Knowing Your Identity in Christ: I am Adopted (Ephesians 1:5)

What does it mean to be adopted by God and how could it radically change your child’s sense of purpose and faith for life?

In this episode of 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents, host Christen Clark dives into the heart of Christian parenting as she explores our identity in Christ with a powerful focus on adoption from Ephesians 1. Christen shares inspiration and practical encouragement for raising Christian kids who are secure in their identity, explaining why faith at home isn’t just about beliefs, but about spiritual growth and legacy within your family life.

• [00:01:14] Understanding adoption in the Bible
• [00:03:27] How “belonging” shapes children’s faith, security, and discipleship

Resources:

• Instagram: @7minutedevotions, @christenclark
• Family Podcast: @collidekidspodcast

Transcript

Christen Clark [00:00:01]:

Welcome back to 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents. I'm Christen Clark. I'm a speaker, a ministry leader, a teacher, and I'm a very, very busy parent. So that's why we have this show together, because I know what it's like. I'm also the host of another podcast called the Collide Kids Podcast, which is a show for the whole family to enjoy together. So definitely go check that out. Earlier this week, we began a new season focusing on knowing our identity in Christ. And we're using the book of Ephesians as our guide.

Christen Clark [00:00:32]:

Started with the truth that we are chosen, that we are loved and called by God before the creation of the world. Well, today we're going to build on that foundation with the next identity marker we see in Ephesians chapter one. This one is deeply personal. It's deeply meaningful, and for some, it can be deeply emotional. Today's truth is I am adopted. Ephesians 1:5 says, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will. Okay, before we go any further, I want to acknowledge something important. There may be some of you listening who are actually a part of an adoptive family.

Christen Clark [00:01:14]:

Maybe you've been adopted or you've adopted a child, or maybe adoption is part of your family story in some way. And that is a beautiful thing. At the same time, we also need to understand that adoption often comes with loss and trauma. Being chosen and adopted does not erase the reality that there was a separation before. And Scripture never asks us to pretend that loss doesn't matter. But what's so powerful about God's adoption is that Scripture frames it differently in Ephesians. It tells us that we are predestined for adoption. In other words, God planned it this way.

Christen Clark [00:01:50]:

This wasn't a reaction. This wasn't a backup plan. This wasn't God responding to a mistake. The separation that we experienced wasn't from a family. We were separated from him because of sin and death. And through Jesus Christ, God didn't just rescue us, he claimed us. When we hear the word adoption today, we often think about rescuing a child who's in need, providing safety and love and belonging to a child who, who has experienced loss. And that matters.

Christen Clark [00:02:20]:

But in biblical times, adoption carried another layer of meaning. Biblical adoption was about legacy. It was all about inheritance. It was receiving a name and a future and a place in a family line. An adopted child wasn't treated as less than they were given the full status as an heir, just like a natural born child. Was inheritance wasn't something you waited for after death. It was something you lived from. Which means when Scripture says that we are adopted into God's family, it's not just saying that we belong.

Christen Clark [00:02:52]:

It's saying that we are invited into God's legacy. We are co heirs with Christ. We share in the kingdom. We are rich in the glorious things to come. It's like being written into the will of someone who is unimaginably wealthy when you weren't even part of the family to begin with. That truth to should produce deep gratitude and deep security in us. This truth matters so much for parenting as well, because we need to be raising kids who know they belong. When kids don't feel secure in where they belong, they live in fear.

Christen Clark [00:03:27]:

Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of being pushed out. But when a child knows they are adopted into God's family, they learn something powerful. They learn that belonging is not fragile. As parents, we reflect God's heart when we create homes where belonging is not threatened by behavior. That doesn't mean there's not boundaries. It doesn't mean there's no discipline. It means that our children learn this truth, that you don't lose your place here. When we parent from this truth of adoption, from this identity of adoption, we're not just correcting behavior, we're forming identity.

Christen Clark [00:04:04]:

We are reminding our kids that they are part of a story bigger than themselves, a legacy that is rooted in Christ. Well, before we pray, we're going to practice our identity rhythm, something that we're going to do each episode in this season. Repetition is really what helps shape what we believe for us and for our kids. So, so each week we're gonna go over these three short statements together. Who we are in Christ, why it's true, and how we live from it. Now, you can repeat this with your kids at home. You can say it out loud in the car or just bring this up again on hard days when everyone needs a good reminder. So let's practice it together.

Christen Clark [00:04:55]:

The identity statement for today is, I am adopted. I am adopted because God planned for me to belong to his family. So through Jesus, how can I live this out because I am adopted? I live with gratitude and security, knowing I belong and share in God's kingdom. If you have kids nearby, say this together with them. And if not, speak it over yourself because this is true for you too. Let's say it again together, I am adopted. Let's pray. God, thank you that you have brought us into your family, that we were not a mistake, that we were not something that you didn't know was gonna happen.

Christen Clark [00:05:36]:

We were planned. And you planned for us to be a part of your family. Thank you so much. That through Jesus we are heirs, we are part of the legacy of your kingdom, and we are recipients of eternal life. Help us to live from this in gratitude and to not be fearful and help us to parent that way as well, knowing that you are with us and that we are a part of the family of God. We love you so much and we thank you for this incredible truth. In Jesus name. Amen.

Christen Clark [00:06:05]:

Well, next time we're going to continue this foundation of identity as we keep moving through Ephesians together. So until next time, remember who you are and who you belong to.