Paul calls the early Christian churches to maturity and rebukes them for their immaturity in the Lord.
Jesus tells us to come to Him with child-like faith.
At first blush, these two commendations seem to be in diametric opposition to one another...
They're not.
We are called to have the faith of a child, but the understanding and the intellect and the actions of an adult.
It's a Body-Soul-Spirit issue.
Let me explain...
Your heart (spirit) needs to BELIEVE the Word like a child- with simple Faith.
Your brain/mind (soul) needs to THINK the Word like an adult Christian- with intellectual prowess.
Your body needs to DO the Word like an adult Christian- with actions that give credence to your thoughts and beliefs.
Mature faith is WHOLISTIC.
Mature faith is complex, yet also SIMPLISTIC.
Here's a perfect example of having childlike faith, yet adult-like intellectual pursuit of truth.
Dr. Karl Barth was one of the most brilliant and complex intellectuals of the twentieth century. He wrote volume after massive volume on the meaning of life and faith. In 1962, TIME Magazine did a cover story on Barth, and recognized him as one of the leading Christian theologians of our time.
During his interview for this Time Magazine article, he was asked by the reporter if he could summarize what he had said in all those volumes. Dr. Barth thought for a moment, then said:
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Barth knew at a very deep level that all his wisdom, knowledge (and I'm sure he would also admit-conjecture) about theology and the nature of God was nothing if he did not also retain within his spirit the small simple faith of a child.
May you, also be a "Mature Child of God"...
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