.adoption

Long before He laid down the earth's foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ (what pleasure He took in planning this!). He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved Son.              {Ephesians 1:4-6 The Message}

"When the [Roman] adoption was complete it was complete indeed. The person who had been adopted had all the rights of a legitimate son in his new family and completely lost all his rights in his old family. In the eyes of the law, he was a new person. So new was he that even all debts and obligations connected with his previous family were abolished as if they had never existed."          {William Barclay}

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away and the new has come.