DIVINE ADOPTION AND THEOSIS

(An Easter reflection)

Please don’t get intimidated by the title.

These may be theological terms conveying deep religious meaning. However, this is not an exposition in
detail of these concepts (I’m as well unworthy of such task).

We can also explain them in a simpler manner:

They described our new life in Christ.

Let me share to you a little something about the pictures below:

That is our new dog, Dobby. She was a stray dog that I found at the church. At first sight, she resembled
the first picture (it wasn’t her, but she really looked the same as I saw her): furless, sickly thin, and very
dirty. She did kind of looked like that character in Harry Potter movies, hence, we begin calling her by
that name. She was an unlovely; a hopeless little mass of creature lying on a cold floor. But then, I pitied
this unsightly wretch and took her home with me. From then on, we treated her with care as our new
pet.

Now, look at the second picture, that is her now (3 months have passed). She really now looked like a
dog. The once pale and sickly is vibrant and healthy now.

She was restored.

At times, she would still, as I have observed, would drink from the “canal” or some puddle of muddy
water. She would still prefer to sleep on a dirty ground and would defiantly resist taking a bath. And
there are a lot of other things that needed to purge out of her behavior or to trained her to do the
opposite instead. Perhaps, these are the result of the force of habit she was so disposed to doing before.
But nevertheless, by training, she would eventually discard these behaviors. She will eventually know
that it is for her good that she should no longer do these things and she will eventually adapt to her new
life.

NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

Our story - we, Christians, disciples of Christ, - are somewhat alike. There was a time when we still didn’t
know Jesus yet, when we were still living a sinful life. We have lost our identity, our image; living below
our dignity as humans. We were once separated from God (For the wages of sin is death, Rom. 6:21).
We were unlovely and hopeless.

Then God found us. We didn’t seek Him at all. He instead, out of His love, sought each one of us.
He even went so far as to become like each one of us, putting on our weak flesh. And God, through
Christ died for our sins, taking away that which separate us from Him (John 3:16). He washed away our
filth and shame, and took care of us from then on. He treated us as His sons and daughters.

In short, He adopted us.

“He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 1:5

Indeed, not only did He restore our dignity as humans, but He bestows upon us a much better one:
being children of God.

“But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.” –
John 1:12.

When God declares us His children, its not just a pronouncement, or a title, it’s the truth in its core.

We are being transformed, divinized, partaking in the divine nature – “theosis”, just as St Peter said:

“Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them
you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants
of the divine nature.” – 2 Peter 1:4

But then, there is something that needs to be clarified.

Our new life in Christ doesn’t mean we wont sin anymore, we still have that battle to fight: to let God do
His work in our life until it is completed(and He will indeed complete it; Phil 1:6).

We will most probably still sin as traces of our former life still remains. We might still at times prefer to
drink polluted water rather than the living water (John 4:14, 7:38). There might also be times when we
still prefer our dirty self-pleasing niche rather than the vast grandeur of His kingdom.

God knows and understands this in each of us. If we know how to take good care of our pets, or even as
parents to children; if we are persevering and patient with them when they make mistakes; how much
more is our God who loves us that He even gave His life for us through Christ.

As long as we remain, we are always His beloved children.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39