Xavier Pacheco

Recently, a friend of mine shared the link of a blogger who had thoughts about God’s plan in regards to adoption. I have provided the link below. The blogger who refers to herself as Tonguu Momma commented on God’s role in adoption or rather in the orphan situation. She seemed to see adoption as a Plan B in God’s purpose.

First, let me say that I appreciate Tonggu Momma’s post, her heart for orphans and the thought she put into a very controversial subject. It is a very difficult subject to wrestle with. I would like to comment on her post.

Before I comment, I need to state the context from which I derive my opinions. Like Tonggu Momma I am a Christian and by that I mean that I affirm certain essentials of Evangelical Christianity. Furthermore, I hold to a Reformed position. An attribute of being Reformed is that I affirm that God is completely sovereign. Regarding God’s sovereignty, The Westminster Confession of Faith says,

“He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and has most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleases.” WCF 2.II

I am writing this from the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit VI and I just heard Al Mohler speak. There is something he said that I believe really speaks to this issue. I will summarize this in my own words. If we are motivated to adopt merely because of the need, we will grow weary and we will give up. Considering that with over 140 million orphans and that only a very small fraction of 1 (one) percent of them will be adopted per year we cannot possibly think that adoption has any real impact on the orphan crisis. Now, that is not to say that it does not have a significant impact at all. Of course it does! However, adoption does not really help with the greater orphan crisis – this is the wrong focus. Our focus and our purpose must be grounded in sound, biblical doctrine.

If our motivation to adopt is driven by the fact that it glorifies God, then we can see God’s sovereign hand in it. Adoption is a picture of our own adoption as sons and daughters of the Living God. Adoption is the Gospel embodied. Adoption is a picture of the Gospel and through it, God glorifies Himself. It is as Al Mohler says, our passion for adoption must be based not on the need, but on the God’s passion for the lost, the fatherless and for those who have no voice.

The truth of God’s sovereignty elevates the glorious truth that adoption was God’s intent. A few nights ago, my son Zachary and I were talking and he was telling me that he had been thinking about his existence (or non-existence) before he was conceived. He asked, “Was I just nothing?” Admittedly, he caught me off-guard and after a moment of thought I was grateful for the Holy Spirit’s help. I replied, “Zack, you were never ‘nothing’ to God. Before he even created time, He had already thought of you. He had already planned how and when he would create you, what you would look like and what your personality would be like. He even chose your parents.” What awestruck me was Zack’s response. He said, “Wow, and God even decided that I would have a brother born on another continent from different parents.” That is a sovereign God! That he can orchestrate every minute detail of His creation according to His redemptive purpose and for his glory is mind-boggling.

It is both cruel and theologically irresponsible to suggest that my adopted children were God’s solution to His previously failed plan. It is likewise irresponsible to suggest that our reason for adopting was solely to deal with the orphan crisis. So why do we as Christians adopt? Our primary reason is redemptive in the theological sense.

We Christians must function within the context of a fallen world. Our redemptive mission does not sanction that we kidnap or harvest orphans, manufacture or falsify documentation or anything along those lines in order to bring children into Godly homes. Furthermore, just as we must rest upon the sovereignty of God to help us understand why there are orphans, we must also rest in His sovereignty in the fact that there are orphans going to homes that reject God.

There is a reason that Christians start using terms like “Plan B” or “God allows” or “God stepped-back” to somehow present Him as a passive participant in the carrying out of events. It is because they want to avoid the truth that God is the originator of these horrible things, like earthquakes, poverty, hunger, the holocaust, etc.

The problem here is the failed understanding that there is not a thing or event that exists or happens for its own sake. All things exist and happen to magnify the greatness of Christ. God not only planned these things but also brought them about. Satan’s fall occurred, not because God couldn’t control Satan. On the contrary, God has a purpose for Satan’s fall just as He has a purpose for there being orphans in the world, earthquakes, disease and so on (Piper, Spectacular Sins). Yet God accomplished this without sinning himself. I am satisfied with that conclusion because the Bible is crystal clear about both of these truths.

We should not be flippant about such things. When we witness evil and hurt in the world, we should feel the sorrow and make ourselves available to help for that is kingdom work, it is redemptive. But also, we should contemplate the power and determination of God to do whatever is necessary to bring glory to Himself and to exalt his Son. It should cause us to tremble, for as Spurgeon teaches, “God's terrible voice often makes men tremble, and that is one proof of the working of his grace in their hearts, for they tremble before him, and flee unto him.”

Original post:

http://ourlittletongginator.blogspot.com/2010/04/god-and-adoption.html

Interesting session: Church-based Orphan Ministry: Global Orphan Care by Mike Douris of Orphan Outreach This session dealt with the larger matter of orphan care of which adoption is only a small part.

One of the things Mike talked about was how adoption fit into, or relates to orphan care in general. Considering that there were12,753 international adoptions in 2009 and that in 2008, there were 132 million orphans, it is clear that majority of orphans are not going to be adopted. Now, Mike was not in any way suggesting that churches should not focus on adoption – they should. Yet, he makes a good point that we need to be thinking about the orphan situation as a whole and considering what our role is within that context. I agree with his assessment.

That said, I think that it is important that we also consider that our role, our mission is not to solve the global orphan problem. Our role is to do our part in God’s redemptive program. To some, that may mean adopting a child. Others might be involved in a mission project. Still others might support orphans financially. What we do must be redemptive in nature and by that I mean that we are centered upon the Gospel. While adoption might not have a significant impact on the global orphan problem, it has a profound and life changing impact in individual lives - just a thought.

