May 13th, 1992 "Learning to be Like a Child" Bro. Joshua Daniel
Matthew 18:1-4
"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
This is something which you have heard and read many times. But is it your personal experience? "Whosoever humbleth himself, as this little child." A little child does not consciously humble itself. It is a kind of unconscious reflex. It just relates to the mother, even after being punished or corrected. We elder people do hold a little resentment. That resentment grows as we grow. It becomes a big mountain between us and God. Some people cannot remove that mountain. They try to remove a part of it, the devil says, "It is enough now, you have done a great job. Removing all of it is not really necessary. Let it be there." So once again that old root begins to grow. That mountain begins to grow. After three years they come back to the old state. The same anger, the same unforgiving spirit, same resentment and back to the old ways. The devil knows how to do it well. Some people find it very difficult to say sorry. Some of you are very talented people. But God is not able to use you for this basic reason, because you find it very hard to humble yourself and say "sorry".
Jesus said "sorry" for all of us. The just for the unjust. Should we not humble ourselves? There is something seriously wrong when I know where the light switch is and I do not want to turn it on. Something is wrong. I have the power to turn it on and God has given me the direction to turn it on. If I am not willing to do it how could God use me? Why should God even admit me into heaven? If I am not prepared to say "sorry" and I like to put the blame on somebody else, my light goes out. If you feel you are a senior person and the other person should say "sorry", you are wrong. I should be the first one to say "sorry". That is what the cross teaches us. Let us look around in the crowd. Is there someone here to whom you should say "sorry"? Someone with whom you are not walking in the light? If there is one person here to whom you cannot say "sorry", you will receive no blessing.
Secondly, there is another very strong human trait. Not a child’s trait. It is a trait that belongs to grown-ups. A kind of subtle mind. The Bible says, "What you buy in the shambles (in the market), eat without asking any question." You are very particular about what you eat. The Bible does not worry about what you eat. Some of you seem to be very worried about your food. No, no. It is not scriptural. No, no. Do not ask any question. Eat what is put before you. But when it comes to the Holy Spirit, what did the Lord Jesus say? Again and again He said, He is the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of truth. We should be filled with the Spirit of truth. A little child easily blurts out the truth. Even if you tutor it, it finds it hard to say a lie. "Unless you become like a little child." If the Spirit of truth is in you, you will tell all the truth. You will be open.
The Spirit of truth is in me. He is in you too. But the Spirit of truth is not in some of you. Is not that terrible? Even your entrance to heaven is in jeopardy, by what the Lord Jesus says. How many people struggle before they come out with all the truth! They will blame the circumstance, they will blame someone else. They will not acknowledge their fault. Is it the Spirit of truth? No, my dear people. Let the Spirit of truth enter into you. Jesus said, "He will guide you into all truth." See, we have a lying spirit round us— politicians, administrators tend to speak lies, lies. Everywhere you hear lies. But that is not the spirit that is within us. That spirit, that is within us, is the Spirit of truth. It does not matter who must speak the truth. It does not matter who comes to know I am a bad man. I must be filled with the Spirit of truth. Many of you know so much of truth. But is the Spirit of truth making you to live it?
Christ Jesus is the incarnate truth. He is truth. He said, "I am the truth." Now, that is what God wants to make you— to be a guileless person, a truthful person. I have no fear to face anybody, because I can humbly tell the truth. So when I tell the truth, people believe it. It is amazing! But the word of a Christian counts with him, because you and I are filled with the Spirit of truth. If you combine these two—the humbleness of Christ and the truth of Christ, they are irresistible. What a blessing there can be in store for you, if you only obey in these two things. Humbling yourself and submitting to the Spirit of truth.