J.I. Packer’s Knowing God is a book every Christian should read. It is one of those rare works that not only informs the mind but stirs the heart toward deeper devotion. One of its most important insights is the doctrine of adoption—a truth often overshadowed in discussions about salvation.
Packer argues that salvation cannot be rightly understood apart from adoption, for to be saved is not only to be forgiven but to be made a child of God.
He writes, “Do I, as a Christian, understand myself? Do I know my own real identity? My own real destiny? I am a child of God. God is my Father; heaven is my home; every day is one day nearer. My Savior is my brother; every Christian is my brother too.” This is the heart of Christian identity—sonship through Christ.
In the chapter Sons of God, Packer presents several questions to help believers reflect on the reality of their adoption:
- Do I understand my adoption? Do I value it? Do I daily remind myself of my privilege as a child of God?
- Have I sought full assurance of my adoption? Do I dwell on the love of God toward me?
- Do I treat God as my Father? Do I love, honor, and obey Him, seeking His fellowship and striving to please Him?
- Do I see Jesus as my brother? Do I recognize not only His divine authority but also His divine-human sympathy? Do I reflect on how well He understands me and how deeply He cares for me?
- Have I learned to hate what displeases my Father? Am I sensitive to sin, seeking to avoid what grieves Him?
- Do I long for the day when all of God’s children will gather before Him? Have I felt the thrill of this hope?
- Do I love my Christian brothers and sisters? Am I treating them in a way that I will not be ashamed of when I stand before Christ?
- Am I proud of my Father and His family? Do I treasure the grace that has brought me into His household?
- Does the family likeness appear in me? If not, why not?
Paul writes, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15, NASB). Adoption is not a cold legal status—it is the warm, intimate reality of being loved, known, and accepted by God Himself.
Packer rightly says, “The entire Christian life has to be understood in terms of adoption.” Without this truth, we miss the joy and security that belong to every believer.
Child of God, is this your understanding? It should be. It must be. Amen.
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