Skip to content
The Historic Faith
Sign in

Jumpstarter 8 of 10

Ideas to help restart your discussion
Intimacy with God  /  Chapter 6: To know God is to become like Him  /  Discussion Questions
All Questions
Question 8
The chapter says God “adopts the person who pleases Him and who is quick to serve Him,” and that even if such a person is “only one in number, he’s honored equally with the rest of the church”; how does linking adoption language with “pleasing” and “quick to serve” confront common evangelical ways of talking about adoption, acceptance, and equality in the body?
Another way to ask: How does saying God “adopts” those who please Him and are quick to serve challenge common evangelical talk about adoption and acceptance? How does it also fit with the idea that every believer is equal in the church?

Direct Answer Based on the transcript, adoption is connected to a life that pleases God and serves quickly, and equality in the church is tied to being a true part of the body—not to prominence—challenging any “acceptance” language that ignores obedience.

Support from Transcript:

  • Adoption is conditional in wording: God “adopts the person who pleases with Him and who is quick to serve Him.”
  • Yet honor is not about numbers or rank: even if “only one in number, he’s honored equally with the rest of the church.”
  • The reason is body-unity: “since he is a part of the church, he makes the body of Christ complete.”
  • The chapter elsewhere defines intimacy as imitation and righteousness, reinforcing that acceptance and likeness belong together.
Discussion Follow-ups How do we talk about being God’s children in a way that includes the transcript’s emphasis on pleasing God? What does it mean to honor a quiet servant “equally” in a culture that celebrates visibility?

Jumpstarter 8 of 10
Back Questions Next