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A Hope Deferred: Adoption and the Fatherhood of God
We use the word adoption very casually today- we speak of adopting pets, books, and highways. Yet the word has a far nobler significance. Adoption is the permanent placement of a child in a family with all its rights and privileges. God has forever placed us in his family. He has forever made us his children. He has forever changed our legal status. He has forever granted us an inheritance. He has forever lavished his love upon us. A Hope Deferred probes the depths of this wonderful reality by unfolding the six blessings of adoption as found in Romans 8. It intertwines these blessings with an account of one family's journey to international adoption- a journey encompassing twenty years, four continents, and countless joys and sorrows. The result is a valuable glimpse into the essential relationship between adoption, affliction, and the fatherhood of God over his people.
153 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
About the author
J. Stephen Yuille
35 books13 followersJ. Stephen Yuille is preaching-teaching pastor of Grace Community Church in Glen Rose, Texas. He is also the director of Baptist studies at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas, and the author of Living Blessedly Forever: The Sermon on the Mount and the Puritan Piety of William Perkins.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 29, 2019
Um livro que relembra os cristãos das bênçãos que acompanham a adoção em Jesus Cristo. Alternando os capítulos entre a história de sua família e lições sobre a paternidade de Deus, Yuille expõe de maneira simples diversos conceitos teológicos que respondem às dúvidas de todo cristão: sofrimento, oração, espera, frustrações, fé, entre outros. Uma excelente exposição de Romanos 8 e, ainda mais, recheada de citações dos puritanos (esplêndido!).
"E, se nós somos filhos, somos logo herdeiros também, herdeiros de Deus, e co-herdeiros de Cristo: se é certo que com ele padecemos, para que também com ele sejamos glorificados" (Romanos 8:17).
"E, se nós somos filhos, somos logo herdeiros também, herdeiros de Deus, e co-herdeiros de Cristo: se é certo que com ele padecemos, para que também com ele sejamos glorificados" (Romanos 8:17).
October 16, 2013
A Hope Deferred is a book about theology told through the story of real life. It’s a trend I’ve seen increase over the last five years in theology books for the average Christian and it’s a positive trend in the way we teach theology.
It’s a book about the Yuille’s adoption and infertility but it’s much more. Yuille from the start assures the reader that his story of adoption is a backdrop to much larger truths about God. “The main theme of this book is God, and its lessons extend well beyond infertility and adoption to affliction in general” (12). Yuille alternates short memoir chapters with chapters filled with robust exposition of Romans 8.
Tweet This: “We don’t receive anything from God apart from union with Christ” http://goo.gl/FPp0IX @Shepblog @CF_Reviews
Yuille works within Romans 8 sticking close to the text. Everything he says flows out of this chapter and Paul’s theology of adoption and more directly from our union in Christ (“We don’t receive anything from God apart from union with Christ” 19). These are the winds beating against our hearts in this book.
One of my favorite chapters contained exposition of Romans 8:26-27 in connection with Christ’s prayer for our unity in John 12. He compares and contrasts the essential unity in the Trinity, the hypostatic union in the person of Jesus Christ, and the mystical union between Christians and Jesus Christ. He highlights that the essential unity within the Godhead functions as a pattern for our mystical union with Jesus. That’s encouraging and assuring. That’s objective. What’s in Christ can never be dissolved anymore than God himself could be separated
See Also: Russell Moore’s Adopted for Life (buy) and Dan Cruver’s Reclaiming Adoption (buy)
If you’re looking for a book that deals with suffering and hardship from the theology perspective, A Hope Deferred fits the bill. It tackles a tough topic from one the richest chapters on adoption and our union with Christ in the New Testament. It’s conversational with a slight bent towards those conversant with theology.
It’s a book about the Yuille’s adoption and infertility but it’s much more. Yuille from the start assures the reader that his story of adoption is a backdrop to much larger truths about God. “The main theme of this book is God, and its lessons extend well beyond infertility and adoption to affliction in general” (12). Yuille alternates short memoir chapters with chapters filled with robust exposition of Romans 8.
Tweet This: “We don’t receive anything from God apart from union with Christ” http://goo.gl/FPp0IX @Shepblog @CF_Reviews
Yuille works within Romans 8 sticking close to the text. Everything he says flows out of this chapter and Paul’s theology of adoption and more directly from our union in Christ (“We don’t receive anything from God apart from union with Christ” 19). These are the winds beating against our hearts in this book.
One of my favorite chapters contained exposition of Romans 8:26-27 in connection with Christ’s prayer for our unity in John 12. He compares and contrasts the essential unity in the Trinity, the hypostatic union in the person of Jesus Christ, and the mystical union between Christians and Jesus Christ. He highlights that the essential unity within the Godhead functions as a pattern for our mystical union with Jesus. That’s encouraging and assuring. That’s objective. What’s in Christ can never be dissolved anymore than God himself could be separated
See Also: Russell Moore’s Adopted for Life (buy) and Dan Cruver’s Reclaiming Adoption (buy)
If you’re looking for a book that deals with suffering and hardship from the theology perspective, A Hope Deferred fits the bill. It tackles a tough topic from one the richest chapters on adoption and our union with Christ in the New Testament. It’s conversational with a slight bent towards those conversant with theology.
