Chapter 1 Who are the Manifested Sons of God? 01
Chapter 2 When Will They Appear and Why? 10
Chapter 3 Six Steps to Manifestation 14
Chapter 4 Entering School 25
Chapter 5 Preparing Mentally 29
Chapter 6 Preparing Physically 37
Chapter 7 Draw Nigh to God 40
Chapter 8 Mortify Your Flesh 45
Chapter 9 Walk by Faith 51
Chapter 10 Become a Friend of God 61
Chapter 11 Love 65
Chapter 12 Behold His Beauty 72
Chapter 13 The Desire to Serve Him 78
Chapter 14 Place No Limits 88
Chapter 15 Acquire a Taste for Change 93
Chapter 16 Be Content 102
Chapter 17 The Glory Revealed in Us 110
Chapter 18 Well Done 116
Chapter 19 The Millennial Kingdom 132
Chapter 20 The New Jerusalem 142
Chapter 21 Our Father 149
Chapter 22 Conclusion 153
Romans 8:19-22 says, “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. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” John 8:32 says, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” In this book, I will be sharing with you some of the truths I have received from God. They are set forth in a simple manner that is easy to understand. Some questions that will be answered are:
· Who are the manifested sons of God?
· How does God’s Word describe these sons?
· How do these scriptures apply to you?
· Can you become a manifested son of God?
· What preparation is necessary to become a manifested son of God?
You may or may not have been taught about what it means to be a manifested son, so let us begin with a basic definition. Becoming a manifested son of God is the culmination of your spiritual growth from the time you entered into the kingdom of God at salvation until you become a reflection of the Son of God. (The term son includes both genders.) Unfortunately, many believers think it is impossible to attain such a status. Others deceive themselves into believing they have reached a high level of spiritual maturity and are already manifested sons of God, yet there is little or no fruit to substantiate their assumption. Still others believe they are able to mature to a certain level but never become Christ-like in their motives, thoughts, and actions. Obviously, the church holds varying opinions on this subject.
In this book, God (by his Spirit) will reveal his plans and purposes for his manifested sons. It is my prayer that your spiritual eyes will be opened as you read and that you will receive truths that will change your life forever. I encourage you to lay aside any opinions or ideas you have concerning this subject. Read this book with an open heart, a desire to learn, and a willingness to receive truth.
It is a privilege to be called a son of God. It is an even greater privilege to be a manifested son of God. If you desire to be a manifested son, you must seek and obey God’s instructions in order for the manifestation to take place. This book will show you who the manifested sons are; but more importantly, what you must do to become one yourself.
Romans 8:13-23 says, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon 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 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. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
The manifested sons of God are those believers who have matured to the point that they possess God’s nature and character. They have died to self, been emptied of their selfish desires, and are filled with the Spirit. Before a person can become a manifested son of God, they must first become a son of God. Romans 8:14 gives a specific description of the sons of God; those who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God.
The work Christ did on the cross provided everything we need to become sons of God. Nothing can be added to what Jesus did. Jesus Christ has paid all that is needed to be a son of God (whether manifested in maturity or not). In him we have the provision to become manifested sons of God, but we must first go through the process of coming to spiritual maturity. Romans 12:2 refers to one portion of this process as the renewing of our minds as we become more like Christ.
Once again, Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” You become a child of God through salvation; however, the term son of God refers to something entirely different. The difference between being a child of God and being a son of God is explained by the Apostle Paul in Romans 7 and 8. In Romans 7, Paul was a child of God, but he said in verse 15, “For that which I do I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do.” Paul found himself in a state of war with his flesh. Even though he was a child of God, his flesh kept him from being led by the Spirit, which would have made him a son of God. In chapter 8, it is obvious that many dramatic changes had taken place in Paul’s life. Instead of battling with the flesh, he was led by the Spirit and was obviously considered a son of God.
The truths in Romans 8 reveal vital insights into how we, too, can move from fighting with the flesh all the time to walking in the Spirit as Paul did. An in-depth study of Romans 7 and 8 will open your eyes to numerous truths that will produce the same fruit in you that Paul enjoyed as he walked in fellowship with God. I suggest that you spend some time studying these passages. They will give you tremendous revelation into the changes that are necessary for you to move from the flesh to the Spirit.
Flesh Versus Spirit
In Romans 8:8, Paul explains that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. We must come to the realization that if we live in the flesh, we will never please God. Contrarily, if we live in the Spirit and are led by him, we cannot fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). It is impossible to walk in the Spirit and the flesh at the same time. Abiding in the Spirit causes you to become a son of God. Paul learned how to control his flesh because he wanted to please God, and we can do the same thing.
All believers have faced the same frustration Paul did in Romans 7. The carnal nature (flesh) wars against the Christ nature in us. As soon as we are born into God’s family, the struggle begins. We often find that our flesh is much stronger than we realized. We must face the fact that the old nature will never cooperate with God; therefore, it must die! We must mortify the flesh because it is contrary to the Spirit and always will be. Our natural man (the carnal nature) will never agree with what God says or obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It must be denied until it has no power over us. Otherwise, there will be a constant battle between our flesh and the Spirit of God.
Let me say it once again! The flesh and the Spirit are contrary to each other and always will be. You cannot be in the flesh and the Spirit at the same time. However, you can move from one to the other. Someone who is spiritually sensitive is able to detect such a change. You may have recognized such a change in yourself or other believers.
There is no way to overcome your flesh while abiding in the old nature. When you receive the nature of Christ at salvation, you are given an alternate way of living. You receive the Spirit when you are born again, and the Spirit gives you the power to become a son of God.
