When I Was A Child.......
By Starre Steinmetz
1Corinthians 13:9-13 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Christians are the children of God when they are born again, born of the Spirit and washed in the blood of their Savior Jesus. The only thing each one has to do to be a child of God is to let the Holy Spirit speak to his heart and let himself be drawn to Jesus to believe Jesus is the only one who can deliver him from his sin and save him from the wrath of God that is to eventually come upon all men who do not have Jesus in their heart. Each one must humble himself unto his Holy Savior and submit himself completely to Him through the Holy Spirit. Each one who will submit himself to the Wonderful Gentle Holy Spirit Power, asking Jesus for forgiveness of sin and inviting Him to come into his heart will be born again and made a son of God. He is a babe in Christ first and as Jesus, or God's Word is made real to his heart, he matures and is able to grow into a Spiritual House, clean and acceptable unto The Holy God who made him and redeemed him from his sin and dwells within the clean and pure vessel that God alone has made. It is all the Wonderful Works of God and all we do is submit ourselves to Him and let Him do everything to cleanse us by His Holy Spirit Power so that He can present us to Himself a glorious church, without spot or blemish. (Ephesians 5:26-27 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.)
Each one who obeys the call to believe in Jesus is a child of God. In God’s eyes, I guess, it is safe to say, compared to Him, we will always be children, hopefully always growing into a mature state of God’s Love. Make no mistake about it though, as long as we are in a body of corrupt flesh and blood, there is still sin there, and even though the blood of Jesus ever covers our sin, it remains until we die or we are taken up in the great catching up in the first resurrection when our vile bodies will be changed to that which is perfection.
Let us examine something that, first of all, every Christian should let take over their lives to bring them into a state of maturity. If we can let Jesus speak to our hearts about how He Loves, and we can understand how He wants us to grow in that Love, we can understand what it means to be a true and always maturing Christian. I believe a lot of immature people want to be Christians for the wrong reason. They know there is a heaven and they want to go there, but they cannot seem to let the Word of God be sealed in their heart and let themselves die to self and to listen to the Holy Spirit to really show them how to get there. They think if they say they believe in Jesus and also go through certain religious motions of rituals and sacraments they are doing the right thing and God is going to honor these things. This is religious thinking that man has made up for there is no proof from the Word of God in the New Testament.
Being a true Christian is no light thing. The sooner each person gets the understanding, the better, because the responsibility of being a Christian is very great. Everyone should take another look at what a true Christian is in the Words of Jesus when He speaks about being born again and becoming such as the innocence of a little child. When I took Jesus and His Word and what He has done for me by faith into my heart, His Holy Spirit truly entered in and God’s Love in Jesus started to come into my heart with gentle Holy Spirit Power. This started to affect a change that set me apart from all things that would come from the world. A true Christian does not have Jesus in his heart by any religious action. God’s Love cannot be measured by any religious ritual or sacramental activity, for the New Testament Word of God does not mention anything such as holy days, religious rituals, or anything of holy sacraments some people go through as the false religion has taught them to do to have salvation.
If each Christian can acknowledge that he is a sinner and repent of his sin and let the Word of God come into his heart by the Power of the Holy Spirit of Truth, God's Love will start to grow there. As he continues to humble himself unto the Holy Spirit of Truth and lets this Holy Love continually grow in his heart, little by little a babe in Christ will start to grow and mature and be useful in the ministry that each Christian has been called into and given power for service. When it comes to being a Christian everyone must follow the Holy Spirit and wait upon Him, being always humble and prayerful in all things so as to allow the Holy Spirit to put the correct understanding of the Word of God into each heart and mind. When each one receives understanding the correct meaning of God’s Love will enter in and be sealed there for eternity. All who let this happen will know for sure, because there will be the true Power and Presence of the Holy Spirit that will definitely be felt in their inner most being and a change to a pure Christ like thinking will take place. Their Christian life will be continuous in His Love and be enriched more and more in that Love Jesus brought down for us to accept into our heart and to let it grow by His Power alone.
First of all the change from a new Christian to a mature one can be at various paces, but it should start as soon as possible by obeying the Holy Spirit of Truth and letting Him have control. I have always tried to be as reserved as possible and listen to what the preacher was talking about, trying to be still and know what God was speaking to my heart. I urge everyone to let this happen to them.
At various stages of our Christian childhood and maturity we will know in part and prophesy in part, but when we are ready to advance, the Holy Spirit will bring a more perfect understanding of certain things that should take over our lives more. I have noticed something in my own life that is very interesting. The more I let the Holy Spirit lead me through God’s Word and the more I remain prayerful in following the Holy Spirit, my progressive understanding of God’s Love keeps gradually changing my whole structure of life to the things above. I know that it affects my thoughts and my actions and even the way I speak to others and feel about others in a more compassionate and loving way. I also noticed another thing, when I received the Holy Spirit a ministry started to form. It was very small to begin with, but as the years went by, it started to grow as I started to grow.
I believe very strongly that an immature Christian will think that it is just all right to let the things of the world stay in his life as long as these things appear to be all right and do not involve immoral activity or what he decides is moral and immoral. The emphasis is on what he decides. An immature Christian will not know the difference unless it is revealed to him and it will not be revealed except it is by prayer while seeking the Lord more. I believe very strongly that if that one ignores the Holy Spirit’s revealing, he will grieve the Holy Spirit and it will hinder that one’s ability to mature and know right from wrong. If he doesn’t listen to the Holy Spirit, this will also hinder ministry and answers to prayer. It will also affect faith, for that one who ignores the Holy Spirit and doesn’t allow Him to have the Power over the world in his life he will be limited to his own small mind of the things of God.
It always made me fill strange that Christians can believe in Jesus, but cannot believe that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever when this is the Word of God. Jesus said that certain things will follow those who believe, but at the moment too many people who call themselves Christians cannot believe that the gifts of the Spirit are still in affect or available to them at the moment and that the miracles that Jesus performed are not available to them in this present day.
I truly believe this is just an excuse to justify why these things are not happening in their churches. Jesus also said that if people truly believe they can say to this mountain move to the other side and it will move. Who at this moment can believe that far except if they themselves have the human means to perform this act? For people will say this is a selfish thing to believe. Immature people will also say that God answers prayer in three ways: Yes, no and wait. This is not true for it isn't scriptural. He will answer prayer with yes, or wait, but there is no scripture that says no unless sin is at the door and sin affects true faith. That person has an immature flaw in his belief and this affects the love of God that He is supposed to let the Holy Spirit put into his heart. He is not obeying the Holy Spirit and most will not admit it.
First of all it is very important that we remember God's Word as given to us in the Gospel of John 14:10-14 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If we believe the words that Jesus spoke are true than we must believe that there is a reason why things are not happening as they should be happening. Most religious people who think they know something just do not want to admit that they are not fully in God's will. I believe people listen too much to human thinking and human faith which is the same as faith in certain people to be able to perform certain acts of what the world would call good.
I believe that if people would truly want all that God would want them to have in Jesus they could become a mature Christian and put away childish things and God would truly do the miracles in all our lives as He said that He would do when He said these things shall follow those who believe. (Mark 16:17-20 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.) The Word of God explains it all if we would just read it and let the Holy Spirit seal it in our hearts.
By Starre Steinmetz
