“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:19-12).
“The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah” (Luke 3:15 NIV).
For more than four hundred years before the coming of Christ, the heavens seemed closed to the nation of Israel. They heard nothing from God but silence. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had been taken into captivity by Assyria, and then the Southern Kingdom of Judah later went into captivity in Babylon. But there was a promise of a Messiah who will eventually restore the Kingdom to the Israelites and restore peace and freedom to the people and cause Israel to become once again a powerful nation it was under King David. This was the hope and eager expectation the people of Israel were subjected to- the expectation of a Saviour who will bring deliverance, peace and prosperity to the nation. The Saviour then became their only hope of deliverance and freedom from the bondage and captivity of the enemy.
The situation of the children of Israel is a typical representation and example of the whole creature. The world is under the captivity and dominion of Satan. People everywhere irrespective of tribe, education and status have become lawful captive of the enemy. Different communities have peculiar sins and sinful habit to which they have been enslaved. Some parts of the country are known for stack idolatry while some are under the yoke and bondage of sexual perversions. In some other places it is witchcraft, Satanism and licentious living of drunkenness and wild party. These are the bondages of corruption that Satan has subjected humanity to. There is not a part of the world you get to and you don’t find the yoke of the strongman on the neck of the people. The situation of men is like that of the children of Israel as described by Jeremiah the Prophet. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the children of Israel and children of Judah were oppressed together and all that look them captives held them fast; they refuse to let them go.” This is the situation of sinners everywhere. They are a lawful captive of sin, self and Satan and things that hold them captive will not always let them go naturally because the strongman is stronger and he will not always allow his captive to go free.
However, no captive desires to be in perpetual bondage and captivity. Every person desires freedom, liberty and deliverance from his bondage and oppression. This is the earnest expectation and hope of every prisoner everywhere, that one day there will be a deliverance from his bondage. Several people who have been held captive by sin, Satan, sickness, oppression, lack and other forms of bondage eagerly and earnestly desire deliverance though the way they do not know. And in every place and land you presently find yourself, there are many expectations of the creature eagerly waiting for the manifestations of the children of God.
The sinner desires to be free from the bondage of sin and sinful habits, but alas! The Way of peace have they not know; destruction and misery remain on their ways. Their helpless cry is; “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body this death?” Even though they keep sinning, yet there is a cry in their hearts for deliverance but they can by no means deliver themselves from lawful captivity to which they are subjected to. The oppressed are likewise looking for someone to bring relief and peace. Captives of witchcraft are waiting for deliverance.
Young men and women are looking for someone to show them right path to follow. The sorrowful and the broken-hearted are waiting for someone with the healing balm and soothing relief for their comfort. Several employers of labour have never known the joy and happiness of faithful and loyal services of employees who will serve faithfully as unto the Lord; they are also hoping and eagerly expecting that one day, something good will come their way. Several lands and villages that can well be described as “The dark places of the earth” where wickedness and demonic practices have found habitation are also waiting for someone that will come with the glorious light of the Gospel of Salvation for their deliverance. As a matter of fact, there is expectation in the hearts of men everywhere. However, God’s own response and solution to the expectations of the scripture is: “…The creature itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
God seems to be saying this to the cre
ature: your deliverance, freedom and liberty can only come from the glorious liberty of the children of God. This means that the earnest expectation of the creatures can only be met by the manifestation and appearance of the children of God. God therefore subjects the creature to the hope of the glorious revelation and manifestation of the sons and daughters of God. It is to this earnest expectation of the creature that God now responds to by posting his children to the nooks and crannies of the world to appear as the answer and solutions to the expectations of men. You are a response of God to a need on earth. “You are the light of the world.” Don’t become another problem to be solved.
ature: your deliverance, freedom and liberty can only come from the glorious liberty of the children of God. This means that the earnest expectation of the creatures can only be met by the manifestation and appearance of the children of God. God therefore subjects the creature to the hope of the glorious revelation and manifestation of the sons and daughters of God. It is to this earnest expectation of the creature that God now responds to by posting his children to the nooks and crannies of the world to appear as the answer and solutions to the expectations of men. You are a response of God to a need on earth. “You are the light of the world.” Don’t become another problem to be solved.
