So many aspects of our Christian life are already-but-not-yet. Free in Christ but not yet completely free from our sin nature. Justified (made right with God) but not yet fully sanctified (renewed in the likeness of Jesus). Loved but not yet lovely. Heaven-bound but not yet a citizen of the forever heavenly kingdom.
Adoption is the same. Those who believe in Jesus are adopted into the family of God but we do not yet live in our full adoptive privileges. In Romans 8 we see the already: “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption” (v15). And just eight verses later, the not yet: “We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8:23). We already received adoption but still we wait eagerly. Ah, those wonderful conundrums of our faith.
I was thinking about this the other day, as it relates to the hopeful adoption of our foster children. In so many ways, we live in the already with them. In the same way that we cannot be more God’s children than we already assuredly are, our wonderful children are just that: our children. They are included and loved and cared for. We consider them already our family, and live in the day-to-day as if that were true. And our wonderful extended family & friends warmly welcome them in the same way.
Yet there are the nagging not-yet aspects. Someday, they will gain our last name. We can travel wherever & whenever we wish. We’ll be free from the state constantly looking over our shoulder and done with case worker visits. Oh to one day share pictures of their beautiful faces! And someday, Lord willing, we will hold in our hands a piece of paper that makes it official. Our hearts yearn for the day all of this is true.
But from our point of view, in every other way except in the eyes of our state, these three are already ours. In the same way that God sees us, they cannot be more our children than they already are. We live in the in between–content and yet hopeful; trusting and yet eager. Even if they were to leave tomorrow, they would still be ours forever. This is Family. This is God-Ordained-Adoption.
Already ours but not quite yet.
