THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION

TEXT: ROMANS 8:8-15

INTRODUCTION: The concept of adoption is literally an idea of a person putting off an identity and putting on another.  Adoption means naming someone outside of the family as an heir. The adopted person would then take on a new name, join the new household and receive an inheritance. “The Spirit of adoption” is a reference to the Holy Spirit, which allows a person to see God as a loving Father and not as a slave owner (Rom. 8:15). I reckoned that the true definition of any living being is traceable to the kind of spirit that resides such being. The major essence of redemption is exchange of spirits in man. And because the spirit is the real definition of man, the bible calls a redeemed man “a new creature”.

THE TALE OF TWO PETERS

Literally speaking, there is only one person named Peter in the entire Bible, that is Simon Peter (Matt. 4:18). However, by the reason of exchange of spirit and the fruits produced by Peter before and after the arrival of the spirit of adoption on the day of Pentecost, we can say there were two Peters in the Bible. For the sake of this teaching, I’ll call one Peter the fisher of fishes and the other, Peter the fisher of men (Matt. 4:18-19, Acts 2:41). Let us compare the two peters:

1. Peter the fisher of fishes was a skilful fisher of fishes but lacked capacity to be fisher of men but the narrative was reversed when the spirit of adoption came upon him. It is good to be productive in your secular endeavours but if that is all you can do, you need the spirit of adoption.

2. Peter the fisher of fishes was an orator with meaningless and weightless words void of power while the fisher of men was a productive orator (Matt. 26:34, Luke 22:61-62, Acts 2:41)

3. The fisher of fishes lacked an enduring boldness (John 18:10-11, Mark 14:50) but the fisher of men was not only ready to die with Jesus, He actually did. Though the exact detail of peter was not recorded in the bible, but a Roman tradition recorded that he was martyred crucified upside down. That is how far the spirit of adoption can carry man.

4. The fisher of fishes was a man with occasional revelation (Matt. 15:16-17, 21-23) but at the arrival of the spirit of adoption on Pentecost, that experience changed.  

EVIDENCES OF THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION

1. God consciousness (2 Cor. 6:16, John 14:16-17)

2. Right thinking (Prov. 4:23, Phil. 4:8)

3. Accuracy and precision in decision making (Heb. 4:12)

4. High level of productivity (John 14:12)

5. Boldness (Acts 4:13)

6. Capacity to tolerate and accommodate others (Rom. 15:17)

CONCLUSION

The spirit of adoption is not just to speak in tongues or to see visions alone “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, father” (Rom. 8:15). He is given as the whole essence of God living in us by changing pour entire being in conformity with the original design of God that the adopted children of God may change and influence their world.

Pastor Solomon Atanda