October 2, 2013
Being the parents of an adopted child, I was rather anxious to read A Hope Deferred: Adoption and the Fatherhood of God by J. Stephen Yuille. The very idea of adoption, both in the case of adopting a child into your family and what that means as a father combined with the biblical concept of adoption, are two subjects near and dear to my heart. Many books address one or the other of these two concepts individually, but very few seem to focus on addressing both in the manner Yuille does, namely using his own experience with adoption as an interactive element for explaining the wonderful idea of God adopting us as His children.
Yuille masterfully moves back and forth in each successive chapter discussing the biblical doctrine of adoption in the odd number chapters while relaying the battle with infertility he and his wife experienced as well as their journey towards adoption a child of their own. Such an approach bring the theological down to the practical level, providing the reader with a true down to earth, personal experience of what adoption looks like in the natural thus serving to help the reader better understand what it means to be an adopted child of God.
This book has really caused me to reflect even more on that it must be like for our adopted daughter to have obtained a new family, a new identity, and quite frankly, a new lease on life. Being adopted into a new family, one that cherishes her, loves her, and will provide the care and guidance that was missing from her birthparents thus leading to her being placed into the foster system to be adopted, essentially provides our daughter the opportunity to begin life anew. Yuille takes that reality and demonstrates how as believers, we too are able to walk in newness of life. That phrase “newness of life” is often used when people are baptized, but arguably, for many the reality of what that means might escape them. Understanding what being adopted is all about truly places an entirely new frame of reference on the idea of a new beginning. As noted by Yuille, “At the cross, God treated Christ as if he had lived our lives; now, God treats us as if we had lived Christ’s life. In his Beloved Son, God radically alters our legal status. We’re no longer enslaved but redeemed. We’re no longer estranged but reconciled. We’re no longer condemned but justified. We’re no longer alienated but adopted.”
Being part of a new family, specifically the family of God and a child of God, means we should in turn desire to do that which makes our Father in heaven happy. Since we have been adopted from darkness into His marvelous light, that reality should spur within the believer what Yuille describes as a “new inclination.” Our Father has expectations for His children, namely that all they do should bring glory to His name. This is a very important point that Yuille rightly discusses. Given the Holy Spirit lives inside us renewing our minds and hearts to more and more each day focus on the things of our Father, we should have a desire to please the Father. This goes back to the idea of what it means to be adopted. When one is adopted, they take on a new name, a new identity. A common statement made when a child does something which is displeasing to the parents is “you have brought shame to the family name.” Since we know that sin displeases God, we should also realize it shames His name. Yuille aptly reminds the reader that “the Holy Spirit effects a real change in those adopted into God’s family. To put it another way, the change in our legal status leads to a change in our behavior. At its most basic level, this change consists of renewed affections.”
I also appreciated the manner in which Yuille repeatedly weaved in to his discussion of adoption the reality that we are no longer slaves to sin. This idea of being liberated from bondage to sin is something the Apostle Paul repeatedly outlines in his epistles and rightly so. Far too many believers perceive salvation as their ticket to the pearly gates, not fully grasping what it means to be adopted by God and set free or redeemed from the chains of sin. Thus, with a limited understanding of adoption comes a limited understanding of what it means to be a child of God, what it means to please our Father, and quite frankly, why we should even care about such things. Perhaps many just do not grasp the enormity of what it means for Christ to have given his life on the cross so that through that sacrifice, we might be redeemed from darkness to light, essentially being given a new lease on life.
From my experience with our adopted child, it takes some time for children to fully grasp the wonderful gift they have been given. There is great expectation that builds up with both the child and the prospective adoptive parents as the day draws near when they will become a new family, the forever family the child has been longing for. With that said, given the tragedy of broken promises and past trauma, many adopted children await the day when everything will fall apart. I think this same approach can be found in the hearts and minds of many believers. They understand in part that God loves them and that Christ sacrificed his life on their behalf. The beauty of those two elements, however, is often overwhelmed by past regret and experiences when people failed them. Yuille rightly declares
“Love left a glorious crown. Love walked in our flesh. Love took our infirmities. Love gave sight to the blind, speech to the dumb, hearing to the deaf, and life to the dead. Love was hungry, thirsty, and weary. Love was in a bloody agony. Love was sorrowful unto death. Love was betrayed, arrested, and condemned. Love pierced his head with thorns, scourged his back with cords, and pierced his hands and feet with nails. Love climbed a shameful cross. Love bore the guilt and shame. This is the revelation of God’s love for us.”
This is what it means to be adopted by God and it would behoove us as believers to grasp the extent and lengths God went to in order to pay the “adoption fee.” That fee was paid with the blood of God’s Son Jesus Christ. Being a child of God is a wonderful thing and understanding that will create in us a new appreciation for our heavenly Father which should in turn drive us to worship and adore the One who has saved us.
is an excellent exposition of the biblical doctrine of adoption. Yuille’s ability to not only address the theological concerns of this doctrine, but perhaps more importantly, his wonderful inclusion of his own experiences with adopting a child, really bring home the message of what it means to have a new start. I encourage everyone to read this book as it will give you a great understanding and appreciation for what it means to be adopted into the family of God, something that has eternal ramifications.
I received this book for free from Shepherd Press via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Yuille masterfully moves back and forth in each successive chapter discussing the biblical doctrine of adoption in the odd number chapters while relaying the battle with infertility he and his wife experienced as well as their journey towards adoption a child of their own. Such an approach bring the theological down to the practical level, providing the reader with a true down to earth, personal experience of what adoption looks like in the natural thus serving to help the reader better understand what it means to be an adopted child of God.