I’m still enjoying the conference very much.

What an amazing and powerful evening this was! I was deeply touched by Mary Beth’s testimony as she talked about all the events that transpired after the two years following the tragedy of losing their daughter, Maria. You can catch the gist of her talk on the Summit Blog.

After hearing from Mary Beth, Steven performed, he sang: What Now, Yours, Cinderella, When Love Takes You In, You Never Let Go, and Blessed Be Your Name.

While singing Yours, Steven paused to explain the last verse which he wrote after Maria’s death. it was about a month afterwards and he was struggling with whether or not he could sing the songs he wrote and really believe them. As he sang it, it was a powerful and affirming moment for everyone present.

I’ve walked the valley of death’s shadow
So deep and dark that I could barely breathe
I’ve had to let go of more than I could bear
And questioned everything that I believe
But still even here
in this great darkness
A comfort and hope come breaking through
As I can say in life or death
God we belong to you.   Steven Curtis Chapman

I am utterly grateful for the opportunity that God is giving to our church to be involved in the ministry of Orphan Care. The next two days I will be attending the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit VI with our Outreach Pastor, Kevin Allen. Our goal is to get information and learn from others in establishing this sort of ministry. So far the conference has been wonderful. The General Session was great! We heard from several speakers. Two I’ll mention are Doug Sauder from 4 Kids of South Florida and Tom Davis of HopeChest who gave some excellent talks. We worshipped with Peter Eide who told some touching stories through his music.

We attended our first session, Church-Based Orphan Ministry 101 - very insightful. I’ll be attending a session on church-based global orphan care and Kevin will be doing a session on church-based adoption ministry. There are so many sessions. We are focusing on those specific to church-based ministries.

 

 

Some key lessons learned so far: 

• Approach our community with patience and urgency.
• Don’t ‘get drunk in “whine”
• Our effort is the Gospel embodied
• If we are motivated by the need alone, we will run out of gas – the need it too great. We must be motivated by the Gospel and God’s purpose to care for individual lives.
• The American church is predominantly a church about personal development. We must change that.

More later, stay tuned.

I heartily applaud the Southern Baptist Convention’s enthusiastic support of Dr. Russell Moore’s proposed resolution promoting adoption and orphan care. Dr. Moore, who is the dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is also the author of the excellent book entitled, “Adopted for Life” which I highly recommend for not just families thinking about adopting, but pastors and church leaders as well. 

The wording and passion in the words of this resolution shows that the SBC “gets it” regarding the orphan crisis and the call of the church both theologically and practically. The complete text to this resolution is on Dr. Moore’s site here and also fully quoted in this post.

I pray that this is reflective of the growing movement, not just within the SBC but also with churches and local pastors world-wide who are finally recognizing God’s heart for the fatherless and the biblical mandate of the church to act (James 1:27).

RESOLUTION NO. 2 ON ADOPTION AND ORPHAN CARE - SBC 2009

WHEREAS, In the gospel we have received the “Spirit of adoption” whereby we are no longer spiritual orphans but are now beloved children of God and joint heirs with Christ (John 14:18; Romans 8:12-25; Galatians 3:27-4:9; Ephesians 1:5); and

WHEREAS, The God we now know as our Father reveals himself as a “father of the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5) who grants mercy to orphans (Deuteronomy 10:18; Hosea 14:3); and

WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus welcomes the little ones (Luke 18:15-17), pleads for the lives of the innocent (Psalm 72:12-14), and shows us that we will be held accountable for our response to “the least of these brothers of mine” (Matthew 25:40); and

WHEREAS, The Scripture defines “pure and undefiled religion” as “to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27); and

WHEREAS, The satanic powers and the ravages of sin have warred against infants and children from Pharaoh to Molech to Herod and, now, through the horrors of a divorce culture, an abortion industry, and the global plagues of disease, starvation, and warfare; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have articulated an unequivocal commitment to the sanctity of all human life, born and unborn; and

WHEREAS, Churches defined by the Great Commission must be concerned for the evangelism of children—including those who have no parents; and

WHEREAS, Upward of 150 million orphans now languish without families in orphanages, group homes, and placement systems in North America and around the world; and

WHEREAS, Our Father loves all of these children, and a great multitude of them will never otherwise hear the gospel of Jesus Christ; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, June 23-24, 2009, express our commitment to join our Father in seeking mercy for orphans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call on each Southern Baptist family to pray for guidance as to whether God is calling them to adopt or foster a child or children; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage our pastors and church leaders to preach and teach on God’s concern for orphans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend churches and ministries that are equipping families to provide financial and other resources to those called to adopt, through grants, matching funds, or loans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage local churches to champion the evangelism of and ministry to orphans around the world, and to seek out ways to energize Southern Baptists behind this mission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptist churches to join with other evangelical Christians in setting aside a special Sunday each year to focus upon our adoption in Christ and our common burden for the orphans of the world; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we pray what God is doing in creating an adoption culture in so many churches and families can point us to a gospel oneness that is determined not by “the flesh,” or race, or economics, or cultural sameness, but by the Spirit, unity, and peace in Christ Jesus; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we pray for an outpouring of God’s Spirit on Southern Baptist congregations so that our churches will proclaim and picture, in word and in deed, that “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.”

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27, ESV)