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"Except You Be Converted And Become As A Little
Child, You Cannot Enter The Kingdom Of Heaven."By, Gene Dumas
Jesus taught His followers that, unless they be converted, and become like a little child, they could not enter the kingdom of Heave, Matt. 18:3. The word convert means to be changed. I have a wonderful china cabinet in my home with beautiful ornate carvings decorating it that someone artfully crafted. Whoever it was who created this piece took a pile of wooden boards and converted them into an exquisitely designed cabinet. The wood from what was probably several different types of trees was changed into an heirloom that now houses many of my wife's prized possessions.
Our Savior taught those who would listen that they must be converted in order to spend eternity with Him. In the third chapter of John a man named Nicodemus came to him by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. " (John 3:2-7)
When a person is born of the spirit, he is converted, that is, changed into a totally different person. But how does this transformation take place? The apostle Paul answered that question in Romans 6:3-4 when he wrote, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
The Bible teaches that baptism is for the remission, (forgiveness), of sins and that forgiveness transforms a person from the darkness of sin into the light of the kingdom of God. "Giving thanks unto the Father, ... Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." (Col. 1:12-14)
The only way that you can become part of that kingdom is to be baptized into Christ. That's why the apostle Peter wrote that, "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1Pet. 3:21)
The word baptism is derived from the Greek word, for emersion, ( baptizo ), which is defined as, to dip or to plunge, and in this case into water. John was baptizing near Aenon because there was much water there (John 3:23). There was never a case in the New Testament where people who were believers were sprinkled for the forgiveness of their sins. That practice appeared many years later, being first used to facilitate the sick, and then gradually evolving into the practice of christening infants by sprinkling them with water in order to initiate them into a particular denomination. Were you sprinkled as an infant? If you answer is "Yes", then God's word teaches that you need to be baptized (immersed) for the forgiveness of the sins that you have committed. The Bible teaches that we are not responsible for those sins that our fathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers, etc. committed in the past. "The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son."(Eze. 18:20). If you would like to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and begin a new life today, or if you would like to study further about the Kingdom of Heaven, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Isa. 40:8
"The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever."If you have any questions or comments in regards to this article, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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