“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . .” –Romans 12:2 (NASB)
In his book, Adopted for Life, Russell Moore explains the Biblical principles of adoption and relates earthly adoption to our own adoption into the family of God.
One of the principles Moore highlights is how God is continually seeking to conform us (Christians) to the image of his Son, Jesus Christ. God, in his inexplicable grace and mercy, sought us when we were strangers to Him and brought us into his family through Jesus (Romans 5:8). We were orphans, without a heavenly father, yet God loved us and made us his children (I John 3:1). God cares for spiritual orphans. God loves spiritual orphans.
But God’s care and love also extends to earthly orphans (those parentless children we would call “orphans”). As Moore points out, God is an orphan protector. When God first delivered the law to the Israelites, he commanded that none of them should afflict any orphan lest they fall subject to God’s wrath and judgment (Exodus 22:22-24). And because God wants us to mirror Christ (God the Son), He wants us also to be orphan protectors. He wants us to love and care for orphans in the same manner He does. This is part of pure religion as the apostle James tells us (James 1:27).
Moore does an excellent job explaining how Christians can honor Christ by caring for orphans. Although Adopted for Life is primarily a call to consider whether the reader is being called by God to adopt, Moore recognizes that not all Christians have received this call and that they can care for orphans in other ways. For instance, Christians can become foster parents or contribute money to other families who are trying to adopt or pray for would-be adoptive parents.
Adopted for Life is clearly a God-inspired work. Because Moore describes adoption in terms of our own adoption as children of God, this book is a great read for any Christian—young or old, single or married, parents or those praying to be parents.
Photo by Melvin Schlubman.
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Article by Josh Milam
Josh Milam is a third-year law student at Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. He is currently working as a law clerk. Josh and his wife, Amy, are members of East Memorial Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon. Josh and Amy live in Prattville and are the parents of two sons, Jackson and Jacob.
