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Objection 1: It would seem that it is not fitting that God should
adopt sons. For, as jurists say, no one adopts anyone but a stranger
as his son. But no one is a stranger in relation to God, Who is the
Creator of all. Therefore it seems unfitting that God should adopt.
Objection 2: Further, adoption seems to have been introduced in
default of natural sonship. But in God there is natural sonship, as
set down in the FP, Question 27, Article 2. Therefore it is
unfitting that God should adopt.
Objection 3: Further, the purpose of adopting anyone is that he may
succeed, as heir, the person who adopts him. But it does not seem
possible for anyone to succeed God as heir, for He can never die.
Therefore it is unfitting that God should adopt.
On the contrary, It is written (Eph. 1:5) that "He hath
predestinated us unto the adoption of children of God." But the
predestination of God is not ineffectual. Therefore God does adopt
some as His sons.
I answer that, A man adopts someone as his son forasmuch as out of
goodness he admits him as heir to his estate. Now God is infinitely
good: for which reason He admits His creatures to a participation of
good things; especially rational creatures, who forasmuch as they are
made to the image of God, are capable of Divine beatitude. And this
consists in the enjoyment of God, by which also God Himself is happy
and rich in Himself---that is, in the enjoyment of Himself. Now
a man's inheritance is that which makes him rich. Wherefore,
inasmuch as God, of His goodness, admits men to the inheritance of
beatitude, He is said to adopt them. Moreover Divine exceeds human
adoption, forasmuch as God, by bestowing His grace, makes man whom
He adopts worthy to receive the heavenly inheritance; whereas man does
not make him worthy whom he adopts; but rather in adopting him he
chooses one who is already worthy.
Reply to Objection 1: Considered in his nature man is not a
stranger in respect to God, as to the natural gifts bestowed on him:
but he is as to the gifts of grace and glory; in regard to which he is
adopted.
Reply to Objection 2: Man works in order to supply his wants: not
so God, Who works in order to communicate to others the abundance of
His perfection. Wherefore, as by the work of creation the Divine
goodness is communicated to all creatures in a certain likeness, so by
the work of adoption the likeness of natural sonship is communicated to
men, according to Rm. 8:29: "Whom He foreknew . . . to be
made conformable to the image of His Son."
Reply to Objection 3: Spiritual goods can be possessed by many at
the same time; not so material goods. Wherefore none can receive a
material inheritance except the successor of a deceased person: whereas
all receive the spiritual inheritance at the same time in its entirety
without detriment to the ever-living Father.
Yet it might be said that God ceases to be, according as He is in us
by faith, so as to begin to be in us by vision, as a gloss says on
Rm. 8:17: "If sons, heirs also."
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