“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19) (ESV). If ever there has been anything of utmost importance, in this world, it is reveling God’s children. As Paul states, the whole creation awaits in anticipation of that dramatic event.
As human beings, we all lost our heritage of being God’s children, through the Garden of Eden incident. Left in that hopeless condition, everyone gropes in darkness, as characterized in world religions and denominational confusion in Christianity. As the prophet Isaiah declares: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned —everyone—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6) (ESV).
God’s word is clear, in that humanity was created in God’s image, in order to have dominion over everything that God created. The reason why it is necessary to reveal God’s children is that not everyone can be classified as God’s child, even though everyone was created in God’s image. I suppose, the entire creation can tell who is and who would not be God’s child.
However, as the last part of the passage in Isaiah’s prophecy reveals; the Lord laid the iniquities of the entire world on Jesus. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The aim of this post is to reveal God’s children. The necessity for revealing God’s children is driven by too much confusion in Christianity.
Due to such disorder, even true Christians may also wallow, unable to boldly take up their positions as God’s Children. Nevertheless, Jesus said His sheep will hear His voice and respond accordingly (John 10:14-18). It is only the confused who cannot identify with Jesus, as the shepherd of His flock (Verse 19-20). Such confused people can also not know God’s Children in this world.
It is true that each Christian organization assumes that the doctrines of their denomination qualify them as God’s children. However unbeknown to them is that the exclusive identity, with which they label themselves as God’s only Children, disqualifies them from being God’s Children.
It has to be other people, not necessarily other Christians, who identify true Christians as God’s children. The person able to identify God’s children may not necessarily be familiar with scriptures.
The centurion who saw what could not be seen by many people, at the death of Jesus, may not have been religious? “…..And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God’” (Mark 15:39) (ESV).
The fig tree that Jesus cursed, (Mark 11:12-14; 20) which immediately wilted; knew who Jesus was. Similarly, the raging sea that Jesus stilled, knew that Jesus was the Christ, Son of the living God (Mark 4:38-39).
These passages show that, as part of creation, these objects knew who Jesus, as the Son of God, was. And they can, accordingly, know who God’s children would be. Jesus represented that which was created in God’s image, and given dominion over everything that God had created (Genesis 1:26).
While Jesus was here, not many people appreciated Him as the Son of God. This is notwithstanding numerous miracles that He performed. Only a few identified Him as the Son of God. In answer to the question on who the people thought Jesus was, the disciples revealed that there had been gross misunderstanding of the identity of the most important person, the world had ever known.
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’” (Matthew 16:13-17) (ESV)
The most interesting statement by Jesus, in response to Peter’s accurate identity of Jesus is that flesh and blood had not revealed that to Peter. What Peter had seen had not been revealed by flesh and blood. Those of the flesh and blood had all along seen an insane person with demonic powers (John 10:20).
It can be very easy for any person to declare that those Jewish people were so stupefied, as to be unable to identify the Christ, yet having scriptures at their disposal? But Jesus revealed that the same judgment gets measured similarly, against the one judging (Matthew 7:2).
God’s children are so humble as to be willing to take the blame on all the wicked things in this world. Instead of blaming other people, they take responsibility and address that which needs correction. They simply behave like Jesus (Philippians 2:5-11) See [Jesus the servant and Christ the Lord]
The greatest challenge facing those, desiring to adopt Christianity is the inability to appreciate the characteristics of Jesus, concerning His appearance on earth. The religious leaders simply tell their followers that Jesus was a great man, who deserved to be worshiped.
In that spirit of worship, our good pastors are even anxious to make trips to Jerusalem, in order to appreciate the significance of Jesus’ birth place. The Roman Catholics have actually even deified Mary, the mother of Jesus. Some people desire to see the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid, in order to make it a very important shrine. That is typical of people so engrossed in idol worship.
Christ has got no association with any of those things. He actually declares that He dwells in the lives of those doing the will of His father in Heaven. Instead of looking for those doing the will of God, the idol worshipers get mesmerized by miracle performers, labeling them “Men/women of God.” The only misnomer is the attitude of those “Men/women of God”, when responding to such accolades.
All miraculous healing services that Christ performed were another way of serving humanity. But Jesus never used such abilities to advertise His fame. This is why in most cases he strictly charged those benefiting to never tell anyone (Mark 7:36). Those services were out of desire to attend to people’s problems, not necessarily, so that people may worship Him. See [Christianity serves to invalidate God’s Kingdom].
To fully appreciate that any ability to perform miracles does not necessarily qualify one as God’s child, one needs to read Matthew 7:21-23. Those people’s rejection by Christ does not take into cognizance that they would have sincerely done everything in the name of the Lord.
Under those circumstances, where would the error be? In Jesus’ name Demons would have been cast out, including many mighty works. But Christ simply tells those people that He never knew them. But, if Christ rejects them, who then would have given them powers to use those miracles? Ordinary people would have benefited, assuming those people to be truly the Men/women of God?
Anyway, Jesus cautioned of possible danger associated with miracle performance: “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven, Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in Heaven’” (Luke 10:17-20) (ESV)
As if to expose what this mystery signified, Jesus further uttered the following: “….I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will’” (Luke 10:21) (ESV).
But, how then, are the children of God revealed? The starting point is in knowing who Jesus is: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it’” (Luke 10:22-23) (ESV).
Anyone is blessed, who understands what Jesus is talking about. That person is also the Son of God, just as Jesus was the Son of God. Scholars identify Jesus as the Son of God, and therefore not identifiable with us. This leads them to the Trinitarian concept. See [Trinity has got no pedestal on which to stand] and also [“Why Trinity is questioned”]
Those scholars have got eyes to see, but they cannot see. Jesus was the Son of God just as true Christians are God’s children. People in this world cannot know God’s Children, just as they could not know Jesus. They expect to see God’s children in high positions of authority, but those God’s children carry the brunt of being insulted similarly to how Jesus was insulted?
While the world does not know God’s children, God knows them and they know God, as He directly communicates with them. God’s children love people and desire that everyone sees the truth. But the insults heaped on them make everyone believe that they are renegades. See [Revealing the Christ in Jesus].
It is only recently that this became plain to me. All along I had also assumed that the approval from other fellow human beings was necessary in assuming being God’s child? But, God’s children identify with the insults that Jesus also received, yet adding value to humanity (Matthew 5:10-12)
One becomes a true child of God when bearing with such insults, without retaliation or succumbing to bitterness. In fact, nothing surpasses the blessing of being able to love one’s enemies as Jesus instructed (Matthew 5:38-48).
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing reliefs to those having witnessed strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. In a simple conversational tone, most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long awaited providential oasis of hope.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99
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