Chosen in Christ before the creation of the world…

In February 2002, Susan and I went to Ukraine in the former Soviet Union to adopt three siblings from an orphanage. For almost a year we were in the process of adopting our Ukrainian children. Obviously, we believed the reason God asked us to adopt was so that these three children would have an entirely different kind of life than they would have had otherwise. But I am fully convinced that another reason God asked us to adopt these children was because he wanted to teach us some things I didn’t learn in seminary.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:3-14
 
I used to read this passage and say, “Yes, God’s grace is majestic. God’s grace is awesome. God’s grace is wonderful.” As I read this passage now, I feel loved in a way I didn’t feel his love prior to adopting my children.
 
Feelings are not the most important thing, but I know I have the capacity to understand things intellectually that don’t seem to get much farther than my cerebral cortex. I guess it’s called “thickheaded.” The concept lands up there and I respond internally, “Ah yes, this is true. Isn’t it grand? How happy I am to know these things. I am blessed.”

I knew God loved me. I grew up singing, “Jesus loves me; this I know for the Bible tells me so.” I know he loves me, but he has given me precious insight into the depth of that love through the adoption of my own children.
 
First, God taught me through giving me biological children, because I loved them in a way that taught me a little bit of God’s love for me. I would give my life for my biological sons, but I wouldn’t want to give up one of my sons for someone else. My love for them made me realize how much it meant for God to send his only begotten son on my behalf. Yet Jesus was begotten, not adopted. I didn’t feel like I really belonged in God’s family, because, after all, I was adopted.
 
Jesus was the only begotten of the Father. I had been adopted into the family and that was really nice. I was really grateful that I would get to go to heaven, but I didn’t really belong, because I was adopted.
 
God said, “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’m going to give you the chance to adopt. You’re going to find out how much you love your adopted children.”   
 I love my children from Ukraine. I couldn’t wait to have them home. I loved them before they ever knew about us, when they didn’t know we existed, when they had no clue who we were or that we cared about them. I loved them. I wanted them to be with me. I wanted to bring them into my home and say, “This is your home now. This is your family.”

I realized with astonishment, “This is the way God feels about me. I’m not a beggar at the door saying, ‘Please, can I come in?’”

God is the one who knocks at our door and says, “I love you. If you will open the door, I will come in and will dine with you. I want you to know me. I want you to trust me.”

As I have loved these children through the whole adoption process, I have experienced God’s love for me. I understand on a deeper level than I did before how amazing God’s grace really is. These kids had no clue what they were in for.

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