With so many things screaming at us today–unemployment, recession, depression, the stock market collapse, mortgage crisis, layoffs, bills, family problems–no wonder it is difficult to keep the center of our thoughts on God’s plan and purpose.
Most do not know His eternal purpose, but even if they did, that knowledge would be drowned out by the “cares of this life” (Matt. 13: 22-23). And His vision for us on earth is choked out by fears.
But His eternal purpose remains steadfast. We must keep reminding the sheep of His pasture of their calling as His heirs–His sons and daughters. For His eternal purpose is that He is “bringing many sons unto glory.”
For if we keep His thoughts in mind, we shall never fall to the evil conspiracy that runs amok on every level of earthly existence.
You Shall Know the Truth
But our adversary, the devil, does not want us to glimpse the truth, for he knows it will make us free of the fear that is flung into every heart on this earth. Still Christ’s own promise is this: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8: 32).
What truth is He talking about? He said, “I am the truth.” So let’s examine Christ (the Truth) a moment so that we can know just what truth really is. Yes, He is the Son of God, but He promised that we, too, would be His sons and daughters. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name (John 1: 12).
Two points here that we must keep in mind in order to overcome the negative onslaughts that undermine us. First, God will give power to those who receive Christ–power to become just like Him, a son and daughter of God. Second, these will believe on His name. Very important. His original Hebrew name is Yahshua (like the patriarch’s English name “Joshua”). And this name has a specific meaning–a meaning that we need to believe!
The Meaning of the Savior’s Hebrew Name
“Yahshua” means, “The Eternal Self-Existent One (YAH) is the Savior (SHUA). The “Truth” is this: Yahweh dwelt in and walked around in the man known as Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And He, Yahweh, is the Savior (II Cor. 5: 19; Isa 43: 11).
They are one. And that is exactly what Christ said. “I and my Father (Yahweh) are one.” The Father resided in the body of the Son. Now we are the Son’s body, and by the Spirit’s presence, the Father now resides in us.
This is how “The Truth,” Christ, is being multiplied in a body of many people. The apostle Paul said that we will be glorified, and that this whole earth is waiting for this very event–“the manifestation of the sons of God” (Romans 8: 18).
Heirs of God, Joint Heirs with Christ
The vision that we shall be His heirs in His kingdom, clothed with a new spiritual body like Christ’s–this is the great theme of Paul and the other apostles’ writings. Some will become like Christ! There–I said it.
So the question then becomes this: Who of all the six billion on earth will answer this “holy calling” of sonship? Who will “lay their hands to the plow and not look back? Who will “sell all they have” in order to make their “calling and election sure”? Who will tell Him, “It is I, Lord, send me”? Who will “study to show themselves approved”? Who will be feeding His lambs and sheep the true spiritual food when He comes back to earth to establish His government? Who will “stand in the gap” and lay it on the line, unafraid of what man can do to them? Who will be found worthy in the end to do the “greater works” that Christ spoke of?
The future sons and daughters of God are in the earth today. The last question we need to answer is this: Am I going to be one of them? Kenneth Wayne Hancock