This book has really caused me to reflect even more on that it must be like for our adopted daughter to have obtained a new family, a new identity, and quite frankly, a new lease on life. Being adopted into a new family, one that cherishes her, loves her, and will provide the care and guidance that was missing from her birthparents thus leading to her being placed into the foster system to be adopted, essentially provides our daughter the opportunity to begin life anew. Yuille takes that reality and demonstrates how as believers, we too are able to walk in newness of life. That phrase “newness of life” is often used when people are baptized, but arguably, for many the reality of what that means might escape them. Understanding what being adopted is all about truly places an entirely new frame of reference on the idea of a new beginning. As noted by Yuille, “At the cross, God treated Christ as if he had lived our lives; now, God treats us as if we had lived Christ’s life. In his Beloved Son, God radically alters our legal status. We’re no longer enslaved but redeemed. We’re no longer estranged but reconciled. We’re no longer condemned but justified. We’re no longer alienated but adopted.”
Being part of a new family, specifically the family of God and a child of God, means we should in turn desire to do that which makes our Father in heaven happy. Since we have been adopted from darkness into His marvelous light, that reality should spur within the believer what Yuille describes as a “new inclination.” Our Father has expectations for His children, namely that all they do should bring glory to His name. This is a very important point that Yuille rightly discusses. Given the Holy Spirit lives inside us renewing our minds and hearts to more and more each day focus on the things of our Father, we should have a desire to please the Father. This goes back to the idea of what it means to be adopted. When one is adopted, they take on a new name, a new identity. A common statement made when a child does something which is displeasing to the parents is “you have brought shame to the family name.” Since we know that sin displeases God, we should also realize it shames His name. Yuille aptly reminds the reader that “the Holy Spirit effects a real change in those adopted into God’s family. To put it another way, the change in our legal status leads to a change in our behavior. At its most basic level, this change consists of renewed affections.”
I also appreciated the manner in which Yuille repeatedly weaved in to his discussion of adoption the reality that we are no longer slaves to sin. This idea of being liberated from bondage to sin is something the Apostle Paul repeatedly outlines in his epistles and rightly so. Far too many believers perceive salvation as their ticket to the pearly gates, not fully grasping what it means to be adopted by God and set free or redeemed from the chains of sin. Thus, with a limited understanding of adoption comes a limited understanding of what it means to be a child of God, what it means to please our Father, and quite frankly, why we should even care about such things. Perhaps many just do not grasp the enormity of what it means for Christ to have given his life on the cross so that through that sacrifice, we might be redeemed from darkness to light, essentially being given a new lease on life.
From my experience with our adopted child, it takes some time for children to fully grasp the wonderful gift they have been given. There is great expectation that builds up with both the child and the prospective adoptive parents as the day draws near when they will become a new family, the forever family the child has been longing for. With that said, given the tragedy of broken promises and past trauma, many adopted children await the day when everything will fall apart. I think this same approach can be found in the hearts and minds of many believers. They understand in part that God loves them and that Christ sacrificed his life on their behalf. The beauty of those two elements, however, is often overwhelmed by past regret and experiences when people failed them. Yuille rightly declares
“Love left a glorious crown. Love walked in our flesh. Love took our infirmities. Love gave sight to the blind, speech to the dumb, hearing to the deaf, and life to the dead. Love was hungry, thirsty, and weary. Love was in a bloody agony. Love was sorrowful unto death. Love was betrayed, arrested, and condemned. Love pierced his head with thorns, scourged his back with cords, and pierced his hands and feet with nails. Love climbed a shameful cross. Love bore the guilt and shame. This is the revelation of God’s love for us.”
This is what it means to be adopted by God and it would behoove us as believers to grasp the extent and lengths God went to in order to pay the “adoption fee.” That fee was paid with the blood of God’s Son Jesus Christ. Being a child of God is a wonderful thing and understanding that will create in us a new appreciation for our heavenly Father which should in turn drive us to worship and adore the One who has saved us.
is an excellent exposition of the biblical doctrine of adoption. Yuille’s ability to not only address the theological concerns of this doctrine, but perhaps more importantly, his wonderful inclusion of his own experiences with adopting a child, really bring home the message of what it means to have a new start. I encourage everyone to read this book as it will give you a great understanding and appreciation for what it means to be adopted into the family of God, something that has eternal ramifications.
I received this book for free from Shepherd Press via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
October 18, 2013
The topic of adoption has really gained widespread attention in the Christian Community the past 10 years or so with guys like Dr. Russell Moore (former Dean of the School of Theology for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and current President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention) frequently preaching/teaching on it as well as publishing books on the subject. My own heart was stirred radically for adoption a few years ago when I heard a message from Dr. Moore on Romans 8 at my churches Bible Conference. There was such power and passion in Dr. Moore's preaching for Christians to see the physical adoption of needy kids in light of our adoption into the family of God, that there wasn't a dry eye in the building as we all yearned to do whatever we could to honor God in the process of adoption (whether that was to adopt kids ourselves, pray for those going through the adoption process, give money to those who are trying to adopt kids, etc.). I wondered if the other voices in the Christian community were as passionate, and biblically grounded, as Dr. Moore, and then I came across the book, A Hope Deferred: Adoption and the Fatherhood of God, by J. Stephen Yuille and I got my answer.
