Part 3 – What It Means To Prepare for the 2nd Coming of Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ
The phrase used by Jesus “become like little children” does NOT suggest that educated adults should pretend to be naive in order to free themselves from responsibilities and accountability. As Man grows up to know God by listening to Words of God or reading the Holy Bible, he discovers teachings which are meant for applications in real life. The entire bible teaches who God is, what His Wisdom says, why Man should obey His commandments, how to understand circumstances, other people, the self, the Kingdom of God, and the rest of His creation.
It suggests Man should be willing to learn and obey the precepts of God in order to attain a Spirit of Righteousness. For God first created Man in His own image, male and female (Genesis 1:27). And His plan is to inscribe His Laws into hearts and minds of those who believe in Him through Jesus Christ who is identified also as The Word of God in the old testament.
Jeremiah 31:33 English Standard Version (ESV)
“33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Hebrews 8:10 English Standard Version (ESV)
“10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.”
Ezekiel 36:26 English Standard Version (ESV)
“26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
This leads to listeners questioning the applicability of such passages from the bible, because verses clearly mention these are for the house of Israel. It applies to Israelites for sure. The knowledge about people of God expanding beyond Israel is found in the Holy Bible. But it needs another time for clarifications.
But if Man behaves like children believing even before seeing that non-Israelites eventually became included as children of God to whom those Words of God also apply, as the teachings from the bible are inculcated in hearts and minds, they can be applied long before the lesson for proving children of God include Gentiles or non-Israelites who have been baptized into the family of Christians. The Holy Spirit will guide the Godly person. In the first place, “innocent or young” Christians would have to understand God as Blessed Trinity.This, in itself, has been the battleground for arguments about having One God yet having Three Persons in One God.
Jews in Israel who believe in Judaism rather than Christianity do not believe in The Blessed Trinity. INC or Iglesia Ni Cristo believe Jesus Christ was just a Prophet and not God. Many religions are stuck in disputes about Who God really is. Muslims also believe Jesus Christ was just a Prophet like Muhammad. And so, preparing for the 2nd Coming of The Lord also depends on Who is your Lord and Savior.
Humility of a child striving to learn Christianity will therefore simplify the learning process. Even if already an adult, a person can gather the Truth from the point of view of Christians, while resolving differences from other religions, little by little. What will matter most will be the GRACE of living with Faith in God, greatly because it means actual survival while living a Righteous Way in the eyes of God. At a certain point of Christian maturity, life goes beyond mere survival but also saving fellowmen from damnation, and more.
Ephesians 2:8-9 International Standard Version (ISV)
“8 For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God 9 and not the result of actions, to put a stop to all boasting.”