Luke 9:46-48 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest and Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receives me: and whosoever shall receive me receives him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
Luke 18:15-17 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."
Jesus is quite definite when relating childlike innocence, trust and faith to be essential features for entrance into God's kingdom. Why must we become as a child in order to enter God's kingdom? What are their distinguishing features?
Jesus referred not to a child who has grown in duplicity and deceit, who has begun to violate conscience and develop motives for trying to appear what they are not. Jesus spoke instead of a young child in its innocence, before that innocence is gone forever due to the cares and trials of life.
A lack of guile is one characteristic of very young children. A proverb relates that children and fools always tell the truth. The innocent, infant mind is a stranger to guile. It has not yet learned to be duplicitous.
Another characteristic of infants is that of humility. The very young feel no resistance to being known as they are and never try to conceal their true identity.
Little children are also naturally inclined to love. Treat them kindly, and we will not fail to win their hearts and then having done so we observe how easily and spontaneously their warm affections, in turn, flow forth.
The innocent child lives by faith and trust. The little one has complete faith in loving parents and so trusts them implicitly, perfectly assured they will provide everything they need. The very young instinctively know they can do nothing, or almost nothing towards the care of themselves and so live day to day with a simple faith and trust that all will be well.
In Matthew 18: 6 Jesus warns against causing one of these little ones to stumble, and that it would be better for the perpetrators to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. To take the innocence away from the young carries with it a most severe penalty for having done so.
Equally, Christians living their lives in Christ must have a spirit of trustful dependence on the loving provision of God. There is no other way to live a Christian life; no other way to enjoy the peace of mind amid a world of striving, turmoil and care which comes from doing so.
Why must we possess the characteristics of an innocent young child in order to enter God's kingdom? In Matthew 5:48 Jesus instructs us in this life to be perfect, even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect. In the eyes of Jesus the small, innocent child is as near perfection as it is possible to be in this life. When we become as small children with their innocent attributes, we enter His kingdom with virtually nothing remaining in our make-up from the corrupting years of our mortal lives to be washed away f
Nevertheless Jesus well knows the traps and pitfalls we face in our far from perfect mortal life as recorded in Matthew 10: 16 when He warns us that when we go forth into the world we are sheep in the midst of wolves and must therefore be as wise as serpents, and harmless as doves in our approach to others.
That is the combination we must have in our lives. To become as innocent and trusting as a small child in our love for our heavenly Father, with a love that is without reservation; trusting totally in His love for us and then reflecting that love on to others by using the mirror of our lives (John 13:35) whilst all the while, with God's help and using the intelligence He gifted us, doing all we can to keep ourselves pure and spotless in His sight.
We are instructed to be child-like and not to be childish. There is a difference.
Luke 18:15-17 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."
Jesus is quite definite when relating childlike innocence, trust and faith to be essential features for entrance into God's kingdom. Why must we become as a child in order to enter God's kingdom? What are their distinguishing features?
Jesus referred not to a child who has grown in duplicity and deceit, who has begun to violate conscience and develop motives for trying to appear what they are not. Jesus spoke instead of a young child in its innocence, before that innocence is gone forever due to the cares and trials of life.
A lack of guile is one characteristic of very young children. A proverb relates that children and fools always tell the truth. The innocent, infant mind is a stranger to guile. It has not yet learned to be duplicitous.
Another characteristic of infants is that of humility. The very young feel no resistance to being known as they are and never try to conceal their true identity.
Little children are also naturally inclined to love. Treat them kindly, and we will not fail to win their hearts and then having done so we observe how easily and spontaneously their warm affections, in turn, flow forth.
The innocent child lives by faith and trust. The little one has complete faith in loving parents and so trusts them implicitly, perfectly assured they will provide everything they need. The very young instinctively know they can do nothing, or almost nothing towards the care of themselves and so live day to day with a simple faith and trust that all will be well.
In Matthew 18: 6 Jesus warns against causing one of these little ones to stumble, and that it would be better for the perpetrators to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. To take the innocence away from the young carries with it a most severe penalty for having done so.
Equally, Christians living their lives in Christ must have a spirit of trustful dependence on the loving provision of God. There is no other way to live a Christian life; no other way to enjoy the peace of mind amid a world of striving, turmoil and care which comes from doing so.
Why must we possess the characteristics of an innocent young child in order to enter God's kingdom? In Matthew 5:48 Jesus instructs us in this life to be perfect, even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect. In the eyes of Jesus the small, innocent child is as near perfection as it is possible to be in this life. When we become as small children with their innocent attributes, we enter His kingdom with virtually nothing remaining in our make-up from the corrupting years of our mortal lives to be washed away f
Nevertheless Jesus well knows the traps and pitfalls we face in our far from perfect mortal life as recorded in Matthew 10: 16 when He warns us that when we go forth into the world we are sheep in the midst of wolves and must therefore be as wise as serpents, and harmless as doves in our approach to others.
That is the combination we must have in our lives. To become as innocent and trusting as a small child in our love for our heavenly Father, with a love that is without reservation; trusting totally in His love for us and then reflecting that love on to others by using the mirror of our lives (John 13:35) whilst all the while, with God's help and using the intelligence He gifted us, doing all we can to keep ourselves pure and spotless in His sight.
We are instructed to be child-like and not to be childish. There is a difference.
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