Stephen's book offers a rare glimpse into the raw emotions of a couple dealing with infertility, then trying to go through the adoption process, then trying to stay faithful to God through the adoption process as it way longer than expected, being granted the gift of a beautiful daughter, only to go back to struggling with infertility, trying to remain patient (once again) through the long and arduous adoption process, and finally ends with the couple being granted a beautiful daughter from the country of China. The whirlwind of emotions that the couple feels is easily felt by the readers since Stephen tries to be as open and honest with their struggles as possible. It is painfully hard for us, as Christians, to be open and honest with our struggles with unbelief in a God who has been so gracious and merciful to us, but Stephen does not hold back with talking about the couples struggles. However, he does a fantastic job of taking his readers back to the Scriptures to find the remedy for all of our struggles, and for that I am truly thankful. The book is not filled with pragmatic or moralistic advice, but is slam full of theologically sound advice that makes much of Jesus and little of man. Talk about refreshing! Christian bookstores are filled to the brim with books that want to help us have our "best life now", but rarely are they filled with doctrinally sound teaching from beginning to end like Stephen's book is.
Honestly, the first time I picked this book up I expected it to be filled with a beautiful story of how a family overcame infertility by adopting multiple babies, and how we all could experience the same blessings as well if we would just follow these same easy steps. However, Stephen's book was a doctrinal smorgasborg that carried its readers through a rich exegesis of Romans 8. Consequently, not only do you get a wonderful story about the Author and his families dealings with the process of infertility/pregnancy/adoption, but you are also driven deeply into the text of Romans 8 and other places of Scripture where Stephen shows the reader the rich truths of adoption and what they mean for the Christian from a Biblical point of view. Even though the book is filled with a serious amount of doctrine, it flows very smoothly and nothing feels like it is forced in order to convict the reader of some truth that they need to know. Also, you never feel like Stephen is talking down to you even though it is quite apparent that he is a very smart guy as it pertains to Biblical truth. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about what the Bible says about adoption, while reading the story of a couple who lived through the process and aren't afraid to admit their struggles, and then their victories, while giving full glory to God.
I received this for free from Shepherd Press via Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for this honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Stephen's book offers a rare glimpse into the raw emotions of a couple dealing with infertility, then trying to go through the adoption process, then trying to stay faithful to God through the adoption process as it way longer than expected, being granted the gift of a beautiful daughter, only to go back to struggling with infertility, trying to remain patient (once again) through the long and arduous adoption process, and finally ends with the couple being granted a beautiful daughter from the country of China. The whirlwind of emotions that the couple feels is easily felt by the readers since Stephen tries to be as open and honest with their struggles as possible. It is painfully hard for us, as Christians, to be open and honest with our struggles with unbelief in a God who has been so gracious and merciful to us, but Stephen does not hold back with talking about the couples struggles. However, he does a fantastic job of taking his readers back to the Scriptures to find the remedy for all of our struggles, and for that I am truly thankful. The book is not filled with pragmatic or moralistic advice, but is slam full of theologically sound advice that makes much of Jesus and little of man. Talk about refreshing! Christian bookstores are filled to the brim with books that want to help us have our "best life now", but rarely are they filled with doctrinally sound teaching from beginning to end like Stephen's book is.
Honestly, the first time I picked this book up I expected it to be filled with a beautiful story of how a family overcame infertility by adopting multiple babies, and how we all could experience the same blessings as well if we would just follow these same easy steps. However, Stephen's book was a doctrinal smorgasborg that carried its readers through a rich exegesis of Romans 8. Consequently, not only do you get a wonderful story about the Author and his families dealings with the process of infertility/pregnancy/adoption, but you are also driven deeply into the text of Romans 8 and other places of Scripture where Stephen shows the reader the rich truths of adoption and what they mean for the Christian from a Biblical point of view. Even though the book is filled with a serious amount of doctrine, it flows very smoothly and nothing feels like it is forced in order to convict the reader of some truth that they need to know. Also, you never feel like Stephen is talking down to you even though it is quite apparent that he is a very smart guy as it pertains to Biblical truth. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about what the Bible says about adoption, while reading the story of a couple who lived through the process and aren't afraid to admit their struggles, and then their victories, while giving full glory to God.
I received this for free from Shepherd Press via Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for this honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
October 21, 2013
In A Hope Deferred, J. Stephen Yuille opened up about their infertility issues and their problematic time going through the adoption process and the long waiting period. Their story started when after being married a year, they both decided it was time to start a family. They longed to have two biological children and two adopted children. They tried countless times to conceive but they couldn’t. There was no medical reason as to why they couldn’t conceive and they ached for a positive pregnancy test. Like most people, they witnessed numerous of their friends getting pregnant and some without even trying. They began to experience excruciating pain and heartbreak when their attempts were unsuccessful. They realized that they were being tested in their faith. During their seven year of marriage, they began the adoption process and they had to endure the lengthy time consuming interview procedure. They had to wait some more months because the Social Services were already booked up. A few weeks, the unexpected happened his wife was pregnant. They ended up having a healthy daughter. Understanding God’s timing and His definite ways was something that is difficult to comprehend and it’s something we won’t ever truly fathom. The book goes through the agony of their miscarriage and later their extensive process with their adoption.
In the even chapters, he discussed their personal journey in adoption. In the odd chapters, he explained the doctrine of Biblical adoption and he explored the concepts presented in scripture. God in his vast love for us has prepared ahead of time to adopt us into His family. We don’t have to beg and pled for Him to love us, He just does because He wants to. Paul stated that God preordained and chose us to be His children. Stephen Yuille reiterated the Biblical truth found in Abraham’s story and how he had to persevere and believe God would fulfill His promise that he would be a father with numerous descendants. In the natural, he was old and Sarah’s womb was closed up. But he was commanded to believe, despite what he saw in the natural. This required faith in the impossible and a determination to trust in the declaration that God promised. Stephen and his wife believed and prayed for children for seventeen years and eventually God blessed them with children.
