Innocence

From the moment we can reason (generally at age 5) we are assaulted with corruptions. Our innocence with each passing year is slowly swallowed up by shadows and the seduction of becoming mature like our teenage siblings or even to be adults. There is a name for the time when all is good, and children are most innocent and happy, this is called the "Wonder Years". During this time boys and girls are not tainted by disbelief, unbelief, sexual perversion, and sadism. While certainly they may be exposed to these things by adults or wicked friends, in general they are liberated from a dark world and allowed to bask in the innocence of their youth. Innocence is precious and yet there is such zeal to shipwreck it as soon as possible. Children are lured into watching horror films before they are ready (I argue we should never have been ready) and slowly the tenderness is torn out of them with each scene of Jaws' teeth tearing as Robert Shaw or the T-Rex devouring Generro on the toilet.

Jesus Christ said of children, "Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,  and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2-4). How is a child humble? Most children in contrast are proud, trying to show off their talents and prove themselves in feats on the playground. Perhaps Christ is referring to their tender innocence and lack of evil knowledge, and that they humbly believe whatever is taught to them (are trusting). Some clues are found in other verses, "but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil," (Romans 16;19) and "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16). This innocence can be translated as ignorant or it can be understood as state of being, that a believer is wise in ways of the Lord but closed minded and resistant to ways of evil. Child exemplify this, for before the world molds them with its corruptions and cruelty, they live in charming state of blissful innocence; they cannot fully grasp evil yet, they can behave badly, but even then they are relatively unaware of Original Sin's grip on their lives.

The Apostle Paul urges us to rediscover our innocence in Immanuel, "Do everything without complaining or arguing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless." (Philippians 2:14-16). Innocence is lost when children grow up and are exposed to evil things, but Emmanuel, Jesus Christ can restore our innocence because He is innocent, "Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: "Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night." (Matthew 27:19). Jesus Christ is blameless and innocent, and He lives in us that believe, "God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory," (Colossians 1:27), and "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). Paul is reveals in that last verse that transformation has taken place. Jesus Christ lives in us who believe and He changes us into innocent blameless beings, "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault (without accusation)." (Colossians 1:22). Our innocence is restored in Immanuel, to very zenith we see ourselves redeemed in Christ.

And yet the world still seeks to defile us. This is why Jesus said, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:19). The Apostle Peter warns that we should not return to defilements of this world that seek to re-rob us of our innocence in Christ, "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first." (2 Peter 2:20). The Apostle John echoes or speaks in union with Peter's words, "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you." (1 John 2:15). The Apostle James agrees with Christ and the other apostles stating, "You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God." (James 4:4). The world must not be mistaken as the globe or Earth we live in, nor what we must interact with such as banks, our jobs, and etc. The world is a system of defilement, antichrist, and hatred of God set up by Satan, this is why Jesus calls the devil the prince of this world, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me," (John 14:30) and "Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out." (John 12:31). Jesus says the prince of this world has nothing in Him, and this is what the apostles above are talking abougt; you cannot chase the defilements of this world and be disciple of Christ (see Luke 16:13). You cannot be innocent as dove and chase after the defilements of this world (Romans 16:19, Matthew 10:16).

Innocence is a precious gift from God, and we can restore it through Christ. But we must beware of continuing to defile ourselves, for the Apostle John says, "But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God." (1 John 3:8-9, cross reference Galatians 5:21). So stop defiling your children with horror movies, sexually explicit videos, and etc that you think is harmless; you are in fact helping corrupt the innocence in your child. Instead point them to Christ who is innocence and who can restore all innocence through His blood and redemptive sacrifice. Amen.