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Matthew 18:3 ,4 - The Faith of a Child (continued).

Matthew 18:3, 4 (KJV) And 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 this little child, the same is greatest 
in the kingdom of heaven. 

Matthew 18:3, 4 (AMP) And said, Truly I say 
to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) 
and become like little children [trusting, 
lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the 
kingdom of heaven [at all].  Whoever will humble 
himself therefore and become like this little child 
[trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the 
kingdom of heaven. 

WORD STUDY

Become As Little Children. This is how Jesus 
characterized conversion. Like the Beatitudes, it pictures 
faith as the simple, helpless, trusting dependence 
of those who have no resources of their own. 
Like children, they have no achievements and no 
accomplishments to offer or commend themselves with. 
[MacArthur Daily Bible 2003] 

INTRODUCTION

Before Honor Is Humility
   Very tenderly, yet with solemn emphasis, 
Jesus tried to correct the evil. He showed what is 
the principle that bears sway in the kingdom of 
heaven, and in what true greatness consists, as 
estimated by the standard of the courts above.  
   Before honor is humility. To fill a high 
place before men, Heaven chooses the worker who, 
like John the Baptist, takes a lowly place before 
God. The most childlike disciple is the most 
efficient in labor for God. The heavenly intelligences 
can co-operate with him who is seeking, not to 
exalt self, but to save souls.  
   But when men exalt themselves, feeling 
that they are a necessity for the success of 
God's great plan, the Lord causes them to be set 
aside. 
   It was not enough for the disciples of 
Jesus to be instructed as to the nature of His 
kingdom. What they needed was a change of heart that 
would bring them into harmony with its 
principles. The simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and 
the confiding love of a little child are the 
attributes that Heaven values. These are the 
characteristics of real greatness  
   The sincere, contrite soul is precious in 
the sight of God. He places His own signet upon 
men, not by their rank, not by their wealth, not 
by their intellectual greatness, but by their 
oneness with Christ.  {DA 436, 7}  

COMMENTARY PEARL

   This morning I caught a snowflake on my 
tongue. My husband and I walked around the block, 
savoring the fluffy snowfall. Sounds became muted. 
Grubby streets shimmered with a coating of 
brightness. It stirred memories of being a child and 
waking up the day of a blizzard. A snow day - 
school was closed. Instead of the expected routine, 
we had a surprising day of freedom and fun. 
Snow angels, sledding, and cocoa! 
   When I ponder what Jesus means in His 
call to become like a child, that sense of 
excitement and joy comes to mind. Children have the 
capacity to embrace a gift and revel in it. Jesus 
offers a surprise far more exhilarating than a snow 
day. Instead of trudging along trying to draw 
close to God by my own efforts, Jesus steps in to 
whisper, "The work is done. You're free" (John 
19:30). 
   Strange as it seems, that's not always 
easy for me to embrace. I often slip into 
striving for God's approval, when Jesus reassures 
that His love is already unconditional. I feel a 
need to remind everyone of the rules, instead of 
celebrating undeserved grace. I worry about temporary 
problems on every side, even though Jesus has said He 
has gone ahead to prepare a place for me (John 
14:3) and that eternity will be free of pain and 
tears (Revelation 21:4). 
   So today, I'll respond like a little 
child to a blessed snow day. Sharon Hinck 
   Faith Step: What brought you delight as a 
child? Enjoy an activity that reminds you how to 
have childlike faith and exuberance for all Jesus 
has done. [Mornings With Jesus 2023 Devotional 
by Guideposts and Zondervan] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

Continuous conversion
   These words of Our Lord are true of our 
initial conversion, but we have to be continuously 
converted all the days of our lives, continually to 
turn to God as children. If we trust to our wits 
instead of to God, we produce consequences for which 
God will hold us responsible. Immediately our 
bodies are brought into new conditions by the 
providence of God, we have to see our natural life 
obeys the dictates of the Spirit of God. Because 
we have done it once is no proof that we shall 
do it again. The relation of the natural to the 
spiritual is one of continuous conversion, and it is 
the one thing we object to. In every setting in 
which we are put, the Spirit of God remains 
unchanged and His salvation unaltered but we have to 
put on the new man. God holds us responsible 
every time we refuse to convert ourselves, our 
reason for refusing is willful obstinacy. Our 
natural life must not rule, God must rule in us. 
   The hindrance in our spiritual life is 
that we will not be continually converted, there 
are wadges of obstinacy where our pride 
spits at the throne of God and says"I 
wont. We deify independence and willfulness and 
call them by the wrong name. What God looks on as 
obstinate weakness, we call strength. There are whole 
tracts of our lives which have not yet been brought 
into subjection, and it can only be done by this 
continuous conversion. Slowly but surely we can claim 
the whole territory for the Spirit of God. [My 
Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 18:3 ,4 - The Faith of a Child.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230201-0847.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/