I would recommend this remarkable book especially to anyone who is longing for children and is considering adoption and is seeking encouragement from someone who has been there. I would also recommend this book to readers who are desiring to discover the Biblical truths in God adopting us as His children. I immensely connected with Stephen Yuille’s story and was inspired by his faithfulness in believing that God was able to provide them with children. I’m also believing that God will bless me with meeting my wife, having children, and adopting children in a few years. I learnt a great deal about the entire adoption process and this book will be one that I will reread when we’re entering the adoption process. This story was such a reassurance in persevering through uncertainty and pressing on through the trials and setbacks in life. Even if in the natural it looks like it’s impossible, God is still able to achieve His perfect will in your life. If you’re looking for a book on adoption and holding onto hope through challenging seasons and setbacks, then read this book for encouragement!
“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / Shepherd Press for this review”.
In the even chapters, he discussed their personal journey in adoption. In the odd chapters, he explained the doctrine of Biblical adoption and he explored the concepts presented in scripture. God in his vast love for us has prepared ahead of time to adopt us into His family. We don’t have to beg and pled for Him to love us, He just does because He wants to. Paul stated that God preordained and chose us to be His children. Stephen Yuille reiterated the Biblical truth found in Abraham’s story and how he had to persevere and believe God would fulfill His promise that he would be a father with numerous descendants. In the natural, he was old and Sarah’s womb was closed up. But he was commanded to believe, despite what he saw in the natural. This required faith in the impossible and a determination to trust in the declaration that God promised. Stephen and his wife believed and prayed for children for seventeen years and eventually God blessed them with children.
I would recommend this remarkable book especially to anyone who is longing for children and is considering adoption and is seeking encouragement from someone who has been there. I would also recommend this book to readers who are desiring to discover the Biblical truths in God adopting us as His children. I immensely connected with Stephen Yuille’s story and was inspired by his faithfulness in believing that God was able to provide them with children. I’m also believing that God will bless me with meeting my wife, having children, and adopting children in a few years. I learnt a great deal about the entire adoption process and this book will be one that I will reread when we’re entering the adoption process. This story was such a reassurance in persevering through uncertainty and pressing on through the trials and setbacks in life. Even if in the natural it looks like it’s impossible, God is still able to achieve His perfect will in your life. If you’re looking for a book on adoption and holding onto hope through challenging seasons and setbacks, then read this book for encouragement!
“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / Shepherd Press for this review”.
October 25, 2013
A Hope Deferred by J Stephen Yuille tells of his and Alison’s twenty two year journey of struggling with infertility and of their eventual adoption of a little girl from China. Through their experiences, they have gained a deeper appreciation of the biblical doctrine of adoption. This book beautifully combines the sharing of their heartaches and joys with looking at the ‘six blessings of adoption’ from Romans 8. The chapters regarding the blessings of adoption are headed:
Cleansed Sins.
Renewed Affections.
Satisfied Longings.
Answered Prayers.
Sanctified Afflictions.
Defeated Enemies.
It reminded me a little of Colin Urquhart’s excellent book In Christ Jesus in the way Stephen seeks to ground the reader in the gospel as he unpacks what Romans 8 says about adoption. He writes: ‘[God] doesn’t need to love us, nor does he need us to love him. Simply put, he doesn’t gain anything from loving us…. it should comfort us, because that’s the kind of love we need. We need someone to love us who doesn’t actually need us.’
‘Adoption is rooted in God’s sovereign grace. By definition, grace is undeserved and unmerited. By forgiving us our debt and lavishing his inheritance upon us, God puts the immeasurable glory of his grace on display for all eternity. In the plan of redemption, his main purpose is the glorifying of himself. The means he has designed for achieving that end is our adoption.’
I was blessed by reading A Hope Deferred. It is packed full of biblical truth, written in an accessible style. I think it would be ideal for a Christian at any level of spiritual maturity, but would be particularly helpful to a new believer or one struggling with their identity in Christ.
My grateful thanks to Shepherd Press and Christian Focus Publications for providing me with a free ecopy of this book for the purpose of writing a review.
Cleansed Sins.
Renewed Affections.
Satisfied Longings.
Answered Prayers.
Sanctified Afflictions.
Defeated Enemies.
It reminded me a little of Colin Urquhart’s excellent book In Christ Jesus in the way Stephen seeks to ground the reader in the gospel as he unpacks what Romans 8 says about adoption. He writes: ‘[God] doesn’t need to love us, nor does he need us to love him. Simply put, he doesn’t gain anything from loving us…. it should comfort us, because that’s the kind of love we need. We need someone to love us who doesn’t actually need us.’
‘Adoption is rooted in God’s sovereign grace. By definition, grace is undeserved and unmerited. By forgiving us our debt and lavishing his inheritance upon us, God puts the immeasurable glory of his grace on display for all eternity. In the plan of redemption, his main purpose is the glorifying of himself. The means he has designed for achieving that end is our adoption.’
I was blessed by reading A Hope Deferred. It is packed full of biblical truth, written in an accessible style. I think it would be ideal for a Christian at any level of spiritual maturity, but would be particularly helpful to a new believer or one struggling with their identity in Christ.
My grateful thanks to Shepherd Press and Christian Focus Publications for providing me with a free ecopy of this book for the purpose of writing a review.
