This past Thursday, Travis and I spent a majority of the afternoon trying to obtain passports for the upcoming mission trip to Jamaica. As it is with any event that involves government paperwork and red tape, it was a hassle. We were finally able to get our birth certificates, paperwork, driver’s license and the cost handed over and should have our passport in the next few weeks. Despite the hassle of getting them, we knew it was necessary and knew we were not so special as to get treatment.
While physical passports are good to have, one’s heavenly passport is of even greater importance, and just as on earth, they are not freely handed out, but requirements must be met. One must have proof of their birth. It isn’t a physical birth that concerns God, but the spiritual birth that occurs in the act of baptism (John 3:5), the culmination of one’s initial obedience to the Gospel.
Being born is only the beginning though. This world expects us to grow and mature in ability (being able to drive for example) and knowledge (as in filling out paperwork with information). In the same sense, God commands us to continue as new Christians to grow, not only in knowledge, but in our actions as well. With these things combined, a new birth followed by faithfully maturing can one obtain a heavenly passport, just without the ridiculous amount of red tape to go through.
-Carl Jenkins 3/20/2011
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