“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.” Romans 8:15-16
Part of the power of sin is its power to tear down our self-esteem. Sin tells us that we’re a nobody. We don’t belong. We are alone and there’s no one to help us. The power of adoption is the power to stand against each one of those lies.
We are somebody to God … Jesus didn’t die for nobodies. The fact that the eternal, almighty, all-sufficient God loved you enough to die for you proves your worth. And beyond that, we are adopted as sons and daughters of the Most High. He didn’t save us and leave us out in the cold. He saved us and adopted us.
That makes us princes and princesses in the Kingdom of God – for Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Not only are we each somebody special, but we belong. That’s what a family – in its ideal – is all about. It’s a place of belonging. It’s a place to feel safe and secure, no matter what you’ve done, or how you’ve blown it, or what kind of a lousy day you’ve had. So when Satan tells you that you can’t go home again, throw the lie back in his face. You’re part of the family of God. You’ve got a Daddy who loves you and will never turn you away.
And finally, we are not alone. That is also what it means to be part of God’s family, adopted as his child. Not only are we somebody special, not only can we run home to God when the cares of the world burden us down, but, in fact, God goes with us out into that world. Your family members go with you. When you were a child, your mom or dad would take you everywhere you wanted to go. They were there to protect you, lead you, guide you, and provide for you. So it is with God: we are his children, and he’s never going to let us out of his sight.