"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." - Jesus of Nazereth (Matthew 18:3)
I’ve heard a lot of sermons convering this scripture and all of them pretty much end up at the same place. Sooner or later (the way most preachers like to talk — it’s usually later), you’re gonna hear "Becoming like a little child means that you look at God as your father. You love Him, you trust Him, and you obey Him without question".
And my reaction is always the same, "Who the heck’s kids are these people talking about and what planet did they kidnap them from?"
C’mon! "Obey without question?" It’s not normal for any kid I know.
In fact, the most feared word in a child’s vocabulary is "WHY".
"Put your shoes on."
"Why?"
"’Cause we’re going out to dinner."
"Why?"
"’Cause mommie needs a break tonight."
"Why?"
"She’s tired from working all day long."
"Why?"
"Because that’s what mommies do."
"Why?"
"God made things that way."
"Why?"
"Why don’t you ask God."
"Why?"
Get my point?
Sorry, it ain’t about questions, or the obedience. It’s all about the childlike nature of children.
It’s not the actions of the child that Jesus is talking about - but the mentality of the child. The awe, the innocence, the curiosity, the willingness to accept things unseen.
When you get a chance, take a moment to watch a child lost in play. There’s a real good possibility that you’ll catch a glimpse of the face of God.
Oh, and one more thing - it’s not what adults see in children that counts. It’s not how we feel about them. What matters is what they see in us - how children feel about us.
So, let’s be perfect, folks - let’s be like children… for our kids.
People in the "know" always tell us that "we can’t understand the nature of God". That God is unknowable, that the infiniteness of God is beyond our "finite" minds.
"But, while the nature of THE ALL is Unknowable, there are certain truths connected with its existence which the human mind finds itself compelled to accept." The Kybalion
According to the Gospels (the Biblical books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Jesus spent a good part of his ministry trying to get people (like us) with closed minds and feet of clay to open up their thinking and soar to knew heights. He comes up with some great stories (scholars call ‘em parables) that illustrate the nature of God and the Kingdom of Heaven using the sort of common, everyday stuff our little brains can handle.
Theres also another tool we can use. It’s got a fancy name - "intuitive reasoning" - but it works along the same lines. There are some things that we intuitively know must be true - even when there’s no way anybody can prove ‘em. For instance:
- God is All Powerful (Omnipotent) There can’t be anything (or anybody) more powerful than God… period. Gotta be true - no question about it. Now, this also means there can’t be any kind of power that isn’t God’s power ’cause - think about it - if you had power to do stuff outside of God’s power then it would mean you could do something God could not control. You’d have power "over" God which we’ve just figured out is a no-no.
- God is All Knowing (Omniscient) God has got to know everything there is to know. If there was stuff God didn’t know then God would be ignorant - and I think we can all agree that ignorance is not a godly trait. So, by definition, God can’t be "surprised" by stuff ’cause that would constitute a "revelation" and there isn’t anything that God doesn’t know that can be revealed. Also, God must know what has happened (past), what is happening (present), and what will happen (future). If God didn’t know the "future", future events would come as a surprise or a revelation to God, which we’ve just said can’t happen.
- God is Everywhere and Eternal (space and time) God has to be everywhere because there can’t be anything that can limit, restrict, define, disturb, or condition God. If there was something that could do any of those things, that something would have power outside of God and we’d be in conflict with intuitive rule #1 - the All Powerful nature of God. God also has to be Eternal - everlasting - with no end. God won’t have beginning either, ’cause if there’s a "before God", that would limit God by time, restricting God’s power, and again break the first rule of the All Powerfulness of God.
So there you have it - the nature of God: All Powerful, All Knowing, Everywhere in space and time.
So?
Well, check this out… Sinful Perfection
I have heard God is Everywhere. . .
If I, therefore, go anywhere - I will find God.
But if I go nowhere, God is always with me.
I have read that God is Everything. . .
If I, therefore, become anything - I will be like God.
If I remain nothing, God and I are One.
If God is All Knowledge, I should be a fool.
(1 Corinthians 1:27)
If God is Eternal, I should have no future.
(Matthew 6:34)
If God is All Power, then how Blessed are the Meek.
(Matthew 5:5)