Children of the Heavenly Father

Dear Readers, God’s Peace!

This week it has been placed on my heart to speak about children. I have noticed on my trips into many of your countries that there are very many children. This is a joy to see. Children are so precious.

However, when I have seen so many children, my thoughts have also been turned to sadness and urgency. This is because many of these children have parents that are not Christians. The parents may be Buddhists, Hindus, Muslim, Atheists, or just plain unbelievers.

The urgency I feel, is that it surely would be nice to be able to reach these children in time with the message of Jesus Christ before they come of age and they are indoctrinated into these non saving religions. I am so saddened when many millions and billions of children grow to adulthood and become members of non saving religions. Oh that they could hear the Truth of God’s Word in Jesus Christ unto the salvation of their souls.

Dear pastors, missionaries, and other true Christians. Be encouraged to continue to minister unto and teach the children. God’s Word in Proverbs 22:6 says
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

All children are created by God in His own image. He created all, He loves all, Jesus died for all, and all are still loved by our Lord. He wants that all would be saved. We know from God’s word that not all, but rather only a small portion of mankind will be saved. Thus we must proceed with the preaching of His word with great urgency. Life does not last very long at all. Many need to hear the Gospel and repent during this time of Grace. Very small children however, I believe are already believers. God created them and gives them faith. This is shown in John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Notice how it says every man that cometh into the world. All have had the light (Jesus) at one time!

We have many scriptures that I will share with you here that show that the children are very special in the eyes of our Lord.

Matthew 18:3
.. Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

. Matthew 18:6 (KJV)
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. The ones offending them and hurting them will be punished, not the little ones.

Matthew 19:14 (KJV)
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus said, become as little children. This is because they are innocent. Of such is the kingdom of heaven. This is the exact same reason that we baptize infants because they believe!

Mark 16:16 (KJV)
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Scripture says he that believeth and is baptized. We know that children believe, that is why we baptize them. Baptism does not save them, they already believe and are saved, therefore we baptize. If we did not consider Children to be in a saved state, it would be wrong to baptize infants. Even in the Old Testament we see that circumcision, which baptism replaced in the New Testament, took place at 8 days old. Children were special even in the Old Testament.

God created each man in his own image. Sin came into the world through Adam and Eve. Because of sin, we all now have the sinful portion. However children, until they come of an age when they are on their own thoughts, thinking, reasoning, start rebelling, and so forth, they have a childlike faith (the light we read about in John) given by their creator and made possible through Jesus Christ!

In Isaiah 1:18-20 (KJV) it says.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Children are not yet able to refuse and rebel against the Grace of God when small infants. The tiny children are willing and obedient, and shall eat of the good of the land. Should infants pass away, they shall go to heaven, I believe!

I surely would like to continue this discussion, but this letter is already getting too long for a blog and email. Lord willing in future weeks, we will look further into Children, Baptism, and other very important teaching of Jesus and the entire Bible.

May God Bless your Week! John