Last week we painted what appears to be a dark picture of mankind and its future. The results of
man’s Fall are much more permanent and far-reaching than most of us have realized. This includes an addiction to trying to be God ourselves—trying to determine what is “good” and not “evil” ourselves, independently of God.
However, this “terrible tragedy” of the Fall was exactly as God had planned, for He is ordering all things, even the “tragedy” of the Fall, according to “…the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). In other words, the Fall, and God’s solution for it (the Cross) happened exactly how and when God had planned—“when the fullness of time had come” (Galatians 4:4).
This inscrutable, divine will is beyond our human understanding, but one of the results of our addiction is to still insist on knowing and understanding ourselves how and why God does what He does. He has told us, very clearly, how we combat that urge. In these instructions, I believe there are three cornerstones that are necessary to overcome that addiction:
1.WE BECOME AS “LITTLE CHILDREN-” “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mathew 18:3). The Greek word for “children,” paidion, is used 51 times in the Bible, and means “a childling (of either sex), that is, (properly) an infant, or (by extension) a half-grown boy or girl” (Strong).
I love to picture myself as a little, 4-year-old child, walking with my Daddy, hand in His, looking up at him and knowing that “Daddy’s got whatever happens!” When we are living this way, as “little children,” I believe we have stepped out of our addiction and are “walking in the Spirit,” or “walking by faith!” The Kingdom of God comes wherever we go!
Paul further describes this “little child life” when he says in Galatians 4:6: “God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’” Vine’s Dictionary tells us that “‘Abba’ is the (Aramaic) word framed by the lips of infants, and betokens unreasoning trust; ‘father’ expresses an intelligent apprehension of the relationship. The two together express the love and intelligent confidence of the child.”
So, we are all like little children with our hands in Daddy’s, following Him wherever He takes us—WHERE, exactly? Every day, God is leading us into the world to do battle to fulfill our purpose of RULING OVER THE EARTH! Here’s how:
2. WE ARE LITTLE CHILDREN WHO “WALK IN THE LIGHT.” When my hand is in Daddy’s, and I’m trusting His leadership, I cannot bring myself to sin. Obedience to Him is natural, spontaneous and unconscious (NSU). Any efforts to “obey” are simply “works salvation,” plain and simple.
I also find myself eagerly and openly confessing my sin to my brothers and sisters: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). This is “walking in the light,” and as we do so we are dealing mortal blows to Satan as we establish God’s rule wherever we go as we walk in this way!
If I drop Daddy’s hand, my addiction roars back and I revert to independently taking off on my own, “living in the flesh!” When I have His hand, I am WANTING to do His will (“…for it is God who works in you, both TO WILL and to work for his good pleasure – Philippians 2:13). Then, NSU, I am effortlessly keeping His Law (“…so that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled IN US, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” – Romans 8:4).
I have become an EXCITED OBSERVER, never running from my already-forgiven sin, but instead “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). As we all learn to live in the weakness of a helpless, simple little child, walking in the light while holding Daddy’s hand, the Devil quakes as the Gates of Hell are attacked!
3. LITTLE CHILDREN, WALKING IN THE LIGHT, GATHER WITH OTHERS CORPORATELY. Christianity is not an individual sport. It cannot be played alone. Christians who have experienced cornerstones #! and #2 will naturally look for an ekklesia, or a “calling out, or assembly; a church” (Strongs) where this way of life is experienced. There we can be encouraged, fully and eagerly share our weaknesses and sins, minister to others NSU, and be ministered to as well.
In the church, everyone is free to participate. As a matter of fact, Paul says of the church body: “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary” (1 Corinthians 12:20-22). EVERYONE is crucial to the functioning of the church!
Paul gives us insight into what that looks like: “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26).
What a beautiful picture of how little children, walking in the light, do so together!. The result will be like the church at Thessalonika, where Paul was only onsite for three weeks. Run out of town by the Pharisees, we have no record of him ever returning. Yet sometime later he wrote to the church these words: “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything” (1 Thessalonians 1:8).
This is God’s “Little Children’s Crusade, on the march, and we will not be denied! We will rule over the earth, just as God ordained (Genesis 1:26-28)!
