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"Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him (generated from Him)." - 1 John 2:28-29
Brothers & sisters, a word on something the Lord showed me about the relationship between being made new in Him, and becoming as little children...
The word "born of Him", in the writings of the apostle John refers to the gracious act of God in conferring upon those who believe the nature and disposition of "children," imparting to them spiritual life.' (see Strongs 1080-8a)
"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him." (1John 5:1). Again comparing those who believe to children.
In this day, many interchangeably use the terms 'saved' and being 'born again' as though they are the same thing. Although they are related, I believe there are very important differences between the two (but that is a study for another time). What I do know is that I have been 'saved' from the world by accepting the blood atonement of Messiah Jesus, and that the seed of God has been planted in me. In a sense, that seed is the beginning of a regeneration of who I am. As I humble myself and come before God with an willing and obedient heart, the Holy Spirit works in me to nurture that seed. As I turn from sin and practice righteousness, my spirit is renewed and that new creation coming forth from the seed of God receives strength and can continue to grow. We must have that interaction with the Holy Spirit of God working in us.
In encouraging the body of Christ to be partakers of the gifts of Spirit, and to be be unity one with another, the Apostle Paul writes -
"This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." - Eph 4:17-24
"be renewed in the spirit of your mind". The Greek word used here for being "renewed" is different than elsewhere in the New Testament, and it is the only time it is used. ananeoo means "to make new, MAKE YOUNG. Strongs defines its use in the passage from Ephesians as - "this renewal speaks not of that of the mind itself in its natural powers of memory, judgment and perception, but "the spirit of the mind"; which, UNDER THE CONTROLLING POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, directs its bent and energies God-ward in the enjoyment of fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, and of the fulfillment of the will of God."
Amen. We gain a deeper insight into the Truth of God when we look at the Word in the languages in which It was written. When the Hebrew & Greek are translated into modern English we too often lose some of the original meaning & intent of what was written.
Now I want to expound a little on the phrases I Capitalized above in Strongs definition of 'renewed'...
'MAKE YOUNG'
Jesus tells us that "whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." (Mark 10:15)
and again...
"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" (Matt 19:14)
To those like unto little children does the Kingdom of God belong.
Little children are humble. They are not born full of self-pride. They fully trust in their parents to care for them, to feed them when they are hungry, to catch them if they dive off the couch. They desire and enjoy fellowship with others their size, without prejudice.
(Having been a parent now for the past seven years, this that I wrote before my son was born has been confirmed now watching him grow.) It is this world that 'teaches' us as we grow to be biased, to become prideful, to boast in our accomplishments, to exalt ourselves. As Jesus told Pilate, who boasted in his power to release Jesus, or set Him free - "You would have no power over Me, except it were given you from Above." (John 19:11)
"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." - Luke 14:11
Little children look up to their parents. Many young boys brag about their dads and what they can do. Do we boast about our heavenly Father? Do we boast in our Lord?
As our King, do we rightly exalt Jesus' Name above all else? Do we boast of Him? Let our boast be of His strength in us. Of His salvation. Of His transforming power.
"Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord." - 1 Cor 1:31
Boasting not of our accomplishments, not seeking to exalt ourselves, but humbly honoring the greatness of our Savior.
It is in that sense that we are to be like little children. Jesus addresses this in Matthew's Gospel, when Jesus' disciples posed a question to the Master -
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said,
"Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - Matt 18:1-4
Jesus used a child as an example of the humility that is required to enter the Kingdom. He is not speaking of the immaturity of a child, for the Word exhorts us - "do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature" (1Cor 14:20). And we are called to grow in "faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature (perfect) man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (see Eph 4:13)
No, this is not license to behave immaturely or shirk responsibility. Rather the charge to "become as little children" is a call to be regenerated by the Spirit of God.
May we ever be eager to learn as young children, longing to know the things of God, and grow in the Lord... putting off the "old man" who is carnal and spiritually immature, and putting on the "new man" as we read in Eph 4:22-24.
Let us say as the Apostle Paul - "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (1 Cor 13:11)
The word for 'child' that Paul uses here - nepios - is not speaking of a humble little child as Jesus spoke of, but 'of those who are carnal, and have not grown, as they should have done, in spiritual understanding and power, the spiritually immature.' (Strongs Greek 3516)
Unlike Pontius Pilate and Herod (Acts 12:21-23) and others who were full of carnal pride and lacking in spiritual understanding... we are to be humble before the One True King, trusting Him to guide our lives by His Holy Spirit.
Therefore let us be found submitting to the 'CONTROLLING POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.'
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." - Rom 8:1 NKJV
Putting off the 'old man' and putting on the 'new'. Allowing His Spirit to renew us. The Holy Spirit who testifies of Jesus, who teaches us His ways.
Children are taught (or should be) by their parents what is right and what is wrong, and they with eager hearts & attentive minds desire to learn. As we grow in a society which vies for our attention from all directions, will we be as the child who longs to be taught by the Holy Spirit, the things of Christ and of God's Kingdom? Do we indeed desire to hear and learn from the "Helper, the Holy Spirit" of Whom Jesus said "the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." (John 14:26), that "Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father" to testify about Jesus? (John 15:26)
Just as a young son will follow his father around, wanting to learn from him and spend time with him, (as my little boy loves to spend time with me 😊 ) we must "walk after the Spirit", placing ourselves under His controlling power, allowing Him to lead us.
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." - Rom 8:14-16
Under that power of the Holy Spirit, as we walk in Him (Gal 5:16) we are able to put to death the malice and childish things which Paul spoke of, and be renewed.
"But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." - Col 3:8-10
I say again... may we ever be eager to learn as young children, longing to know the things of God, and grow in the Lord...
Jesus offers us an invitation to "learn of Me" (Matt 11:29), and to "commit our way to the Lord, and trust also in Him." (Psalm 37:5), and humbly allow His Spirit to "guide us into all Truth." (John 16:13)
I pray that our cry to our heavenly Father would be as that of King David -
"Teach me to do Your will,For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness."- Psalm 143:10
A cry offered with a childlike desire to learn of Him and with "hearts that are steadfast, trusting in the LORD." (Psalm 112:7)
"Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." - Mark 10:14-15
Dear saints, let us become as little children. Not in the sense of being immature, but in the sense of being eager to learn the ways of the King, eager to love Him and His people, that we may enter the Kingdom of our Lord, that we may walk in fellowship with the Father and with the Son.
Michael
To Him Who Overcomes
"do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."-Rom 12:2
