What Did Jesus Mean In Matt 18:3

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MadParrotWoman

Guest
#1
#1
"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."

What did Jesus mean by these words? Why do we have to become like children? Do we have to simplify our intellect? Or as I suspect, did Jesus mean we have to turn away from pre-conceived ideas? We think a certain way don't we? I believe that most non-believers don't believe because they refuse to believe in anything they can't get their minds around. They don't believe in miracles because they have never witnessed one in the making. I myself used to be a "seeing is believing" kind of girl but we have to turn around that way of thinking. God is not the God of logic, what He has done is illogical because He doesn't need to stick to rules - He is a super-natural God (despite what the pope says) how could He not be super-natural when He spoke everything into existence, how He performed miracle after miracle in the OT culminating in the virgin's birth of His son who would go on to perform many miracles in the NT.

Is this what Jesus meant by becoming like little children - thinking out of the box? Or can there be other interpretations of these words?
 
J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#2
#2
I've always taken it to mean we have to humble ourselves before our Father, God, love, have respect and absolute faith in Him, as well as repent and reject the darkness, be born again a child of God, walk in the light as one who has become more of the innocence of a child, separate from the world (interesting they call pornography "adult" entertainment?). Also, not to rely on our own ways and thoughts, our own intellect, at the expense of things in God's word we may not even fully understand. A good child looks up to his or her parents, trusts them implicitly, and obeys, even learns from correction, in that submission.

After all, we are, compared to the Lord God of eternity, literally children, of few years, with likewise "through the glass darkly" wisdom of those few years, babies whatever stage we're at, compared to our God from eternity. So, nobody can approach God from the standpoint of a grownup, an unrepentant, wise in his own eyes, in his own ways, with ego and pride of life, with his self serving schemes, party animal sins, what are, actually, serious human faults we'd call "adult."
 
dcontroversal

dcontroversal

Banned
#3
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,395
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#3
I believe it simple means to have a child like faith and trust into the gospel (correct message) concerning Jesus and what it actually takes to be born from above by the act of faith....
 
J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#4
#4
dcontroversal said:
I believe it simple means to have a child like faith and trust into the gospel (correct message) concerning Jesus and what it actually takes to be born from above by the act of faith....
Click to expand...
Yes, even a child could understand the gospel, though it is quite another thing for a reprobate, arrogant and selfish adult to become like a humble, obedient child, many called and few chosen.
 
4enlightment

4enlightment

Banned
#5
May 15, 2013
4,307
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0
#5
MadParrotWoman said:
"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."

What did Jesus mean by these words? Why do we have to become like children? Do we have to simplify our intellect? Or as I suspect, did Jesus mean we have to turn away from pre-conceived ideas? We think a certain way don't we? I believe that most non-believers don't believe because they refuse to believe in anything they can't get their minds around. They don't believe in miracles because they have never witnessed one in the making. I myself used to be a "seeing is believing" kind of girl but we have to turn around that way of thinking. God is not the God of logic, what He has done is illogical because He doesn't need to stick to rules - He is a super-natural God (despite what the pope says) how could He not be super-natural when He spoke everything into existence, how He performed miracle after miracle in the OT culminating in the virgin's birth of His son who would go on to perform many miracles in the NT.

Is this what Jesus meant by becoming like little children - thinking out of the box? Or can there be other interpretations of these words?
Click to expand...
Because children's minds are innocent and aren't filled with the knowledge of this world, and so logic will not get in the way of their faith. And so if they are open-minded to believe in fairy tales, then they will believe in Moses and the Prophets about God is able to create the world in six days.
 
J

jb

Senior Member
#6
Feb 27, 2010
4,940
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#6
MadParrotWoman said:
"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."
Click to expand...
It means exactly the same as Matt 19v14:

"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

Matt 18v3 and 19v14 teach that young children are members of the Kingdom of Heaven, so that if a little child dies they ascend into the Presence of God in paradise in Heaven!

Simples...
 
Joidevivre

Joidevivre

Senior Member
#7
Jul 15, 2014
3,838
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#7
He was talking about me :rolleyes:
 
mailmandan

mailmandan

Senior Member
#8
Apr 7, 2014
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#8
This is how Jesus characterized conversion. 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. Jesus here is pointing to the need to have the same type of faith that little children exhibit. The most trusting people in the world are children. Children have not acquired the obstructions to faith that often come with advanced education and exposure to the philosophies of men. Christ calls us to have the same kind of trust that little children naturally have. People must become as little children in humbly recognizing their helplessness in attaining the kingdom by their own merits. We are 100% dependent on Jesus to save us.
 
