Bible Verses About Adoption – With History of Adoption

In the Bible, adoption is a special way God shows His love. It’s not just about families on Earth but also about God making everyone part of His big family. In the Old Testament, we see Moses, a baby adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, and God promising many kids to Abraham. In the New Testament, God adopts us as His children through Jesus.

In the Christian faith, adoption is super important because it’s like God saying, ‘You belong to Me!’ The Bible tells us that God loves orphans and wants us to love and care for them, too. When we believe in Jesus, it’s like being part of God’s forever family. Adoption shows how God’s love makes us all special and wanted, no matter where we come from.

Bible Verses About Being Adopted By God

Here is a list of Bible verses about being adopted by God:

1. Ephesians 1:5 (NIV): “He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”
2. Romans 8:15 (NIV): “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him, we cry, ‘Abba, Father.'”
3. John 1:12-13 (NIV): “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
4. Galatians 4:4-7 (NIV): “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”
5. Romans 8:23 (NIV): “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.”
6. 1 John 3:1-2 (NIV): “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”
7. 2 Corinthians 6:18 (NIV): “And, ‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'”

Bible Verses About Adoption Into The Family Of God

Here are some Bible verses about adoption into the family of God:

1. John 1:12 (NIV): “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
2. Galatians 3:26 (NIV): “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.”
3. Romans 8:14-17 (NIV): “For those who the Spirit of God leads are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not enslave you so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him, we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our Spirit that we are God’s children. Now, if we are children, we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ if indeed we share in his sufferings so that we may also share in his glory.”
4. Ephesians 1:5-6 (NIV): “He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, by his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
5. 1 John 3:1 (NIV): “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The world does not know us because it did not know him.”
6. Romans 8:15 (NIV): “The Spirit you received does not enslave you so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought your adoption to sonship. And by him, we cry, ‘Abba, Father.'”
7. Ephesians 2:19 (NIV): “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.”

Bible Verses About Adoption Of Adopted Kids and Orphans

Here are some Bible verses that touch upon the themes of adoption and caring for orphans:

1. James 1:27 (NIV): “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
2. Psalm 68:5-6 (NIV): “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families; he leads out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”
3. Deuteronomy 10:18 (NIV): “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”
4. Psalm 82:3 (NIV): “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.”
5. Isaiah 1:17 (NIV): “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the fatherless’s cause; plead the widow’s case.”
6. Matthew 18:5 (NIV): “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
7. Proverbs 31:8-9 (NIV): “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
8. Psalm 10:14 (NIV): “But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
9. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

What Psalm Is About Adoption?

One Psalm that expresses the idea of God’s intimate knowledge and care for individuals is Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV):

“For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.”

What Is Adoption In Romans 8 15?

In Romans 8:15, adoption is a metaphor to describe believers’ relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Here is Romans 8:15 (NIV):

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him, we cry, ‘Abba, Father.'”

In this verse:

1. “Spirit of sonship” refers to the Holy Spirit, whom believers receive upon accepting Jesus as their Savior. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of sonship, indicating that through the work of the Holy Spirit, believers are adopted into God’s family.
2. “Abba, Father”: The term “Abba” is an Aramaic word for “Father” but carries an intimate and affectionate connotation, similar to saying “Daddy” or “Papa.” This term emphasizes believers’ close, personal, and familial relationship with God.

What Is Galatians 3 26?

Galatians 3:26 (NIV) says:

“So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith.”

4 Adoption Stories In the Bible

1. Moses (Exodus 2): Pharaoh’s daughter found baby Moses in a basket in the Nile River. She adopted him as her own, and he grew up in the royal household. Moses later became a key figure in leading the Israelites out of slavery.
2. Esther (Book of Esther): Esther, an orphaned Jewish girl, was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. She became queen of Persia and played a crucial role in saving the Jewish people from a plot to destroy them.
3. Samuel (1 Samuel 1-2): Hannah, who struggled with infertility, prayed for a child. God answered her prayer, and she dedicated her son Samuel to God’s service. He was raised by the priest Eli and became a significant prophet and leader in Israel.
4. Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25): Although not a conventional adoption story, Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, took Jesus as his son, accepting the divine plan revealed to him in a dream. Joseph’s role in Jesus’ life reflects a form of adoptive fatherhood in the context of the Holy Family.

Conclusion

We encounter key verses such as Ephesians 1:5 and Romans 8:15, which unveil the narrative of our adoption into God’s family through faith. These scriptures beautifully illustrate the depths of God’s love and the sense of profound belonging He offers us. Let these truths be a wellspring of inspiration and encouragement throughout your faith journey. As you reflect on these verses, consider the transformative act of exploring adoption—both in the earthly and spiritual realms—a powerful way to extend and receive God’s love, expanding your family in ways you may never have imagined.