Adopted!! Romans 7-8

Romans 8:15-16 (ESV)

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

The above lines, taken from the middle of a paragraph  give us the marvelous truth about how we became a child of God.   Now, no child gets to choose their parents.   But those children who are born out of love and goodwill, to a loving set of parents, can have a wonderful and celebrated life.   But a child born and abandoned, does not have such a true experience.   They are forever scared and only hope for celebration.  But when the day of their adoption arrives, they are now positioned for a completely different life.    This is our status as believers.  We were abandoned by sin and lost in sin and controlled by sin.  And then God adopted us.   Before we had no father.  Now we can cry out, Abba Father!  Now, He knows us by name:

John 10:14 (ESV)

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

(2 Tim. 2:19), 

He knows us by name!!  We are listed as VIPs in His contact list!!