Adoption by God, needless to say, is a wonderful thing. Adoption means that we are are given the status as sons of God as as such we receive then inheritance of God. Relationally it means that we now have a many more brothers and sisters that humanly possible. It is this last point which I want dwell on and expand upon the side effects and offer an exhortation.
I got my inspiration for this from a sermon by Rev. Tim Keller on the parable of the Prodigal Son. However, I would like to use another reference for the basis of the following words. It comes from Acts 2:42 - 47."And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."
By adoption, we have gained brothers and sisters. That has an effect on our view of our community. No longer are we an "organization" but we are a "community" or a "family." That has three effects which should radically change the way that we live our lives. But most of all, it should change the way that outsiders, or non-Christians, view us. I think, in an honest moment, our communal lives are not much different then the way the world lives. But that should not be the case. As you can see from Acts, the community life was so radical and different that numbers were being affected and brought in daily. As a help, I offer these three points from Rev. Keller's sermon to help us move toward this transforming community.
First, Keller says that as brothers and sisters we have an undifferentiated unconditional commitment to each other. It is undifferentiated in that we have no choice in who our siblings are which is much like a human family. Likewise in our Christian family, we have no choice who our brother or sister is and in light of that, we should not be choosing who we want to fellowship with. There should be no networking for the purpose of self gain. Our relationships should be unconditional much like our relationship with our earthly siblings. We stick with them through thick and thin. We share a bond that transcends the bonds of friendship and flaws.
Second, as brothers and sisters we need to be transparent with each other. We need to be willing to be honest about our flaws, be honest about our sufferings, and to be held accountable. We need to be willing to call each other to task gently regarding our transgressions and to support each other in the process of sanctification.
Third, and this may be the hardest, we have a claim on each others resources. Financial resources should be made available in times of trouble and in times of gain. We should be able to bring our riches to a common fund for the common good. I am not making a case for socialism but rather, I am suggesting that we as a family ought to be able to take care of the poor, the widows, the down trodden among us without relying on a secular institution. And we should share without the intention of trying to reclaim that which we shared. Loans should be gifts. Possessions should not be seen as our own but as the Lord's and available to the person that needs it more than us. I have an example of this in my own life of a person who is has provided housing and resources to me and my family without asking for a dime and it has had a profound impact on my life. Who do you know that has done this for you? Who has acted as your brother or sister? Have you done that for someone else? In a very real way we can shock the world by returning to this lifestyle and living as a family.
In conclusion, as family, we need to grant others around us a life changing impact. Permanent changes are more likely to happen within a social context full of persons who support us and to whom we are accountable. But this context needs to be marked by a sacrificial love. A sacrificial love that gives up on our own privacy and lets our possessions be common possessions. A sacrificial love that makes incredible claims upon each other and makes the world pause and take note. A sacrificial love that is based upon the example of the Lamb, the Son of God, our Savior, Jesus Christ.