“And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James and went up into a mountain to pray and it came to pass, that on the ninth day, when they come down from the hill, much people met him. And behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, master, I beseech thee look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And lo, a spirit taketh him and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departed from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.” (Luke 9:28, 37 – 45).
Here is a clear illustration of the expectation of the creature. In the passage, Christ had gone to the mountain to pray with three of his disciples while He left the rest behind to represent Him in case of any challenge or emergencies. And while Christ was on the mountain, a man, who had always seen the disciples with Christ came to them with the expectation and hopes that his needs would be met by the rest of Christ’s disciples who stayed behind, but unfortunately, his expectations and hopes were dashed. The man came looking for Christ in them but could not find it. He looked for answers to his problems but they could not proffer solution to the problem.
The Disciples of Christ disappointed Christ and the man who came seeking their help. They have raised hopes and expectations in the heart of men as men saw them followed Christ. But alas! Theirs was a cloud without water. They were like a mirage to the on-looking man, ever promising but never able to deliver. A mirage is a promise of water on a tarred road in an exceptionally hot afternoon. But the nearer you draw to it, the farther it leads you away until it vanishes without being able to deliver. Raising hopes only to succeed in dashing the same.
This clearly describes the lives of some Christians. When they came people thought they were true to the name “Christian.” But rather they have proved otherwise. Rather than bringing deliverance to the creature from the bondage of its corruption, they only succeeded in adding to it. They came in the appearance of sheep only to be wolves in sheep clothing. They were given hand of fellowship but have ravaged the people of God. Several of them who found themselves among young girls only succeeded in exploiting and abusing the innocence of those young hearts who had looked up to them in hope of a glorious manifestation. This indeed is a shameful manifestation.
Several employers who have trusted and expected something good from so called Christians have been highly disappointed by their display of unfaithfulness, covetousness and lack of integrity in all mattes of life and services. Some have closed the door of the Gospel to the coming generation in their places of work as they misrepresented Christ and put His name in disrepute. “These are spots in your feast of charity… clouds are they without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots, raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame…” but the earnest expectation of the creature is still waiting for the manifestation of the true sons of God. How I pray that your life may bring deliverance and a fulfilled hope to the expectation of men, especially in this one life you have got.
“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer being the ninth they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called beautiful to ask alms of them entered into the temple; who seeding Peter and John about to go into the temple asked on alms, and Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, look on us. And he gave heed onto them expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple walking and leaping, and praising God.” (Acts 3:1-8)
Once again we see the Disciples of Christ confronted with the expectation of the creature which God has subjected in hope to the manifestation and the appearance of the sons and daughters of God. They were still the same disciples who had failed before, but now they have got something to offer. One time they were like mirage and clouds without water, but now they were clouds full of water ready to give rain to the thirsty lands and hearts. Truly, when the clouds are full, they empty themselves on the earth! “… and Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said: Look on us.” That is the statement of those who have something to offer the waiting hearts.
