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whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until the present time. And not
only so, but ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the Spirit, we ourselves also groan
within ourselves, awaiting adoption, the redemption of our body" (Rom. 8: 19-23).
Here again in direct contrast to bondage is placed adoption. The bondage of
corruption is to give place to the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Creation is
earnestly awaiting something. In the first case it is "the unveiling of the sons of God," in
the second it is "the adoption." Again it will be observed that creation is not awaiting the
birth of the sons of God, but their manifestation; it is not awaiting mere freedom, but the
freedom connected with the glory of the children of God. Our glory is yet future; our
unveiling or revelation as sons is future also. The salvation of this passage is something
yet future, "for we are saved by hope." These Roman believers were already saved, yet a
salvation was ahead of them. They were already free (6:, 7:), yet freedom was ahead of
them; they were already children, yet adoption was ahead of them, "to wit, the
redemption of our body." The day of the public manifestation of God's children is
future; in resurrection they will enter into the freedom of the glory, they will be delivered
from the bondage of corruption. The precious lesson is enforced as we consider these
two passages together. We are not yet in actual resurrection--we await that. We are
earnestly awaiting adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. The pledge of our future
resurrection is given us here:--
"But if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He that
rasied up Christ Jesus from the dead shall make alive also your mortal bodies through His
Spirit that dwelleth in you. . . . ye received a spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father."
The future adoption is linked to the present time by the "spirit of adoption." We are,
in spirit, already free, already raised from the dead. We await its actual and literal
fulfilment. Passing the reference to Israel's national privilege in Rom. 9: 4, we turn to
Gal. 4: 1-5 which is so helpful in the consideration of this subject:--
"Now I say, for as long a time as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a slave,
lord of all though he be, but is under guardians and stewards until the period
predetermined by the father. So we also, when we were children, were enslaved under
the rudiments of the world. But when the fulness of time came, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem those under law, that we
might receive the adoption of sons."
Here, again, we find the contrast between bondage and freedom, bondage and
adoption. This passage clearly shows that adoption touches the question of a time
appointed by the Father, when the child who is an heir shall come into his inheritance. It
is the revelation of the sonship, the freedom of it, and the glory of it. Roughly speaking,
our English "coming of age" is a good illustration of the meaning of the word translated
"adoption." We have received that spirit now. We shall attain unto our majority and our
inheritance at resurrection. We return to Ephesians, and read again the special blessing as
recorded there:--
"Having in love previously marked us out for adoption (placing us manifestly as sons,
as heirs who are no longer children under tutors and governors) through Jesus Christ unto
Himself" (1: 5).