:11). Yet, in the next verse, the darkness of rejection gives way to the dawn of grace: “But to all who did receive Him…”
To “receive” Jesus is more than agreeing that He existed or admiring His teachings. It means welcoming Him into the center of your life—trusting His name, depending on His promises, surrendering your story to His authority. And when we do, something miraculous happens: the very God we once resisted becomes our Father.
That’s not sentimental language; it’s legal reality. In the ancient Roman world, adoption wasn’t a casual act. It was deliberate and binding. When a wealthy man adopted a son, that son gained full inheritance rights and carried the family name from that day forward. The father’s debts became the son’s privilege, and the son’s past was erased. The child’s new identity was permanent.
John uses that image to explain what grace does for us. We were once spiritual orphans—homeless, guilty, and alone—but now, through Jesus, we belong to a Father whose love is irrevocable.
Grace Opens the Door
Notice the wording again: “He gave the right to become children of God.” We didn’t earn that right; it was given. Grace is not something we work up—it’s something God pours down. It is His initiative, His invitation, His gift.
Ephesians 1:5 echoes this: “He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will.” God didn’t adopt us reluctantly or out of pity. He did it joyfully and purposefully. He wanted you in His family long before you wanted Him in your life.
That’s why grace feels so radical. Every other relationship in our lives is conditioned on performance. If you behave, you belong. If you achieve, you’re accepted. But God flips that script. He says, “You belong first, and from belonging will come becoming.”
Grace means your place in the family of God isn’t fragile. It’s not revoked when you fail, and it’s not renewed when you succeed. It’s anchored in His unchanging love.
The Security of Sonship
Romans 8:15 says, “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!’”
That word Abba is intimate—something like “Daddy.” It was the tender, everyday language of family life in the ancient world. Through the Holy Spirit, believers now cry out to God not as distant subjects but as beloved children.
Think about what that means for your everyday life. You don’t have to wonder if God is frustrated with you. You don’t have to tiptoe through your prayers, hoping not to disturb Him. You have access to the Father’s presence, provision, and protection because you are His child.
The Spirit of adoption testifies in our hearts that this relationship is secure. It’s not fragile like a glass ornament that might shatter when you sin. It’s as solid as the cross that sealed it. When Jesus died and rose again, He didn’t just pay your debt—He purchased your adoption. You are family, not by your record but by His.
The Inheritance of the Children of God
In Roman law, an adopted child could never be disowned. That’s why Paul writes in Romans 8:17, “If we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
Think of that: everything that belongs to Jesus is now shared with you. His righteousness becomes yours. His victory over sin becomes yours. His eternal life becomes your inheritance.
Most people spend their lives chasing what won’t last—titles, trophies, and temporary applause. But the child of God receives something far greater: an eternal inheritance that can’t be stolen or spoiled. Peter wrote, “You have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).
That’s the beauty of adoption by grace—it doesn’t just forgive your past; it secures your future.
The Belonging We Were Made For
Deep inside, every person is searching for belonging. That longing explains so much of our restlessness. We chase acceptance through relationships, careers, and approval. But all of it is temporary. The human heart is homesick for God.
When you come to Christ, that homesickness finally ends. You discover that the One who made you has been calling you home all along. The gospel doesn’t just save us from something—it saves us to Someone. It draws us into the loving embrace of a Father who delights in His children.
C. S. Lewis captured this mystery beautifully: “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”[1] Jesus didn’t just die to forgive your sins; He died to bring you home.
When that truth settles in your soul, it changes everything. You no longer live for acceptance—you live from it. You no longer wonder if you matter—you know that you do. Because if the Creator of the universe has chosen to call you His child, what could possibly make you more significant than that?
Living as God’s Children
So what does it look like to live as someone adopted by grace?
First, it means walking in confidence. Children who know they are loved don’t live in fear. You don’t have to impress your Father; you simply get to know Him. The confidence of sonship replaces the insecurity of striving.
Second, it means walking in gratitude. Every blessing becomes evidence of His generosity. Every challenge becomes an opportunity to trust His goodness. Gratitude keeps your heart anchored when the world shakes.
Third, it means walking in love. When you understand that God has adopted you, you begin to see others differently. The Church becomes your family—not a crowd of strangers but brothers and sisters who share the same grace. You forgive because you’ve been forgiven. You serve because you’ve been loved.
Finally, it means walking in purpose. God didn’t adopt you to sit on the sidelines. He brought you into His family so that you could carry His name and reflect His heart. As His child, you are an ambassador of His grace—called to show the same open-armed welcome that once met you at the door.
A Story of Grace
Imagine a little girl growing up in an orphanage. Every day, she watches new families arrive, hoping one might choose her. But the years pass, and no one comes. One afternoon, a kind man walks in. He kneels beside her and says, “I want you to be my daughter.” He signs the papers, brings her home, and gives her his name.
That’s what God has done for us in Christ. We were not rescued because we were lovable; we were loved, and therefore rescued.
Our adoption is not fragile. The Father doesn’t bring us home only to send us back when we stumble. His commitment is sealed by the blood of His Son. You are His—now and forever.
The Father’s Invitation
Maybe you’ve lived your life feeling like you’re on the outside looking in—never quite good enough, never sure where you fit. The message of John 1:12 is for you: “To all who received Him.” That means anyone, anywhere, anytime.
You don’t have to clean yourself up first. You don’t have to earn your spot at the table. You simply come to Jesus and receive the gift. The Father is ready to welcome you home.
[1] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: HarperOne, 2001), Book IV, Ch. 4.