“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
~ Romans 8:19
More frequently, I have found myself thinking a great deal about the
unsaved that are around me. It’s incredibly thought provoking really, and weighs heavily on my spirit to realize how many people don’t know my magnificent Savior! They have nothing to live for. They go about their daily routines, working, eating, sleeping. Seeking fulfillment in people, fashions, activities, false religions, drugs, food, social standing, etc. Knowing, inherently, that they were put on this earth for a reason – the question, “Why am I here?”, is incessantly burning at the back of their minds.
You look at the key in your hand. This moment is surreal. 19 years, 12 grades, and quite a few bad attitudes later you’re finally out of the house, harnessing a part-time job, living in your own apartment, and about to begin your first semester of college. “This is when my life finally begins!” you confidently think to yourself. Granted, you are in an enormously depressing amount of debt from all of your recent living changes and educational pursuits; but, you’ll worry about that later. Besides, everyone else you know has done the same thing. Back to your life – no more days of feeling empty and unfulfilled, mechanically filling your free time with mindless television watching and video games. No more strained arguments with your parents – “Perhaps being the firstborn son has something to do with it” you reassure yourself. No more. YOU are number one now.
It’s your second week of college, and you’ve been positively swamped with all the assignments and classes (not to mention your part time job you’re working at nights). You’ve been able to meet a good majority of your classmates. A lot of them have really strange ideas, and are into the new age-y type religions. Some are quite adamant atheists. There are also people like you – not wholly ruling the possibility of other beings and universes out of the picture. You don’t like the idea of having to be accountable to anyone; however, you cannot get free from the feeling that you were put here for a purpose, and it wasn’t just to wander around willy-nilly. In the last category are a small handful of people like Alton. This guy is unlike anyone that you’ve ever met. Some of your fellow colleagues have told you several different things about him: 1) he worked really hard to save enough money to pay for college, so he wouldn’t have to go into debt; 2) he has a lot of, what was the word they used? Oh yes, convictions; 3) apparently, his relationship with his family is so close, that any weekend he’s able to he’ll drive back to his home just to spend time with them; and fourthly, he’s a Christian.
It’s Christmas break. On your list of accomplishments thus far: your already strained relationship with your parents has dwindled down to the last proverbial straws; that part time job you had? Doesn’t exist; your landlord is on the verge of kicking you out – with no income, how are you supposed to come up with the rent amount? When you take a step back, look at the picture your life has become, the only faint spark of happiness is that you’ve somehow managed to barely hold your head above water on your classes. That’s the only thing to live for now – if you didn’t have college, what would be the point? You really are at your wit’s end. “Why am I here?” continually pounds in your head.
You go out to take a walk. The song that’s playing outside of a shop seems to mock you as you walk past, “I’ll be Home for Christmas”. You find that you truly would like to have a good relationship with your parents and two younger siblings. If only you knew how – going home certainly wouldn’t help the matter.
You hear someone saying your name. A hand is on your shoulder. You turn around – Alton? But surely he would be home with his family. He relates how his flight was canceled due to bad weather – so, he was doing a little extra Christmas shopping. He inquires as to why you’re not with your family – you tell him how it is. He is sorry with you. You are struck by the light that is in his eyes – yours certainly do not posses that. Alton has tried to talk to you about his faith before, but, you didn’t want to hear about it; nevertheless, you find yourself asking him about it. He clearly has something that you’ve never found.
As soon as the questions were out of your mouth, the joyful look in his eyes only brightened. He begins to tell you a story – God sent His only Son, Jesus, to earth in the simple form of a baby, to save mankind from their sin. He explains that, since God is just, a sacrifice was needed to pay for our sin – Jesus was the atonement for us. He was nailed to a cross – the cruelest, most lowly death the Romans had – He died, and was laid in a tomb; but, the third day He was in there, He rose again! And now He’s in heaven. But, before Jesus ascended, He told His disciples that He would come again – His second coming. This world will be destroyed, and we will either spend eternity with the Lord, or forever be tormented in Hell, separated from God’s love. Because God didn’t want humans to be just a bunch of robots that mechanically loved Him from day one, He gave us our own wills – we can choose to accept His free gift of salvation. And if we don’t, we are choosing eternal condemnation. When you ask Jesus to come into your heart – to make you clean from your sins – you’re just overwhelmed with the depth of His love, Alton shares. You no longer want to live life in sin, following one vain pursuit after the other – there is no fulfillment in life apart from Christ. You love God so much, that you want to do things that will honor and please Him - and He honors those who honor Him. Alton explains that, because he knows Christ is coming again, he has hope – something to anticipate with eagerness. Even though the christian life is not easy, you can still have joy in your heart, because you know without a doubt that Christ will come again, and you will spend eternity with your Savior.
You had never heard that before. You see the light in Alton’s face – the joy in his spirit. You view with detest the emptiness in your life – you feel the void in your heart. Suddenly, you are overwhelmed with the realization that Someone died for you – for your mistakes, your failures – so that you would not have to suffer the eternal consequences of your sinful ways. With tears running down your face, you tell Alton that you want Jesus. He has tears as well – he gets to his knees, beside the bench that you’ve been sitting on. You
do the same. He offers a simple, yet sincerely heart-felt prayer of praise to the Lord. You’re about to speak; but, you feel like there’s a shadow that’s trying to surround you – thoughts immediately start to bombard you: “You’ll never be able to have any fun after this”, “Get off your knees, and get away from this guy!”, “Don’t do it!”. “No!”, you yell at them – you want this darkness to be gone, you want – you need- the Light so desperately! You begin to pray. You feel the darkness flee – the Light has filled you! Now, you too, posses the hope of His glorious appearing – and what joy it gives you!
Just think, what a gift we have – the hope of His coming: the manifestation of the sons of God!
I like details and Greek (if you knew my dad, you’d know where I inherited it from =); so, grab your trusty burgundy Zodhiates Bible and let’s go a little deeper into this verse!
We find that the Greek word for “earnest expectation” is Apokaradokia, meaning, “Attentive or earnest expectation or looking for, as with the neck stretched out and the head thrust forward.”
We [the creatures] posses not only an expectation, but it’s an earnest expectation. So, a typical expectation – you know (and are expecting) the post to arrive sometime time today, most likely consisting of an entree of catalogs/ads/what-not, a side of bills, with one or two personal letters for dessert. Now, an earnest expectation is, knowing (not which day, exactly) and quite earnestly expecting … A letter from the Queen of England (because you wrote her a very happy birthday card and congratulatory note for her grandson’s recent marriage)! There is a rather marked distinction, my good people. =)
Next, we have, “waiteth for” – Apekdechomai, meaning, “To wait for, used as a suitable expression for Christian hope including the two elements of hope and patience.” I am frequently reminded that, patience is a virtue, and indeed it is; however, in this instance, I think that we, as the Bride of Christ, should be so in love and anxious for the day that He will return to claim us as His own, that we are bubbling over with an “impatient” anticipation for His coming!
“The manifestation” – Apokalupsis; “revelation, uncovering, unveiling, disclosure. One of the three words referring to the Second Coming of Christ.”
“Sons of God” – Huios; “…The difference between believers as children (tekna) and as sons (huioi)…tekna refers to those who were born of God and huioi refers to those who show maturity acting as sons. Huios gives evidence of the dignity of one’s relationship and likeness to God’s character.”
May we all live with an earnest expectation for the manifestation of the sons of God!
God bless you all as you hide His Word in your heart!
He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Ta-ta,
~Sophia
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