This is kind of a hard concept to understand but only for the adult mind. As adults we tend to overthink EVERYTHING; we are jaded by “life experience”; but God plainly stated that unless we become as little children we cannot see Heaven or Him!
Many who profess to be Christian have confused faith with pretending! Both are acting like something we DON’T have now, is real. But one believes the invisible thing they hope for is real or really coming. While the other is acknowledged by playing a game of self deception, i.e., when we pour pretend tea for our friends. But if you believe the Bible, faith is the evidence of things UNSEEN, things HOPED for!
So what makes us ready to see Him? He told me this morning to look at the first state of the apostles, each one a sinner, each one in the depth of the dirtiness of life as fisherman, tax collectors, etc. But each one was approached and encountered Christ in person, in the flesh! We ascribe some high level worthiness to each of these people as “Saints”, but what if the reason He approached them was that they each had a very childlike heart, simple mindedness, in essence, BIG KIDS!
Today, I now believe that is why they were chosen. It is precisely this attitude of childlike faith that I see is necessary and is easily conformed and transformed into Christ likeness. You will never be able to be like Christ in any high minded academic superiority as any of that apart from the spirit of God is less than useless. Paul said so. In fact, he said “I count it all as dung!”
We must maintain the wonder and trust of a child. If we don’t, we drift into religion which is death and lacks the power of personal encounter and relationship with Jesus. How could you ever imagine as an adult you could meet Jesus for real in the flesh now today unless you had the Faith as a little child? You can’t! Jesus is real. He has a real physical body right now. He is also God and can appear to us if He desires and He said we must have the faith of a little child and without faith it is impossible to please Him! And He said there is great faith and little faith. So great faith must be more childlike, more believing, more trusting!
He said a lot of things in His word. I believe He said what He meant and meant what He said. Yet many today through “theological” learning are farther from believing and trusting in the very things He did and said we would do, because they don’t see it today. They don’t see it in themselves or others they are raising up so they make excuses and reasons why it doesn’t work. They make new statements of “faith”, leaving behind many of the powerful spiritual concepts that would revolutionize the Christian faith, like healing the sick! Remember, Jesus and the apostles healed all who came to them even their shadows falling on people brought healing!
When we can hear this and be excited in great hope, great belief, great trust and faith as a child again and not overthink it, or be embarrassed by it, we will start to see it again! It is coming and God is preparing the hearts of many right now to once again go forth and bring deliverance to the captives and sight to the blind, etc!
It’s time to trust God and let His word be the simple gospel again. And if we don’t see what it says happening, we need to look to Him and ask why- not because it’s his fault but because WE are missing something! You’ll find it’s most likely some mindset that is hindering us from receiving. So how is your walk? Where are you on the journey of faith? Are you stuck in adulting or ,are you headed to the funzone with Jesus? It’s so fun when we can rest and trust and believe simply because He said it, so I can do it! Let’s practice this till we get it right!
Have a great day!
~Shane