Adoption (theology)
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Adoption, in Christian theology, is the reception of a believer into the family of God. In the Reformed ordo salutis ("order of salvation"), adoption is usually regarded as a step immediately subsequent to justification. As a theological word, adoption has similar connotations to the act of parents who legally take responsibility for a child who was not originally born to them. There are three references in the New Testament to God "adopting" (Template:Langx) Christians as his own children (Galatians 4:5, Romans 8:15 and Ephesians 1:5) and one reference to God adopting the "people of Israel" (Romans 9:4). Adoption as a theological term introduces a relational dimension to the consequences of salvation.<ref>Philip Ryken, Salvation, BST (Leicester: IVP, 2001): 206.</ref>
Adoption as a theological concept is also another consequence of the 'legal' act of justification, alongside redemption and reconciliation.<ref>Ryken, Salvation, 207.</ref> The Old Testament precedent for this term comes from the story of Mephibosheth, who despite not being part of Davidic family was included in the Royal inheritance (2 Samuel 9:7-13).<ref>Ryken, Salvation, 213-214</ref> Adoption is an important feature of Reformation theology as demonstrated by article 12 of the Westminster Confession of Faith:<ref>'The Westminster Confession of Faith' Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics, http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/ Template:Webarchive Retrieved 15 June 2009.</ref> Template:Quotation