Stibbe’s main contention is that the doctrine of adoption is the “lost coin” of the Christian church, which has been overshadowed since the Reformation by the emphasis on justification by faith. This can leave believers crippled because while they are assured of their forgiveness and right standing with God, they lack the “highest blessing” of salvation, the assurance of their status as beloved sons and daughters with a loving and intimate relationship to their Father.

Stibbe asserts that a recovery of the doctrine of adoption is crucial to free believers from an unhealthy fear of God resulting in guilt, a Master/slave relationship, performance anxiety, striving, need for acceptance by others, and legalism. Understanding our position as chosen and beloved adoptees will release us into security, affirmation, and acceptance. Our relationship with God will be based on grace, not law; and confidence, not fear. Stibbe exposes the unhealthy patterns a lack of this experience causes in our lives, and the freedom that results from knowing we are loved by God.

I really appreciated Stibbe’s emphasis on the need of both word and Spirit in our experience of adoption. On the one hand he stresses the need for a personal experience of the Spirit to assure Christians of their sonship. He asserts that this doctrine has always been recovered during periods of revival under such men as Wesley, Spurgeon, and Edwards, when there has been greater experience of the “loving Spirit of adoption”. Its loss in much of the church has been due to a cold theology which emphasizes the head rather than the heart and distrusts experiences of the Spirit’s power. Stibbe fully accepts some of the well-known recent moves of the Spirit, though not uncritically. He praises them as the blessing of God pouring out his affirming love and freeing people from legalism and fear, while at the same time cautioning against an over-emphasis on manifestations at the expense of the Spirit’s internal testimony.

As well, Stibbe emphasizes the need for the word to objectively verify the inward testimony of the Spirit. He likens it to a legal “adoption document”, to which we can turn to solidly confirm the validity of our experience of adoption. This was a comparison which I found extremely helpful, and is the best way of describing the relationship between word and Spirit I’ve ever heard. I also appreciated the fact that he unapologetically defends the doctrine of predestination. It adds so much to the wonder of adoption to know that God chose you personally and loved you specifically when he included you in his family.

Throughout the book Stibbe uses careful, solid scholarship which is based on the Scriptures and on the Trinity (he devotes a chapter each to the Father, Son, and Spirit’s roles in adoption). I especially appreciated his explanation of Jesus’ brotherhood with us and his status as unique Son of the Father.

The book wouldn’t be what it is without Stibbe’s personal experience of being adopted. This provides a rich source of illustration to enhance his explanations. He also uses many well-chosen anecdotes and quotes from other sources.

In sum: this is an excellent book on a desperately needed topic. I believe it will help many to make the transition from fear and slavery to freedom. I especially appreciate the fact that the emphasis is both word and Spirit, scriptures and the power of God, doctrine and the believer’s experience. Stibbe wonderfully balances these throughout the whole book to produce a classic which is not empty academia, but which is faithful to the Scriptures while embracing the power of the Spirit. I would highly recommend it as within the top ten Christian books I have ever read, maybe the top five.

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