Every once in a while, I am asked, “What’s it like to be adopted?” I was two days old when my parents chose me to be their son. Being adopted is an amazing thing. I was taken from a situation that probably would not have turned out well and was given the opportunity to grow up in a loving Christian home. I became a member of a new family. I had a new identity, a new name, a new opportunity, and eventually a new inheritance. I was chosen!

Adoption into God’s family is all of that and infinitely more. Scripture is very clear—a Christian is a chosen child of God (Ephesians 1:4–5).

As adopted children, we enter into a new relationship with God. Though we were chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), we lived as an enemy of God up to the moment of our salvation (Ephesians 2:1–2). At our conversion, we were adopted into God’s family through Jesus Christ. We have a new identity—the sons and daughters of God. The eternal God is our Father (1 John 3:1–2).

But as in any family, this relationship goes both ways. Just as I took on my father’s name humanly speaking, we take on the name of God—we are His children, His heirs, and His ambassadors. Our Father wants us to protect His name through our thoughts, speech, and actions—we are responsible for His reputation (Romans 12:1–2).

As adopted children, we have a new opportunity. Since the Holy Spirit lives inside us, for the first time we can please God (Ephesians 2:10) and be holy (Hebrews 12:10). We have a new blessing and inheritance—we are joint heirs with Jesus, receiving His eternal riches (Romans 8:14–17, 23).

If you’re a Christian, the next time you begin to ask someone who was adopted what it’s like, reflect on your own adoption … as a child of the infinite Creator of the universe!