“A Voice for the Gathering Saints”
Duane Stewart

“God’s Family of Sons”

Humankind is God’s creation, which He purposed from Himself before the foundation of the world. This same God is now in that period of time wherein He is molding and shaping the finished product. That is to say, a family of sons now is maturing to the place of receiving fully their God given inheritance. This promise from God, according to His good pleasure, from the fall of Adam until today is a promise He shall fulfill as in Christ all things shall be. Eph. 1:9-11, “Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather in one all things in Christ (His head and body) both which are in heaven (the invisible realm) and which are on earth (the visible realm) – in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”

This word “purpose” as used in the above scripture is from the word “PROTHESIS.” It is a word coming from “PRO” meaning “before” and “THESIS” meaning “a place.” This word points to a “setting forth which suggests a deliberate plan, a proposition, an advanced plan, an intention, and a design.” Humankind then should know that God’s purpose in creating man was a well-planned purpose as He demonstrates His abiding faithfulness in awaiting the consummation of His plan. God’s plan, the birthing of a family of sons, made available because of God’s supreme sacrifice, the death, burial, and resurrection of His Elder Son Jesus.

In considering God’s eternal family of sons, we must look to and observe the types, the examples God left for us concerning the children of Israel. In observing the types, know and understand that God showed Moses a land of promise, which is but a symbol, a type of God’s true Promised Land. The symbol being sure but a shadow of a far greater purpose than that which Moses looked upon and saw. The church would do well to look beyond that land called Israel today and therein begin to see something far greater than the land called Canaan. (Read Deut. 34:1-12). In this type, shown to Moses from Mt. Nebo, a greater land is available for God’s people today. Note that centuries before Moses, Abraham had already dwelt in the same land but still, while in the land, he was looking for something better. They were looking for another country wherein God had prepared for them a city. Heb. 11:13-16, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they see a homeland. And truly, if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

The above scripture speaks of a country, which they came out of in their search for a new homeland. In searching for a homeland, know that their former dwellings point to the carnal sin nature in which they were born. In hearing God’s promises concerning a better heavenly (spiritual) country, their search, while not being fulfilled, they retained knowledge of God preparing for them a better place of dwelling. That better dwelling, now available through the Lord Jesus Christ, who prepares for us a city to dwell, also called God’s many mansions. The word “prepared” is the Greek word “HETOIMAZO” which has the meaning of “to make ready, make arrangements.” This word, while used as the preparations made for the blessings that God has ordained, it also include His judgments.

As we consider the children of Israel living in that land called Canaan, it is evident that they were still imperfect. This truth reveals that they were not yet living in the place, which Canaan is a type. Does not the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, point to God’s Holy of Holies, the place of God’s throne-room authority, a kingdom rulership of righteousness, peace, and joy? In today’s world of the Christian community, man’s imperfections are likewise evident and reveal that our soul has not yet been borne and moved into God’s Holy of Holies. However, the Feast of Pentecost wherein the true church of God dwells has received the provision of power needed to take the land, our bodies of spirit, soul, and bodies for that birthing to take place. As with Moses, the lawgiver, the house of flesh, saw the land from Mt. Nebo but could not enter in. There is also that portion of the church, which from the Holy place is seeing the land of the Holy of Holies and is seeing the need to die to the sin nature because the “end of all flesh” time in them has come. Consider that Moses by death at 120 years of age, which is God’s number representing and pointing to “the end of the flesh” could not enter in, pointing to carnal seekers today. Earnest seekers, coming to the end of self, are receiving and becoming these promises. These see and become. I Cor. 2:9-10, “But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, and the deep things of God.”

There is a need to know that revelation, once given needs more than the revelation, but steps taken to become the manifestation of the revelation is God’s desire. Seeing only brings to us that seed of hope, received in that it might now be fulfill unto the experience. Col. 1:26-27, “The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. As the saints pursue this hope, it will cause people to purify themselves, through the work of the cross, from the sin nature, which is the old country they came from. I John 3:3, “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He (God) is pure.” “Pure” is the Greek word “HAGNOS” which describes a person as: “clean, modest, undefiled, moral, faultless and without blemish”. For God’s people this speaks of a better country, a land (man’s spirit, soul, and body) which God has promised and is now maturing His people unto the Christ nature. This is the hope that encourages a people to allow the power of the Holy Spirit to put an end to all flesh, which is all carnality. Remember, Moses saw the Promised Land but could not enter as a type of the law, the flesh man.

Moses the lawgiver, a type of the flesh man has died to make way for Joshua, which is a type of the son who is now to enter into all the promises of God in taking the land. Today’s body of Christ, a first-fruits company of people, is now involved with the task of conquering every enemy that dwells in the land of man’s spirit, soul, and body. Understand, in conquering our land through the cross of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we will begin to have the necessary affect upon the world around us. This victorious people, by gaining victory over self-will and receiving God’s gifting, they will establish God’s kingdom over all creation. Rom. 8:22-23, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pains 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, the redemption of our body.” The firstfruits of the harvest are God’s pledge of the full harvest to come and the Holy Spirit is the pledge of our full adoption as sons. This people groan because the soul is going through the process of resurrection to bring redemption and resurrection to our corrupt bodies. Herein firstfruits people affect their surrounding world and bring change to any place God would lead them. John 3:34, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.”

Again we must consider Moses and Joshua, the types set before us in receiving the promise of taking our land, our bodies. The lawgiver, that which God gave to reveal the flesh and its inability to fulfill His Word, His nature, has to die in the land of Moab. Moab, the son of Lot, borne because of incest with his daughter speaks of a natural carnal world, which produces corruption named Moab, the product of self. Moab as a type of all carnal religions is the unholy land of flesh that Moses dies in for the law can make nothing perfect. (Read again Deut. 34:5-7). Moses’ age, being 120 years, also speaks of the end of all flesh. Thus, a firstfruits company of people are dying to the old corrupt man and resurrecting into God’s new creation man. They are becoming again a “living soul” which manifests the nature of Christ, which walks out all of God’s promises into an eternal kingdom. (Read Rom. 6:1-14). Note especially verses 6 and 8 that declare, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. …. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” Herein sanctification runs its course in bringing full access to the fullness of God’s perfect completed man.

God has completed man, a family of sons whose lives have been fully experienced in the death, burial, and resurrection with Christ, His family, His heirs who have the promise of no longer being servants or slaves but a coming into the full measure of God’s purpose. Gal. 4:4-7, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law (flesh man), that we might receive the adoption as sons (God’s new creation man). And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts (soul) crying out, Abba, Father! Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” This promise is a fact that is becoming a reality, knowing the experience of the Christ nature being in you. Notice the word “fullness” as used in verse four above. The Greek word “PLEROMA” which means “a full number, full complement, that which has been completed.” Thus, God’s chosen time has come to a full complement, completed within a people who are to harvest the kingdom of God in all the earth. Gal. 4:19, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” “Formed” speaks of a people changed in character, becoming conformed to the character of Christ in actuality, not merely in semblance.

The saints of God are now to manifest that which scripture calls “a perfect man,” leaving behind, through Christ’ death and resurrection, a way of life called “the trickery of men who live in the craftiness of deceitful plotting.” Calling for a people separated unto God for His good pleasure, that is, a family of sons. Eph. 4:13-15, “Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things unto Him who is the head – Christ – .” Herein Moses, the lawgiver, the flesh man dies to put an end to all flesh while Christ, as a seed, placed within repentant man to grow into God’s man-child, becoming His family, His sons. (Read Eph. 4:17-24).