WE SHALL BE LIKE JESUS
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans
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 an 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.
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