By Donald Wiley
"For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God" (Romans 8:19). That's the King
James Version. Most modern versions use the word "creation" instead
of "creature." And I think that gives the sense of what is being said a
bit more clearly.
All
of the previous generations of mankind were subjected to a futile,
vain existence temporarily. Various North and South American Indian
tribes rose and fell, living out life's little day in a vain existence.
This held true for almost all other sons of Adam - the Asian hordes,
the nomadic peoples of other lands, the aboriginal peoples of Australia.
God made no effort to enlighten them or enter their lives in any way -
THEN! But divine mind had conceived a plan, a plan that would bring
many sons to glory and immortality.
That is why Jesus is called THE FIRSTBORN OF MANY BRETHREN (See
Romans 8:29). All the created peoples of ages past are waiting in
their graves for our change from physical flesh to immortal spirit.
That is WHY when speaking of the dead Jesus Christ, all the prophets,
and all the apostles used but one of two terms to describe the
condition of the dead, saying they were either dead or "asleep." The
"elect" of God, the only truly redeemed will someday be used of God to
be "fishers of men." When Jesus told Peter and Andrew, "Follow me,
and I will make you fishers of men," He was not primarily speaking of them leading others to salvation. (See Matthew 4:19).
He
was actually alluding to an ancient prophecy uttered by the prophet
Jeremiah who wrote what God said, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that
it shall no more be said, The Lord lives, that brought up the
children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but the Lord lives that
brought up (from the dead) the children of Israel from the land of the
north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them, and I will
bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.
Behold I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they
shall fish them, and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall
hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the
holds of the rocks (used by the Hebrew people as tombs since time
immemorial)" (See Jeremiah 16:14-16).
That is WHY Jesus said, "The
works that I do shall you do also." He was raising the dead! We, too,
shall be used of God in raising the dead of ages past - billions and
billions. Those having received that "other" spirit spoken of by Paul
in 2 Corinthians 11:4, call this "cherry picking" as they do not have
the eyes to see or hearts to understand what God is saying through the
writings of His prophets!
Most
preachers are totally oblivious to what God is doing on this earth.
They think "getting saved" is just escaping being burned alive in hell
and flitting off to heaven where one walks on streets of gold for all
eternity. They also think "getting saved" is merely confessing publicly
you believe Jesus died for you and, presto-chango, you are then and
forever a full-fledged child of God heaven bound. Satan's work of
deception is staggering!
"For
as many as are LED by the Spirit of God, THEY (and no others) ARE THE
SONS OF GOD" (Romans 8:14). Led continuously, day in and day out,
throughout one's life, from the moment true and lasting full repentance
is achieved and one is thereby granted God's wondrous and powerful Holy
Spirit. Salvation is not accomplished in one fell swoop, one moment
in time way back there in that Sunday service when on the 14th chorus
of "Just As I Am" you finally broke down and "went down front" and had
the preacher pray over you and assure you that you had just escaped
hell and were now bound for glory. Read God's Word and believe it,
folks. And the Holy Spirit will help you understand.
Christ's Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12)
Donald Wiley
What is Salvation and How Do You Obtain It?... https://mlf1070.blogspot.com/2022/10/altar-calls.html
For more Bible enlightenment,
You Are Cordially Invited to Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group... https://mlf1070.blogspot.com/
