Several decades ago, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote a booklet entitled A World Held Captive. In this remarkable booklet, he showed clearly that human beings, for the most part, are completely ignorant of who and what they are and what their future will be. Satan and the flawed societies that developed from following his ways now hold the human race captive, in complete and total ignorance.
This brings the Church of God—and we who are members of it—to the forefront of importance regarding the future of all mankind. This is a wide-ranging statement, but it is a true statement—and we, as the Church, must come to grips with this in this end-time.
Satan the devil has done a job on mankind. He has basically destroyed any knowledge of truth, whether by outright pagan perversion or by subtly diverting the truth just a little when it suits him. It is interesting to note that the biggest enemy of the true Church of God is not paganism—it is perverted Christianity.
Because of Satan, humankind has lost and forgotten the purpose for which God created us. As Mr. Armstrong wrote: “God’s purpose is to reproduce himself through man—reproduce the God family from the human family. It is vital to bear in mind that God possesses perfect spiritual character. Character is ability to choose the true values from the false, right from wrong, and to will to do the right—even against self-desire.”
This is something God has revealed to His Church today. People in the world do not want to hear this, but it is their only hope. They desperately want to believe the lie, and they will even try to kill true Christians, thinking as they do so that they are actually serving God! We need to bring fully into focus this picture of hope: just who we are—and not just our hope, but the hope of all mankind.
A starting point is for us to fully understand what has taken place and what is taking place in us due to our conversion. The Apostle Paul drives straight to that point: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit [that] dwells in you” (Romans 8:9–11).
Christians are defined as ones who are led by the Spirit of God in them. The entire eighth chapter of Romans—following Paul’s near-hopeless-sounding self-evaluation in the preceding chapter—provides the hope for the Christian through the Holy Spirit. One should never read chapter seven without continuing on with the entirety of chapter eight, which clearly shows that Christians do not walk in the flesh, but in the Spirit (vv. 1, 4); setting their minds on the things of the Spirit (v. 5) and therefore are not carnal, but spiritual (vv. 6–9).
Our Family
This very plain fact links us as God’s family here on earth: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption [sonship] by whom we cry out ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit [itself] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (vv. 14–16).
Why is this family concept so important for us to understand? The answer is embedded in two of the most remarkable verses in the Bible: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God” (vv. 18–19).
Why is this so remarkable? Look at the two words “revealed” and “revealing.” The Greek Paul used is apokalupto [ap-ok-al-oop’-to], to take the cover off or disclose; and apokalupsis [ap-ok-al’-oop-sis], made bare or laying bare, made naked or making naked, all regarding a disclosure of truth or instruction crucial to the entirety of creation based on the “sons of God.” And this very creation has an earnest expectation for that revealing; it is, in fact, eagerly waiting for it. Whoa!
Just what is Paul implying in verse 18? Paul is clearly stating that true Christians are at the center of God’s plan for humankind. In fact, when one looks at it from God’s perspective, we who are Christians are His plan of salvation. We are the working demonstration models, who, through His Holy Spirit, are able to function in the flesh as Jesus did when He (first) came in the flesh. This truth will be made known—revealed—to all mankind when we, Christians, are revealed as the sons and daughters of God.
Does Scripture prove this revealing? “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:1–2). John uses a different word for “revealed”; it is phaneroō [fan-er-o’-o], to become known, to be plainly recognized, thoroughly understood, who and what one is.
Paul confirms this and adds further significance to the event: “When Christ who is our life appears [phaneroō], then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). We will be recognized in the glory of Jesus—having the very glory of God. The word “glory” is doxa [dox’-ah], and contextually means majesty, which pertains only to God. Mere mortals claiming to be kings and queens usurp the descriptive bearing of the heavenly when they insist on being called “his or her royal majesty.” There is nothing majestic or “glorious” about mortal man. Truly, Christians are to become majestic, glorified, even as the Father and Jesus are now majestic.
Back in the book of Romans, Paul clearly explains that the process of the revealing of the saints links them directly to the Godhead: “The Spirit… bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:16–18). Are you picking up on the impact of this? What does “glorified together” mean? The phrase is sundoxazō [soon-dox-ad’-zo], or to exalt to dignity rendered glorious in company with Jesus. As our Presiding Evangelist, Dr. Roderick C. Meredith, often states: “Wow!”
