To Be Like a Child
In order to Enter the Kingdom of God….
1. He must become like a “CHILD’’
Mat 18:3 - And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye
be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. BUT..to become like a CHILD ……..
A. You Need To Be TRULY Converted (Revived, Born from Above, Born- Again, Circumcised in the Heart
TRUTH No. 1 - It is IMPOSSIBLE for us to become like a child by our Own Doing (back to the nature of man)
Mar 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mar 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
A1. Not according to ourselves…..
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
A2. It is the Work of the Father
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
B. We need to Examine Yourself
2Co_13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
B1. Consider your ways…
Hag 1:5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
B2. ONLY Because By Our Own Ways
Bring to Nothing…
Hag 1:6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
C. We must not be comfortable with our present spiritual condition….
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
2. True Believers MUST progress
unto Maturity
From the true conversion to becoming like a child…
WE NEED TO MATURE
So that ….
TRUTH No. 2:
You will not GROW INTO MATURITY UNLESS you become like a child.
Paano ka tatanda kung hindi ka naging BATA?
TRUTH No. 3:
MATURITY in JESUS is to DIE to SELF
By nature, man does not want to die to himself
Self Preservation
Self Gratification
3. We need to be transformed (sanctified)…
and be conformed to the likeness of the LordJesus Christ (Rom 8:29)
the living soul must ‘die’ to himself and be like
Christ like again (Mat 16:24-25)
Truth No. 4
You will not desire to die to self unless you recognize that you are still alive in the flesh (Hindi mo nanaising mamatay sa sarili KUNG di mo nalalaman na ikaw ay buhay ayon sa SARILI).
The LORD JESUS CHRIST has Given Us an Example for our Admonition
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Luk_9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Joh_5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
In order to Die from Ourselves
(AT UPANG MAMATAY SA SARILI…)
Every moment, As The Living Soul look unto Jesus….
We see the Undefiled ‘Life of God’,
the goodness of HIS grace unto us…. ….
…only because we experience walking in the Light (1 John 1:7)…
…and by the Holy Spirit, HE allows us to see the darkness in our lives…
…and His Blood cleanses us from all our sins (1 John 1:8)..
…then we have fellowship with Him (1 John 1:7)..
3. The MORE we DIE from ourselves…and be transformed from glory to glory
Mat 10:39 For whosoever will save his life..
shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake ..
shall find it.
1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time:
The characteristics of being like a child
A child is totally dependent to his father (for food, shelter, protection, clothings..)
He longs for the fellowship of his father;
He wants and always hold the father’s hand;
He wants to listen to the voice of his father;
Enjoys the fellowship of other children;
Does not do his own;
Always longs for the care and love from his father;
He is constantly learning from his father;
He says what he learned, heard and saw from his father.
The more we look unto Jesus. the more He exposes the darkness in our lives (Romans 1:29-31)
…the more His grace abounds (Romans 5:20)…
…the more we DIE to ourselves….(then we go back….)
…the more we become like a ‘CHILD’…
Amen!