“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth
for the manifestation of the sons of God” – Romans 8:19.
We have seen how earnest the ‘creature’ is about this end-time event called ‘rapture’ or manifestation of the sons of God; we have seen that the creature or entire creation of God is not only outstretched in its expectation and waiting eagerly for the manifestation of the sons of God since their own freedom depends on this; but are actually groaning about this. It was necessary to pose that if it takes the onlookers or spectators, as it were, to be all outstretched and full of groan what will it take those to be ‘raptured’? And, indeed, we showed how imperative it is for the saints to actually groan. Scriptures was our recourse. And lastly we captured the place of the Holy Spirit in our groaning which is that He helps us with words that cannot be uttered. All of the above were necessary with relation to the manifestation of the sons of God.
So, we come now directly to the subject matter of the manifestation of the sons of God. And it becomes really important to ask and answer the question: Who are the people to be manifested as sons of God i.e. eternal sons of God; who are the persons that are causing the earnest expectation, the patient waiting for of their manifestation among all creation?
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” – Romans 8: 19-27.
We take the nineteenth verse specifically: “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” Or, as New Living Translation puts it: “For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.” Who are they?
Initial Qualification
First of all, they are sinners who have been saved by grace. Salvation from sin or the washing of the soul of man from all sin and that by the Blood of Jesus Christ that He shared for the sins of humanity at the Cross of Calvary is what opens eternity with God to man. In Pondering Eternity I succinctly told the story of sin and how it damned a priceless soul to the fire of eternal damnation; to the soul’s gracious redemption in Jesus Christ; and to man’s eternal restoration to God in a poem, “The Making of God’s Eternal Worshipers”, which I wish to reproduce here:
O this precious and priceless soul,
Sin its spoilage, and sin its woe.
O its sorely eternal place;
This being God’s unchanging sentence!
What then can cleanse sin from man’s soul?
Or, what can make priceless soul whole?
It’s Sinless Blood for sinful men!
Ah! Answer truly not with men.
Is there then any true way out;
And yea, a certain escape route?
Can earth-folk a redeemer find?
Nay, not ‘midst its wretch’d mortal kind!
So then, God drew salvation plan,
His Love occasioned it for man
And His Grace brought it to us all
Oh, the Cross where He paid it all!
For God loving the soul so rich,
And abhorring seeing one perish;
Sin, being its sad eternal loss:
Gave His Only Begotten Son!
The reason comes so clear and bold:
For without the shedding of blood,
There is no remission of sins.
This, the LAW requirement for sin!
And Triune-God reached some accord:
Gave us Him that’s the Lamb of God;
Immanuel, this is God with us;
Jesus, God in the flesh He is!
This is mission divine: the Cross!
Yes, onward to Calvary’s Cross,
He that’s our Creator for us went,
For your sins and mine to remit.
O the Agony for our mess;
O the Pains Jesus bore for us;
O the Scorn from humanity;
But the Lord endured all of it!
Yet, forsaken by His Father;
Though He sent Him for this matter.
Disowned by Him for this reason:
God can’t behold one single sin!
But the Son took ALL, ALL OUR SINS.
My dear, think seriously on this;
Lay it real well and firm in you.
Grace is free; grace covers all sins!
Sin conquered, death must be also.
Buried, on the third day He rose.
And Satan’s pow’r He has rubbish’d!
Halleluyah: ‘It is finished’.
Hear the kind call of the Savior:
“Come to Me, all you that labor,
And you that are heavy-laden,
Rest in your souls will I give thee.
My yoke receive, and of Me learn;
For I’m meek and lowly in heart.
Then, rest for your souls you shall find:
For My yoke is easy, weight light”
Ere time and grace for’ver be gone,
Hear as eternity beckons:
The GREAT SEPARATION is nigh,
The saved shall be with God on high.
Caught up in the twinkling of eye!
The sting of death gone forever!
Power of the grave fully crushed!
Sin, death, grave totally vanquished!
No more Satan now, forever;
No more sickness now, forever;
No more sorrow now, forever;
And no sin again, forever!
Eternal damnation now passed;
And henceforth eternally bless’d;
Man with the Triune-God to dwell:
And free at last, from sin and hell!
O Christ’s wondrous Calvary Cross!
O so great and marvelous Grace!
O Love so boundless, and so tall!
Thank You Lord God that paid it all!
And to the Lord slain for our sins,
The saints shall come with songs and hymns
Singing with rich angelic tone
Before Your Rainbow-Circled Throne.
Unending worship to render,
As holy, reverent adorers:
So fulfilling creation purpose!
’Cause of the Savior slain for us!
Salvation from sin is the initial step to that glorious eternity. To belong here is to be generally qualified to be in the rapture when Jesus comes to take His people home. These are those whose souls have been washed and made void of sin with that precious Blood of Jesus shared for all humanity because they have truly confessed their sins to God through Christ Jesus. Or, they are those who have therefore recognize their sins, recognize their helplessness at saving themselves in the face a pending eternity with Satan in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, and recognize the Only escape route that Jesus Christ is, approach Him to acknowledge and confess their sins, ask Him for mercy and forgiveness and appropriate His Blood accordingly. Those at this general
level are actually those that Jesus Christ came to seek and indeed found.
With that you have joined the class of humanity that is supposed to be manifested as eternal sons of God if you keep the faith or stay on the path of obedience to God; and grace to do all that is guaranteed in the Word of God and in the Holy Spirit. The difference between ‘many are called but few are chosen’ or between the first salvation and the final salvation depends on our attitude to God’s Word and our relationship with the Holy Spirit.
“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.” So, who are they eventually among the saved souls – among those He came seeking and indeed found?
The Generation that seek the Lord
They are those seeking Him among those He sought and found. Not those saved and now are at ease in Zion! Not those saved and now are dividing their loyalty between the Lord and Savior God, and the unrighteous mammon. Not those saved but are now trying to live to please the flesh. And not those saved but are now seeking the things God says He will add to us and wanting God to add the things He says we should seek!
Those that He now has found must thereafter now seek Him, and this is the Christian life: Ever seeking Him Who sought and found us! And in this continual seeking is the hope of the saints in the coming rapture.
Specifically speaking then, they that would qualify for the rapture is those among the above general number that will now seek the Lord, as it were, in return. It is the seeking of the Kingdom of God and its righteousness. It is seeking to conform to the Image of God’s Only Begotten Son and our Savior – Jesus Christ. It is seeking Him to be like Him.
They are the generation that seeks the Lord. We would see the Old Testament. In Psalm 24:3-6 we read: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek thy face, O Jacob”
This is the generation of them that seek Him, which seek Thy Face, O Jacob!
To the New Testament Church the Psalmist would put it this way: This is the generation of them that seek Him, which seek Thy Face, O Church! O Church! Be it in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa or wherever, this is the generation of them that seek God. The generation that seeks mundane things does not seek God and will not see Him. No man drags along with him mundane things in his mountain walk to that city that has foundation and home of the blessed forever and hopes to get there.
And Psalm 15 captures it similarly: Psalm 15:1-5 “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.”