Our Destiny
Now review what we have read so far. Because of who and what we are today in this flesh, the children of God—His designated plan of salvation for all of mankind—it will be our job to help Christ deliver mankind into the Kingdom, identifying to them the very name of God through our glorified appearance with Jesus at His return to this earth. Wow, indeed!
The Church rehearsed all this in the Feast of Tabernacles this past fall. God is concerned about the entirety of His creation: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37). While the Feast involved us, it was not just about us. The Feast foretells the soon-coming fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation that will be revealed in and through us, as is pictured by the opening years of the coming millennium. God certainly looks at Israel, as well as the rest of the world, as His children.
This should give us a much clearer understanding of what Paul was trying to communicate to Church members in Rome: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption [true sonship], the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:19–23). This is an event that will have universe-wide ramifications. Go back and put this into context in reading verses 16–23. That involves you, even as you read the words of this article.
But the question, is—or should be—glaring to us: what sort of individuals should we be in regard to living in a holy manner, reverencing and respecting God, that He would use us in such a way? The Apostle Peter gives us the full scope of that: “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’ And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:15–19). Whatever it is we must do, it must be total. Peter says “all,” pas, nothing held back, everything concerning it. Take a look at that word “conduct” for a moment. It is anastrophē [an-as-trof-ay’], your manner of life or how you live; everything in regard to it.
God says through His Spirit the Christian is holy. There is a thread of thought that Peter weaves regarding that concept of holiness: “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart” (vv. 18–22).
Our Holy Conduct
Will all of this yielding to God, loving and serving the brethren in His Church, have a result? When we are revealed, we will glorify God because of our conduct now: “…having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12).
Peter, in these last reviewed Scriptures, used “conduct” (anastrophē), four times. It is important for us to understand the need to be holy and all that it entails. Peter stated: “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22).
This is something we must do, but we can only do it through the Spirit in us. The idea of “purifying our souls” is not unique to Peter; the Apostle John hammers home the thought process: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2–3). The word “purifies” is hagnizō [hag-nid’-zo], and means to make clean morally from a spiritual or ceremonial point of view—and John plainly lays the burden on the individual Christian to do so.
Again, it is our holy conduct as we, in our flesh, are revealed to others: “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). We must be aware of who we are: “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:12–13). That idea of being “blameless in holiness,” may appear to be a bit daunting. The Greek is amemptos [am’-emp-tos] hagiōsunē [hag-ee-o-soo’-nay], without fault or defect in regard to our Christian, godly character.
That is what Mr. Armstrong stated about character in the opening part of this article: “Character is ability to choose the true values from the false, right from wrong, and to will to do the right—even against self-desire.” This, too, will be revealed—made apparent—as we live out our lives here in the flesh.
The Apostle John makes that very clear: “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous… In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:7–10). The word “manifest” is phaneros [fan-er-os’], plainly recognized, publically made apparent. We are what people see us as being. The contrast is between good and evil.
The comparisons are revealed by our actions. The Spirit of God makes it evident to those around us that we are the children of God. Notice this again: “The Spirit… bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:16–17). The Spirit “bears witness”—or, in other words, reveals this understanding that we are the children of God.
The word “glorified,” again, is doxa, meaning majesty, an attribute pertaining to God. Paul encouraged the Thessalonians: “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12). This is exemplified in context beginning in verses 10–12.
Our Challenge
The word of God clearly provides the task at hand for us: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). This is not always easy, but it is doable for the Christian: “…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (v. 13).
Our success is based on the word of God, the word of “truth.” Jesus told us that we shall know the truth and it shall make us free (John 8:32). This word, the truth, sanctifies us, makes us holy. As stated earlier, it makes us amemptos [am’-emp-tos] hagiōsunē [hag-ee-o-soo’-nay], without fault or defect in regard to our Christian godly character through the Holy Spirit.
One final thought about all of this, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3–5).
Did you notice that you, (put your name here), are kept by the power of God because of what you do and believe and that you will be saved and revealed at the very end?
Kept by the power of God? One last bit of Greek: the word “kept” is phroureō [froo-reh’-o], protected by watching and guarding for the protected one to gain something, as in, “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls” (vv. 7–9).
Are you ready to be revealed in that glory?