Last week, I discussed spiritual adoption.

This past summer, our theme at Whispering Pines Bible Camp was also Adoption, based around Romans 8:15: “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” (NIV)

We had the pleasure of explaining this great biblical truth to 123 campers. Many of them had already received the Spirit of adoption, but some had not. Through this passage and the evangelism efforts of our staff, God adopted 20 children and teenagers this summer. 20 campers accepted Jesus Christ.

One young girl sticks out in my mind. Her parents are separated and neither of them Believers. Her grandmother was actually the one that registered her for camp. One evening, this young girl was so impacted by this message of spiritual adoption, that she gave her life to Jesus. This in itself is amazing.

The next morning, it got better.

This girl was ready to celebrate her adoption. After breakfast, in front of the entire camp, this 11-year-old girl ran on the stage and yelled, “I’m a daughter of the King!” At first, I thought it was attention-seeking. Then I needed to give my head a shake. Who am I to judge her thoughts and feelings? At 11 years old, this girl gets it!

She completely understands that she is no longer a slave in fear, as we read in Rom. 8:15. No, she is now a princess of our Heavenly Father. She understands that from that moment forward, by the power of the Holy Spirit, she can cry out, “Abba (Daddy), Father” at any time, anywhere, for any reason, for the rest of her life. She has the security, hope, and legacy of being a child of God.

I needed to celebrate my adoption.

In church, we hear words like adoption, salvation and redemption quite frequently. So much so, that we tend to forget how important these words really are. We neglect the concentration on the meaning behind these words and how significant they are to our eternity. These words and the doctrine they carry should be celebrated every day of our lives.

Have you celebrated your adoption? If you have given your life to Jesus Christ, you have received the Holy Spirit and you are adopted. You have eternal security, eternal hope, and the greatest eternal legacy that could ever be imagined.

Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts

How has a child impacted your thoughts of eternity?