WE SHALL BE LIKE JESUS
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Ons sal net soos JESUS wees”
Translator: Robin Barker
Someone wrote and asked the following question:
“Do children grow in Heaven?”
Here is how I look at the matter:
The Word does not give us a direct answer to this question. Therefor I must answer that I do not have infallible evidence of how we will change when we arrive on the other side of the grave.
This said, I would still like to share a section from the Word with you that, as it seems to me, lift the veil that surrounds this question but before I do this, just the following:
To me there is absolutely no doubt that all children who have not reached the age of accountability in their lives and who have ‘passed over,’ are with our Lord in Heaven.
As I understand it; the age when a child reaches the accountability stage in his/her life, is when the person can make a choice either for, or against our Lord and remember, not making a choice, is to choose against our Lord. For whoever is not for Jesus, is against Him. Concerning this we read:
Mat 12:30 “Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.”
Returning to what I said that all children who have not reached the age of accountability and ‘pass over,’ that they are in Heaven –
Concerning this Jesus says the following:
Mat 18:1-4
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.
3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Is it not wonderful?
When they wanted to know who is the greatest, Jesus showed them a small child.
In another place, according to the Word, Jesus puts it even more strongly:
We read, and I know I’m taking a bit of a detour from the topic under discussion, but please bear with me.
MARK 10:13-14
13People were bringing children to Him so that He would touch and bless them, but the disciples reprimanded them and discouraged them [from coming]. 14But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and He said to them, “Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
You can know for sure that if Jesus says:
MARK 10:14 “… for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Well then, to put it this way, from the moment our Lord placed that child’s soul in her/his mother:
MARK 10:14 “… for the kingdom of God belongs to such (that child) as these.”
Somewhere, sometimes consciously and sometimes unconsciously, in a child’s life in her/his growing up years, there comes a time when she/he becomes attributable, and that child chooses, to put it this way. ‘I keep my shares that I have in the kingdom of God, or I turn my back on God.’ Then – and this is a small percentage of those who have turned their backs on our Lord – later in that person’s life there are (and how wonderful) people who, like the prodigal son, turn back – and are then received back in our Father’s open arms.
Returning to the question that was sent to me:
“Do children grow in Heaven?”
What I am about to say to you, you must bear in mind it is just my opinion.
My great hero Paul says on occasion after he had made a statement:
1 COR 7:40 …and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
So in this case I also say: “And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.”
We read in the Word:
1 JOHN 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
If those of us who are still living when Jesus returns, “shall be like Him,” it is just logical that someone who meets Jesus on the other side of the grave will be like Him and that in my opinion, applies to babies all the way to the oldest person who is a child of our Lord who meets Him on the other side of the grave.
Consequently – No, I do not believe that babies grow on the other side of the grave – they are like Jesus. Just like the elderly they do not become younger over time. They are like Jesus – perfect, righteous, glorious.
What and how it occurs I do not know but the change will take place.
This applies, in my opinion, to all children of our Lord. Also, to those who are, for example, terribly mutilated, burnt, devoured by wild animals or like me who is blind, has a disability.
Praise the Lord!
We shall be like Him!
This is how I understand the Word according to 1 JOHN 3:2:
1 JOHN 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
How wonderful to be able to sing that old chorus:
When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be.
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory.
Because my friend(s) we will no longer be babies, elderly, mutilated, disabled, or whatever!
We will be in perfection like our Jesus!
Look how the word ‘perfect’ is described:
Excellence;
Faultlessness;
Rightness;
Precision;
Flawlessness;
Aptness;
Victory;
Completion
Triumphant
Eventually and how glorious, that this is the only thing that matters.
What will happen and how it will happen, I naturally do not know but it will be a glorious and wonderful, surprising event.
Greetings,
Sakkie
Email: bediening@sakkieparsons.co.za
Website: www.sakkieparsons.co.za
Cell: 083 457 6669
Jude 1:24-25 24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – 25 to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (NIV)
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All verses quoted are from the New International Version of the Bible (NIV) unless otherwise specified.
New International Version (NIV)
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