God is trying to purge the carnality out of his children so there is nothing left within them but his nature. You cannot be a son of God if you are submitted to your sinful nature. When you walk in sin, you are acting like the devil. However, when you obey God and manifest his character, you are acting like him. You are then referred to as a son of God.
At this point, I am not talking about being a manifested son of God. That is a different matter altogether. You must first become a son of God (one who is led by the Spirit) before you can become a manifested son of God. Being a manifested son of God involves going through the process of maturing into the image of Christ.
Become a Son of God
As a child of God, you may have wondered exactly what God has called you to be. First and foremost, he has called you to be his son. (Please remember thatson in the Word refers to both genders.) He also desires that you become a manifested son, which is simply a son who has grown up and become spiritually mature. As a manifested son, you will be busy doing the works of the Father, reflecting godly character, and abiding in the Spirit consistently.
The blessings God desires to give his children are clearly explained in the Scriptures, but we often seem unable to believe or receive them because they cannot be discerned by our natural minds. We limit God’s revelation by depending on our limited, fallible reasoning abilities. We also miss God’s truths because others have told us that his promises are for another time period or are only for a select few. Many Bible believing preachers will tell you there are manifested sons of God; however, most of them believe you cannot become a manifested son until you receive your glorified body. Therefore, having faith in that false teaching will hinder your belief that you can become a manifested son of God in this life.
You must decide whether or not you will continue to believe such a lie or choose to believe the truth. It is a sad thing to hear truth and yet not believe or receive it because you already believe a lie. (Remember that a lie is anything you believe other than truth that can be confirmed by God and his Word.) The truths in God’s Word will change your life if you choose to believe them. I suggest that you stop right now and examine your heart. Ask yourself whether or not you want to receive truth. If you realize that you have believed lies about who God has called you to be, now is the time to repent. Open your heart and seek God for the answers you need about how to become a manifested son of God.
Reaching Maturity
I dare say many of you who are reading this book believe you cannot come to the measure of the fullness of Christ (a manifested son of God) until you leave your mortal body behind. The truth is, you can mature into the measure of the fullness of Christ, and there is no excuse for you not to do so. Please understand that maturing to the measure of Christ does not mean reaching perfection and being equal to Christ in righteousness or position. It simply means that as a manifested son of God, you have come to maturity in whatever you are called to be as part of Christ’s body. In other words, you have developed spiritually to the point that you have reached maturity in your particular part of the fullness of Christ. Each of us is a part of Christ’s body, and each one can reach his specifically ordained level of the measure of Christ when manifested as a son of God.
When you reach maturity as a manifested son of God, you will not be like believers who have remained carnal and selfish. In John 14:12, Jesus said his sons would do even greater works than he did because he was going back to the Father. How does this happen? It happens when each one of us functions in maturity in the body of Christ. You are an individual member of Christ’s body, and you are called to be fitly joined together with other members of the body. 1 Corinthians 12:18 says God places each person in the body as it pleases him. When all the parts function together as the Spirit leads, greater works than we can imagine will be done.
It is hard to find a church whose members are abiding in Christ and joined together, functioning as the Spirit wills. Most of the members do not become sons of God (they are not led by the Spirit), and even fewer become manifested sons of God. The fullness of Christ can only be attained when all of the members of his body are functioning in maturity in the place where God has called them to be. God has called all of us corporately to be the fullness of Christ. No single person can reach the fullness of Christ by himself. God is requiring you to come to the fullness of your part of Christ’s body. In other words, you are to mature to the measure that God has ordained you to be in the likeness of Christ.
The manifested sons of God will be those who have come to maturity in the part to which they are called in the fullness of Christ. They will not be perfect, but they will have matured to the level that God has called them to be. The character and nature of God will manifest in them.
Five Gift Ministries to the Church
Ephesians 4:10-16 refers to Jesus as it says, “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
God gave five ministries to his church. Ephesians 4:12 says they were given for the perfecting of the saints. Perfecting basically means “the complete furnishing” (Strong’s G2677). These ministries were given for the furnishing and preparation of the saints to do the various works of the ministry. One of these works is building up the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:16 explains the culmination of this process, which is every part being fitly joined together, giving and receiving from each other in love.
Biblical foundations for the church need to be laid by the shepherds. Ephesians 2:20 says we (the church) are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Sadly, much of the church today does not believe these two ministry gifts still exist. However, in the last days the Lord is opening the doors for these five ministry gifts to do what they have been called to do, which is to prepare and furnish the body of Christ to do the work of the ministry. This work has not been completed, and there is much foundational work that needs to be done in believers if they are going to become manifested sons of God.
Satan has deceived many in the church to believe that apostles and prophets only existed in the first century church. The proof that this doctrine is a deception is found in Ephesians 4:13, which says, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Obviously this work has not been completed in the church today. It has not been accomplished because the five ministry gifts are not in the church doing what God has called them to do. In most cases, only a few of the ministries are functioning. It is no wonder that the body of Christ has not come to maturity and its members do not manifest the nature of Christ.
God’s Promise to Us
God does not intend for his children to struggle spiritually until Jesus returns. He has already made us more than conquerors through his love (Romans 8:37). He has made us to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). The Spirit has already been given to us as the earnest of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14). According to Acts 1:8, we have been given the power to be what God has called us to be, which are manifested sons of God.
With all the great and wonderful promises that God has given, and everything that he has provided, you only have one question to answer. What is hindering you from becoming a manifested son of God? It is the process of finding those hindrances and eliminating them one by one that makes it possible to become a manifested son of God.