Two things stand out clear from this passage: one, you can only give what you have. Two, you can still succeed irrespective of your past failures and disappointments. Understanding these two facts has a long way to go in determining how relevant your life will be. The reason why some have come and gone like the passage of the snake on the rock is due to the fact that they had nothing to offer. And the real fact is, you cannot give what you don’t have. Do you really have what it takes to meet the expectations of the creature? Is what you are carrying genuine and sufficient enough to share out to others? Remember, only the sons of God can meet the expectation of the creature. Are you one of them? Are you born of God or you are only born into the church activities? Are you part of the family of God who only has the capacity and the ability to bring change to others? Before you can do that, you yourself must first have been delivered from the bondage of corruption by the transforming power of the Gospel of Christ. This is the reason while several so-called Christians have caused reproach to the name of Christ. They had the language, the appearance and the form of godliness but the real life of godliness is absent in their lives. EXCEPT you are genuinely born again and delivered from the bondage of inward corruption to which all natural men are subjected to, the best you can offer is to add to the existing bondage by making things worse. Corruption cannot deliver corruption. Sinners, though religious can never make a positive change anywhere. No, not at all! Just as flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, no more can a religious sinner make any difference as far as meeting the expectation of the creature is concerned. He that is born of the flesh is flesh. No matter the level of your religious commitment, if the life you bear is that of a man born of a woman, you cannot walk in the reality of the glorious manifestation of the sons of God. The new life, the life of Christ is the only life that can bring deliverance from the bondage of corruption. It is the only life that can subdue sin and place you far above all that have cause the downfall of several lives who should have been deliverers. Are you born again? Today is the accepted time, today is the day of your salvation. As you bow your head in acceptance, renouncing your sins and sinful lifestyle, ask Christ to come into your life and give you a fresh start in life. It is only as you have this experience that you can be a “hope that maketh not ashamed” and also become a deliverer of the creature from the bondage of its corruption.
There are still some others who have wasted part of their lives in riotous living. Every opportunity to have made impacts was squandered in loose, careless living. Perhaps this describes you. You wish you had maximized your days but you were trapped by several entanglements which cut you short. May be some part of your life is a story of shame, and you are crying like the words of a song writer: “oh the years in sinning wasted, could I but recall them now, I would give them to my Saviour”. To such I am glad to announce that, “There is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root therefore wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof dies in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth bough like a plant.” There is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, the word of God declares! The grace and mercy of God is still available for anyone who will reach out to God in repentance and dedication of life and service to God.
If some parts of your time and life have been wasted, I see God present you a glorious opportunity to make up for your losses as well as fresh grace to fulfill destiny. Will you allow the remaining part of your life to be wasted again? What will you write in the blank space of the remaining part of your life, fruitful service or wasted year? God does not consult your past to deal with your present. Beyond the failure of the past and the regret of wasted years, God can still do much more with your life. There is no future in the past. I urge you to put the past behind you like Paul the Apostle, and reach forth unto those things which lie ahead. The remainder of your life is another opportunity to put Satan to shame and live the rest of your life to the honour and glory of God. Who can tell if the service of these remaining days of your life may be credited to your account as of a thousand year! “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
“And Samson called unto the LORD and said, O Lord God remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, o God, that I may be at once avenge of the philistines for my two eyes…” (Judges 16:28). That was the prayer of Samson! He asked God only for one more chance to rewrite the story of his life. “Only once…..” he pleaded with God. This one year of service can turn your life around permanently and forever if you will seek the face of the Lord.
“And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said; let me die with the philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might and the house fell upon the Lords and upon all the people that were there in. so the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”
What God did for Samson “only this once” s
urpassed his failures of many years! The remainder of your life can be years of great recovery as you yield yourself over to God afresh in absolute surrender for an acceptable service to Him. God wants to move in and through us to bring answers, deliverance, and solution to the earnest expectations of the creature in every place we are scattered to.
urpassed his failures of many years! The remainder of your life can be years of great recovery as you yield yourself over to God afresh in absolute surrender for an acceptable service to Him. God wants to move in and through us to bring answers, deliverance, and solution to the earnest expectations of the creature in every place we are scattered to.
“In that day,” says the Lord, “I will answer the pleading of the sky for clouds, which will pour down water on the earth in answer to its cries for rain. Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapes, and the olive trees for moisture. And the whole grand chorus will sing together “Jezereel”- God plants.”
May your life become reason for songs of praises unto God.
Part 2 talks about how to fulfill the prophecy hanging over your life. Watch out!