November 19, 2018
A nota não diz respeito a qualidade do livro, e sim a expectativa frustrada.
Não é um livro sobre a teologia da adoção - ele não se preocupa em dar longas explicações sobre o assunto, apesar de esperar aprender um pouco mais sobre o assunto - mas, sim, sobre os benefícios da adoção. São muitas doutrinas que fluem da adoção, porém achei muito mal explorado em alguns tópicos, meio desconexo em outros. Enfim, em certos capítulos, esqueci que o livro se tratava dessa doutrina, inclusive.
Faz-se necessário, porém, afirmar que em certos capítulos o livro e o autor brilham, elevando a Cristo e as maravilhosas bênçãos provenientes do seu Evangelho. O capítulo sobre a oração, por exemplo, foi um que especialmente aqueceu meu coração.
Outra parte que vale destacar são os capítulos do seu "testemunho" quanto a adoção da sua filha e a infertilidade da sua esposa. O quanto pude aprender nesses capítulos! O quanto pude enxergar a providência de Deus por outro prisma! Ele não conta simplesmente a história dele, mas sempre faz um paralelo com a bíblia, extraindo valiosas lições.
No mais, o livro foi bom. Não me prendeu - de forma alguma -, porém foi extremamente edificante.
Não é um livro sobre a teologia da adoção - ele não se preocupa em dar longas explicações sobre o assunto, apesar de esperar aprender um pouco mais sobre o assunto - mas, sim, sobre os benefícios da adoção. São muitas doutrinas que fluem da adoção, porém achei muito mal explorado em alguns tópicos, meio desconexo em outros. Enfim, em certos capítulos, esqueci que o livro se tratava dessa doutrina, inclusive.
Faz-se necessário, porém, afirmar que em certos capítulos o livro e o autor brilham, elevando a Cristo e as maravilhosas bênçãos provenientes do seu Evangelho. O capítulo sobre a oração, por exemplo, foi um que especialmente aqueceu meu coração.
Outra parte que vale destacar são os capítulos do seu "testemunho" quanto a adoção da sua filha e a infertilidade da sua esposa. O quanto pude aprender nesses capítulos! O quanto pude enxergar a providência de Deus por outro prisma! Ele não conta simplesmente a história dele, mas sempre faz um paralelo com a bíblia, extraindo valiosas lições.
No mais, o livro foi bom. Não me prendeu - de forma alguma -, porém foi extremamente edificante.
March 17, 2018
Contrastando entre o problema pessoal da infertilidade e a paternidade de Deus na visão bíblica o autor aborda de forma mais profunda a doutrina da Adoção. Intercalando os capítulos entre o ensinamento da Escritura e o drama pessoal, o livro é envolvente e nos ensina sobre vários aspectos da adoção de Deus. Vale a leitura.
October 15, 2013
A Hope Deferred: Adoption and the Fatherhood of God by J. Stephen Yuille
"God's love is never self-serving. That means he doesn't need to love us, nor does he need us to love him. Simply put, he doesn't gain anything from loving us. That realization shouldn't disturb us or offend us. On the contrary, it should comfort us, because that's the kind of love we need [unconditional]. We need someone to love us that actually doesn't need us [conditional].
God has that kind of love in himself. And here is the wonderful thing: he lavishes it upon his children. We don't need to earn God's love. We don't need to merit God's love. We don't need to worry that God's love for us will change. We don't need to worry that God's love for us is contingent upon our performance. Why? God's love is merciful, and it's the whole reason why he adopted us."
When the author and his wife discovered they may never conceive a child, they decided to
adopt one or more children. But the process was not without its twists and turns and what
should have taken only a couple of years stretched out for 17 years. These experiences
inspired J. Stephen Yuille to explore the parallels and contrasts between human adoption
and our adoption by our heavenly Father. So this book has two purposes. One is to
celebrate our adoption by God, an act of unconditional love and unchanging goodness on
His part. The second is to strengthen and encourage others in their struggles, especially
those grappling with infertility and adoption issues.
God has purposely placed us in His "family" with all the rights and privileges of that family. The author explores the six blessings of our adoption into God's family according to Romans chapter 8. In the even numbered chapters of this 14 chapter book, he and his wife recount their extended adoption story. In the odd numbered chapters, he uses the space for exegetical exploration of each of the blessings. In light of the first blessing he ponders how God could "turn a depraved sinner into a privileged son", then delves into Romans 8:1-4 --how our sins are cleansed. He follows suit with the five other blessings in the remaining chapters.
Mr. Yuille's writing style is more like a Bible lesson in lecture format than it is prose. His strength is not so much as a storyteller but as an excellent Bible teacher. For such a small book, only 151 pages, the author packs quite a wallop into each of his expositions. Each chapter is only about five pages long on average but is packed full of pithy biblical truth. He uses examples such as C.S. Lewis' character of Eustace in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, an unexpected pregnancy, or a rock making ripples in a pond to illustrate his point or to show us God's unchanging goodness. He quotes from quite a few sources which he lists at the end of the book in the Notes section.
