Adoption

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

There are two adoptions for the believer. The first one is the adoption of sons when the Lord sends the Holy Spirit into the believer (Gal. 4:1-8, Rom. 8:14-19). When you get saved you are given the "Spirit of adoption" and are a son of God rather than a child of the devil, disobedience, and wrath (Eph. 2:1-5, John 8:44). Until you "received the Spirit of adoption" you were not "known of God" (Gal. 4:9, Rom. 8:15)

The second adoption is the "manifestation of the sons of God" (Rom. 8:19). This adoption is defined as "the redemption of our body" (Rom. 8:23, Eph 1:13-14, Eph. 4:30). Christ bought and paid for our soul, spirit, and BODY (1 Cor, 6:15-20). But the body is not saved when our spirit and soul get saved, it is "saved" by the "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13, Rom. 8:23-24, 2 Tim. 2:10), or "redeemed" (Eph. 1:13-14, Eph. 4:30). This adoption, the manifestation of sons, is something that all believers have been predestinated to experience from the moment they got in Christ (Eph. 1:5). That is the PRE-DETERMINED DESTINY of all believers.

Romans 8:29-30 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

We get conformed to the image of Christ as the rapture when our "vile body" is fashioned like unto the glorious body of Christ (1 Cor. 15:51-58, 1 Thes. 4:13-18, Phil. 3:20-21). The foreknowledge of God mentioned in Romans 8:29 is obviously a reference to God foreknowing the rapture/glorification of the saints at the rapture, that is the 2nd adoption. It cannot be a reference to the first adoption, the salvation of a sinner, because God did not know a person before they got saved according to Galatians 4:9.

Galatians 4:7-9 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

 

--Eli Caldwell