Brothers and sisters, today I want to talk about something that’s been a struggle for the church for a long time—something called “Adoptionism.” Now, I know that’s a big word, but the idea is pretty simple. It’s about who’s at the center of our faith—us, or God.
You see, just like there were folks in the early church who wanted to make Jesus just a spirit (that’s called Docetism), there were also those who wanted to make Jesus just a really good man who became God’s Son because He was so good. That’s Adoptionism. And it’s a way of thinking that puts us, not God, at the center.
Let’s go back to the beginning. Remember the serpent in the Garden of Eden? He told Adam and Eve, “You will be like gods.” That’s the root of all our trouble—the desire to put ourselves in God’s place. St. Augustine said Adam and Eve wouldn’t have fallen for that temptation if they weren’t already starting to look to themselves for satisfaction, instead of to God. When we try to be more than we are, we end up less than we could be.
Pride is the root of disobedience. Wanting to be like God is at the root of every sin. When we steal, we’re trying to make a world where what belongs to someone else is ours. When we hate, we’re trying to make a world where our enemy doesn’t exist. All sin comes from this self-centeredness—wanting to be our own gods.
This isn’t just about personal choices; it affects how we hear and live out the gospel. Adoptionism fits right into that self-centeredness. It says Jesus is just an example for us to follow, not our Savior who changes us from the inside out. We can put on the “clothes” of being a good person, but if we don’t let Jesus change our hearts, we’re just covering up the same old self.
Baptism isn’t just about following Jesus’ example—it’s about dying to ourselves and letting Jesus become the new center of our lives. That’s when real change starts.
But just like some folks in the early church didn’t want to accept Jesus as truly God, Adoptionists don’t want to give up being the center. They say, “If I just do enough good things, I’ll be right with God.” They quote verses about righteousness and doing good, but they miss the point. Jesus didn’t come just to show us how to live; He came to give us new life.
When Jesus was baptized and God said, “This is my beloved Son,” some say that’s when Jesus became divine. But that’s not what the Bible teaches. Jesus is the new Adam, not just a new Moses. He didn’t come just to give us more rules, but to fulfill them for us, because we never could on our own.
The Bible says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God loved us first. We don’t earn His love; we receive it as a gift.
Adoptionists believe the law can save us, but Paul says the law shows us our sin—it can’t free us from it. The law points out the dirt, but it can’t clean us up. Only Jesus can do that. God isn’t just too pure to look at sin; He comes into our lives to clean us up and make us new.
Some folks try to make the Christian life sound easier by lowering the bar—like saying the “eye of the needle” was just a small gate in Jerusalem that a camel could squeeze through with enough effort. But Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” We can’t save ourselves by trying harder. We need grace.
Adoptionism makes faith a heavy burden, but Jesus says, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” That’s only true if we let Him carry us, not if we try to do it all ourselves.
In the early church, there were people like Theodotus and Paul of Samosata who taught that Jesus was just a really good man who became special because He tried hard enough. They wanted to keep the law at the center and make Jesus just an example. But the gospel says Jesus is our Savior, not just our example.
All through history, people have tried to twist the gospel one way or another—either by making it an escape from real life (like Docetism) or by making it all about our own effort (like Adoptionism). But the truth is, Jesus came that we might have life, and have it abundantly. Real joy comes when we give up being the center and let Jesus take His rightful place.
There’s a song that says, “Give me your unconditional love, the kind of love I deserve.” But friends, the love God gives isn’t what we deserve—it’s a gift. When we think we’ve earned it, we lose our gratitude and our joy. But when we know it’s a gift, we’re filled with thankfulness and love.
Heresies like Adoptionism burn themselves out eventually, because they can’t give real life or change. But the true gospel brings life, joy, and peace. Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
Let’s remember what Melito, an early church leader, said: Jesus is the one who was promised from the beginning, who suffered for us, died for us, and rose again. He’s not just our example—He’s our Savior, our Lord, the one who makes all things new.
Let’s not settle for a gospel that puts us at the center. Let’s let Jesus be the center, and find in Him the life, love, and peace we can’t find anywhere else.
Amen.
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