I get the impression that this author is one of those persons that I have always loved to take notes from. Ever since one of my Junior High teachers taught his classes how to outline a text book (which translated into note taking), I have enjoyed taking notes in
outline form. It is a form of mental "visualization" that I discovered helped me to
remember important points in the text. I used the method when I was in college along
with creating illustrations, and later with church sermons (although not every pastor can
teach in a style that makes that conducive). Mr. Yuille includes the use of lists in his book: three points of one thing, four parts of another. For example, in the first chapter he explains adoption, "In [Ephesians 1:3-6] we discover six wonderful truths about the biblical doctrine of adoption, specifically that: adoption is rooted in love; predetermined; through Jesus Christ; according to the purpose of God's will; to the praise of God's glorious grace; and fixed (or embedded) in union with Christ." In that way, the writing is intense, and he is able to fit a lot of material into a small space.
Fortunately, our adoption from God is not very much like human attempts to adopt children. While on the surface they may seem similar, the likeness is shallow. Human
adoption can be a harrowing experience. And while we may search everywhere else to find
fulfillment except the adoption into God's family, when we finally lean completely on Him, He makes it easy for us to be adopted because He has done all the work. We can trust Him completely. The gratification we receive from our adopted family members is warm and
satisfying, but it is only a shadow of the completeness and joy we experience when we are
adopted by God. I find that immensely comforting.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book
from Cross Focused Reviews and Shepherd Press. I was not required to write a positive
review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with
the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of
Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
"God's love is never self-serving. That means he doesn't need to love us, nor does he need us to love him. Simply put, he doesn't gain anything from loving us. That realization shouldn't disturb us or offend us. On the contrary, it should comfort us, because that's the kind of love we need [unconditional]. We need someone to love us that actually doesn't need us [conditional].
God has that kind of love in himself. And here is the wonderful thing: he lavishes it upon his children. We don't need to earn God's love. We don't need to merit God's love. We don't need to worry that God's love for us will change. We don't need to worry that God's love for us is contingent upon our performance. Why? God's love is merciful, and it's the whole reason why he adopted us."
When the author and his wife discovered they may never conceive a child, they decided to
adopt one or more children. But the process was not without its twists and turns and what
should have taken only a couple of years stretched out for 17 years. These experiences
inspired J. Stephen Yuille to explore the parallels and contrasts between human adoption
and our adoption by our heavenly Father. So this book has two purposes. One is to
celebrate our adoption by God, an act of unconditional love and unchanging goodness on
His part. The second is to strengthen and encourage others in their struggles, especially
those grappling with infertility and adoption issues.
God has purposely placed us in His "family" with all the rights and privileges of that family. The author explores the six blessings of our adoption into God's family according to Romans chapter 8. In the even numbered chapters of this 14 chapter book, he and his wife recount their extended adoption story. In the odd numbered chapters, he uses the space for exegetical exploration of each of the blessings. In light of the first blessing he ponders how God could "turn a depraved sinner into a privileged son", then delves into Romans 8:1-4 --how our sins are cleansed. He follows suit with the five other blessings in the remaining chapters.
Mr. Yuille's writing style is more like a Bible lesson in lecture format than it is prose. His strength is not so much as a storyteller but as an excellent Bible teacher. For such a small book, only 151 pages, the author packs quite a wallop into each of his expositions. Each chapter is only about five pages long on average but is packed full of pithy biblical truth. He uses examples such as C.S. Lewis' character of Eustace in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, an unexpected pregnancy, or a rock making ripples in a pond to illustrate his point or to show us God's unchanging goodness. He quotes from quite a few sources which he lists at the end of the book in the Notes section.
I get the impression that this author is one of those persons that I have always loved to take notes from. Ever since one of my Junior High teachers taught his classes how to outline a text book (which translated into note taking), I have enjoyed taking notes in
outline form. It is a form of mental "visualization" that I discovered helped me to
remember important points in the text. I used the method when I was in college along
with creating illustrations, and later with church sermons (although not every pastor can
teach in a style that makes that conducive). Mr. Yuille includes the use of lists in his book: three points of one thing, four parts of another. For example, in the first chapter he explains adoption, "In [Ephesians 1:3-6] we discover six wonderful truths about the biblical doctrine of adoption, specifically that: adoption is rooted in love; predetermined; through Jesus Christ; according to the purpose of God's will; to the praise of God's glorious grace; and fixed (or embedded) in union with Christ." In that way, the writing is intense, and he is able to fit a lot of material into a small space.
Fortunately, our adoption from God is not very much like human attempts to adopt children. While on the surface they may seem similar, the likeness is shallow. Human
adoption can be a harrowing experience. And while we may search everywhere else to find
fulfillment except the adoption into God's family, when we finally lean completely on Him, He makes it easy for us to be adopted because He has done all the work. We can trust Him completely. The gratification we receive from our adopted family members is warm and
satisfying, but it is only a shadow of the completeness and joy we experience when we are
adopted by God. I find that immensely comforting.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book
from Cross Focused Reviews and Shepherd Press. I was not required to write a positive
review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with
the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of
Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
October 17, 2013
A Hope Deferred by J. Stephen Yuille is a thorough look into who God is and how adoption and the attributes of God coincide with the Lord's Father heart. This book surveys and expounds on many basic truths about God's sovereignty, mercy, compassion, righteousness, love, and glory as Yuille explains how each played out in the adoption of his own daughter. Of all the lessons and Biblical principles he touches on, three stand out most clearly. First, the fact that the Christian life is full of sweet sufferings. That whatever the trials may be they most assuredly will occur, but with Christ, there is a hope and an assurance of His promises. "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake." (Philippians 1:29) These trials in the Christian life, if received in humbleness, will only serve to drive us closer to the Father heart of God-- which is precisely where he desires us to be.
