We are examining Romans 8:19 referring to the manifestation of the sons of God. This expression is used by a few groups who have been driven off course because they are spiritually starved. They are more to be pitied than censured.

The greater problem is with the churches preaching grace, grace, grace, rapture, rapture, rapture. Such churches are driving many Evangelicals back into Judaism because of the emptiness of their teaching. Other Evangelicals, Christians who love the Lord, have a hunger for spiritual truth and experiences. They meet in small groups believing themselves to be, or that they are about to be, manifested sons of God. People want and need something more than they are being given by the local business (church) run by a CEO.

When the people are fed the Word of God instead of traditions and church growth techniques they will have a deeper relationship with Christ and not be deceived so easily.

The Spirit is speaking today, among other things, of the coming manifestation of the sons of God. Since the things of the Spirit are not bound by time or space, one could get the impression that the sons of God are going to be manifested any day now, meaning we no longer will be bound by the law of gravity and will be invulnerable as far as danger and disease are concerned.

However, Romans 8:19 is not speaking of the super Christians of today but of the coming of the Lord with His glorified saints.

For the earnest expectation of the creature [creation] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19)

The material creation, the physical world, is waiting for the sons of God to be revealed. Do you remember that the preceding verse referred to the glory that is to be revealed in us?

We now have moved quite a ways in our discussion of the dilemma facing Paul what to do about the sinful body that was hindering his pursuit of righteousness.

The idea is that we have an inward nature that craves righteousness and an outward nature that craves sin and rebellion against God. Now we see that God not only is going to redeem our outward nature by the explosion of His Spirit outward in our personality but that this revelation of Divine Glory is awaited by the material creation.

It reminds one of the lamps in the pitchers of Gideon's army. When the pitchers were broken the light shone and completely routed the enemy.

It is marvelous to think about the material creation waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. We don't consider this fact often enough.

We don't think often enough of the saints appearing with the Lord Jesus.

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

Why don't we stress more our appearing with Christ? Is it because we have so embraced the tradition of going to Heaven to live in a mansion that we can't perceive what the Scripture is saying?

Is it because we have stressed the pre-tribulation "rapture" so much the idea of our appearing with Christ is not in the consciousness of the saints?

Yet the famous "rapture" passage in First Thessalonians Four stresses that those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

I think we are going in the wrong direction. Is the Lord going to make a U-turn? Are we going to be carried up to Heaven and then turn around and appear with the Lord? This is sensible? There is Scripture for this?

And who is going to appear with the Lord? The creation is awaiting the revealing of the sons of God, not the Lord Jesus only but the sons of God. Are these the careless believers of today who don't give a fig about the material creation just as long as they are sitting in air-conditioned comfort while the Jews without the Holy Spirit are trying to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom in the face of Antichrist? What a collection of myths!

It is time to get rid of this accumulation of rubbish and find out what Christ is saying to our generation. Unless I am hearing incorrectly He isn't saying anything about a "rapture" or mansions in Heaven.

The large conventions of intercessors of our day are hearing from the Lord. The message is "Repent! Repent! Repent!" If the churches do not repent of their worldliness, lust, and selfish ambitions our nation is lost and we Christians may be led away into torture and death. Men throw fruitless branches into the fire, the Lord told us.

The creation doesn't want to hear about how we are going to be raptured to Heaven to sit in some silly mansion. The nations (without realizing it) are anxiously waiting for people who can deliver them from the curse that God placed on the earth.

Do you want to help?