By Elder Gerald
In Saint Matthew 18:1, some of Jesus’ carnal-minded disciples came to him asking the question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And our Lord answered them in this manner. He 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 a little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” In the carnal realm and way of thinking, it was “A Great Question And Great Answer.”
God loves you and he wants you (i.e., us) to live and reign with him in glory forever. He wanted that for all of us from the very beginning when he made man from the dust of the earth and placed him in the Garden of Eden. And he has already done everything “in Christ Jesus” that it’ll ever take for that to happen. All we must do is have and exercise enough God-given faith to believe and receive this great gift of eternal life from God to live and reign with him forever.
Every soul is equally precious in the sight of God. I believe he loves us all the same. That is, unless I’ve somehow missed where it’s written in the Bible otherwise. I read where Saint Peter said in Acts 10:34-35, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” It’s with the carnal mind that folk tend to rank and categorize people placing them above others. But with God, and with the mind of Christ, one person is just as precious as another. There’s no respecter of persons!
God doesn’t want us self-exalted and big-headed. Rather, he wants us to be his humble servants. He wants us loving him and each other, so much so that he can use us as his humble servants in the ministry of Christ to help with soul-winning and kingdom building. The great question has been asked and answered. Children of God who humble themselves as his obedient servants are great and precious in his sight as well as in the kingdom of heaven.
Gerald D. Tyler, an ordained elder with senior pastoral experience, has been a God-called practicing minister since 1977 teaching and preaching the salvation gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.