Secondly, Yuille stresses the importance of waiting on God to act in His timing. We, as humans, will always have our opinions on when when we think something ought to happen, but God is zealous in the pursuit of His glory and will not settle to work within the selfish desires of sinful man. "I am in the heavens and I do as I please..." (Psalm 115:3)
Lastly the Fatherhood and Heart of God of God are looked at in regards to the Lord knowing what is best for His children. God delights in us because He delights in His Son whom we have our being in and Whose righteous blood is our covering. He will perform whatever needful to accomplish His sovereign plan within our lives for the praise of His glory. He looks after His children with unmatchable compassion and grace. " 'And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.' " (2 Cor 6:18)
Though Yuille gives snippets of his and his wife's own experiences concerning adoption, this is not an adoption story in that he targets much more the biblical foundation for adoption than his personal story. (I myself was hoping for a bit more reading on their actual adoption process in addition to what he had.)
Throughout A Hope Deferred, there are numerous quotes from many different puritans- including Edward Pearse, John Flavel, Thomas Watson, and Jonathan Edwards, something that is always a highlight for me. More importantly, the very basis of the book is laid on a bedrock of Scripture. Yuille sites countless verses in his desire to teach from the Word on any area he speaks about.
This book without a doubt, outlines the Scriptural point of reference for many of the attributes that our merciful God manifests toward His children, and is an excellent overview of those eternal and unchanging attributes.
*Thanks to Cross Review Books for providing a a free copy of A Hope Deferred in exchange for my honest review
Secondly, Yuille stresses the importance of waiting on God to act in His timing. We, as humans, will always have our opinions on when when we think something ought to happen, but God is zealous in the pursuit of His glory and will not settle to work within the selfish desires of sinful man. "I am in the heavens and I do as I please..." (Psalm 115:3)
Lastly the Fatherhood and Heart of God of God are looked at in regards to the Lord knowing what is best for His children. God delights in us because He delights in His Son whom we have our being in and Whose righteous blood is our covering. He will perform whatever needful to accomplish His sovereign plan within our lives for the praise of His glory. He looks after His children with unmatchable compassion and grace. " 'And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.' " (2 Cor 6:18)
Though Yuille gives snippets of his and his wife's own experiences concerning adoption, this is not an adoption story in that he targets much more the biblical foundation for adoption than his personal story. (I myself was hoping for a bit more reading on their actual adoption process in addition to what he had.)
Throughout A Hope Deferred, there are numerous quotes from many different puritans- including Edward Pearse, John Flavel, Thomas Watson, and Jonathan Edwards, something that is always a highlight for me. More importantly, the very basis of the book is laid on a bedrock of Scripture. Yuille sites countless verses in his desire to teach from the Word on any area he speaks about.
This book without a doubt, outlines the Scriptural point of reference for many of the attributes that our merciful God manifests toward His children, and is an excellent overview of those eternal and unchanging attributes.
*Thanks to Cross Review Books for providing a a free copy of A Hope Deferred in exchange for my honest review
October 15, 2013
When I saw this book online I was so excited! I had just taught on adoption at my church and I was excited to learn more about this important topic. Then I got the book. I get the symbolism on the cover but I was wondering if I had accidentally gotten the wrong book. This book looks like the celebration of adoption from a human perspective, as in a help to those who go through the incredibly difficult process of adopting a child and not the theology book I had hoped for. So needless to say this book sat on my desk for a week or two, before I got around to reading it. And boy was I wrong! This book is a combination of both, it is the story of the author’s attempt to adopt a child and a theology book about what it is to be adopted by God. This book seamlessly melds the two together. With a chapter on theology followed by a chapter on the story of how the author’s family waited twenty years for the opportunity to adopt a child. J. Stephen Yuille’s honest and articulate recounting of his angst and sorrow are very impressive as he weaves together the story of his families attempt to adopt and God’s adopting of us. It really is very well done. I greatly appreciated the layout of the book and I loved the countless quotes from the Puritans. I was constantly turning to the end notes to find out where these gems were coming from. I was blessed beyond measure by this little book. The theology chapters walk the reader through Romans 8, and honestly, no matter how many times you study that chapter you still can’t plum its depths enough. Yuille does a great job bringing out truths that were new to me and really ministered to me. If you could see my book you would see a dog-eared, book-marked, highlighted mess…and I can’t wait to go back through and reread all my notes. What a great book! Five stars, highest recommendation!
April 9, 2014
My dad-in-law gave me A Hope Deferred because I’ve expressed an interest in adoption. I don’t know if that is a desire the Lord will ever fulfill in my life, but I trust Him. Adoption is one of the most encouraging doctrines to mediate on in the dark chill of the night when all seems raw and naked with no work to dull our sense of sin. We are not slaves, which is more than we deserve, nor servants, which would be a true blessing, but adopted sons and daughters, children, heirs! There is hope in the darkness. This book details out the Yuilles’ struggle to have children and adopt. Mr. Yuille uses their own experience as a platform to talk about what it means to be adopted by God. This is an easy and quick read which can provide years worth of meditation
March 18, 2016
Livro interessantíssimo, muito em função da metodologia do autor de intercalar sua história pessoal com a doutrina da adoção entre os capítulos. De se acompanhar a história da família com o coração na mão, e ao mesmo tempo, glorificar a Deus por Sua Graça sempre presente, sempre surpreendente. Uma leitura recomendada a quem deseja conhecer mais sobre tão maravilhosa doutrina e que só veio reforçar o desejo meu e de minha esposa de um dia imitar o Criador que nos adotou.
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