S

Straightshot

Banned
#9
Nov 3, 2014
1,045
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#9
He said this because little children are not initially biased against Him and have not been taught to deny Him

A small child knows something that many adults have walked away from .... that He exists .... ask one some time

And the small child is willing to learn more about the Lord without preconceptions

So we must reset our thinking to a similar mindset .... then the Lord can work with our spirits and draw us to Himself
 
mailmandan

mailmandan

Senior Member
#10
Apr 7, 2014
25,071
13,083
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#10
Straightshot said:
He said this because little children are not initially biased against Him and have not been taught to deny Him

A small child knows something that many adults have walked away from .... that He exists .... ask one some time

And the small child is willing to learn more about the Lord without preconceptions

So we must reset our thinking to a similar mindset .... then the Lord can work with our spirits and draw us to Himself
Click to expand...
Becoming a "little child" is not one that questions every act or direction of it's parent but is willing to be corrected and obey.
 
SoulWeaver

SoulWeaver

Senior Member
#11
Oct 25, 2014
4,889
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#11
A few years ago God sent me a dream where there was a persecution and I was running from Babylon... I ran into the wilderness and there was a very small church built of stone in the midst of wilderness that had 7 thrones inside.
I was to get shelter there and when I approached I saw that the door was so small, like on children's houses for play. Only a small child could walk in, so I bowed myself to get through the door and got inside basically on my knees...

7 thrones = rule of the Spirit (the Kingdom of God)
the door and the way of entrance = Jesus... we have to submit to God and be humble like He was to get into Heaven
..."the smallest shall be the greatest"...
This is how I understood it.
 
N

Nicee

Guest
#12
#12
All I can say is when I was in a major trouble two years ago. I cried out to God "DADDY!!!." He responded, "I DARE ANYONE TO TOUCH MY CHILD!!!"
 
duewell

duewell

Senior Member
#13
Mar 5, 2011
350
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#13
the mind of a child is true faith, it is true belief, it is accepting without doubt. it is a complete trust.

how do we become like a child again? through confession and repentance. as children we are all part of the kingdom of heaven. as we become older we start to make our own decisions based on our personal desires. some of us lose track of who we were as we make those decisions and become someone different than what we were. in order to get back to being the child we were we must confess those things that led us astray.

there are two sides of human nature. one is the spiritual side and the other is the physical side. children are almost totally about the spiritual side. around puberty the physical side starts to take hold. so many people lose track of their spiritual side in pursuit of the physical side. in order to get back to that spiritual side we have to look at what and why we did things in pursuit of that physical side. confession and repentance. the better you are able to do this, the more likely the Holy Spirit will be able to help lead that someone to put to death the sins of the flesh.

what does it take to follow the Holy Spirit?

the mind of a child is true faith, it is true belief, it is accepting without doubt. it is a complete trust.
its been there the whole time and its waiting for anyone to notice it is still right there

mark 4 v 11-13
duewell
 
Reborn

Reborn

Senior Member
#14
Nov 16, 2014
4,087
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#14
If we look at the entire sentence/in context: (and I believe everyone has it right in the posts above this...but is there more to it?)

"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."

Children have no preconceived ideas-- they are more likely to go into learning something with a blank slate? Right?

But the most importantt part is seeing He is not referencing the literal/physical heaven in the next part:

Every time the words "kingdom of heaven" is used it is a different context then "heaven" - the literal/physical place.

Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew 10:7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 13:11
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

....and so on. ( too many to list here)

Please do check ALL the times "kingdom of heaven" is used in scripture, to fully get it. ( same context - everytime :D)
The "kingdom of heaven" = a term for the mysteries of God, all things God, truth, walking in light, etc.

My interpretation to what I think it means,

"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children (of untainted, clean child like minds), you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (receive knowledge to the mysteries of God, truth, etc.) "

In context, you know?....

Matt 5:3
"Blessed are the poor in spirit (the pure in heart) for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (will receive the truth to God's mysteries, etc.)

Matt 10:7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven ( obtaining knowledge to God's mysteries, etc.) is at hand. (at hand = is here, present tense)
Twice in Matthew he says "at hand"/ Matt 3:2

etc.

Now it could mean the physical/literal heaven, but in the times/context it is used, it seems to pertain to "all the things" of Christ.

Maybe?
 
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F

Free-To-Be

Banned
#16
Nov 21, 2014
167
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#16
A child doesnt understand the gospel, it just believes it, because daddy said so.
 
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