KJV - Luke 18:15-17 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. (16) 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. (17) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
NIV - Luke 18:15-17 People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. (16) But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (17) I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
I have always been amused at the point in a toddler’s life that they do not want to be called a baby. Children, from the time that they are able to have a grasp of the concept, wants to be older than they actually are. Until they get to about the age of 30 then we want to live in the world of denial in the opposite way...but that is a whole other subject. The concept of being a child or thinking like a child is a great insult to most adults. But Jesus says that, in at least one way, we ought to be more childlike.
So what are the characteristics of a child that we need to emulate?
1. BELIEF: A child is so open to new concepts, they can be convinced of almost anything. Unfortunately, as we get older, we grow increasingly more skeptical. That is not to say that belief in God requires that we forfeit the use of knowledge or facts. On the contrary.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
The difference is that many adults today, seem to require so many facts that faith is no longer required. We certainly need approach God with a similar childlike faith.
2. TRUST: A child cannot help but be trusting. It is really all they know from their very first day after birth. A child cannot “provide” for themselves from a survival standpoint until probably into their teenage years. Therefore their parents truly supplies all of their needs and a child cannot help but let it happen. If we are going to be like a child when approaching God, we need to learn to be more trusting. Trust is hard for a “logically” thinking adult. We want to fend for ourselves. But we must ALWAYS realize that ONLY God can truly supply all our needs.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
3. LOVE: There is simply nothing like a child’s love. It is so warm. It is so giving. It is so pure. It is deep. One of my greatest and most cherished memories is that of coming home from work and having my daughter, after hearing me enter the house, scream at the top of her lungs “Daddyyyyyyyyy”! I would hear the pitter-patter of her little feet running as fast as she could to make her way to me. When she would arrive to me, she would give me a hug that would use every muscle in her little body. She loved her daddy completely. That is manner that we need to love our father in heaven.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
1John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
4. OBEDIENCE: While every child tries to push the limits set by their parents, they need the structure of those rules. The rules and laws established by loving parents are in place to benefit and protect the children from harm. Obedience to our heavenly Father is not any different. God establishes laws and guidelines for our to follow for our own protection.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
If we are going to be the people that God wants us to be, we need to give up our worldly pride of being independent and and self determining, and be willing to submit ourselves to our loving father as little children
Reflecting His SON,
Dennis Hogan
Minister, North Hardin Church of Christ
1804 Sam Stewart Dr.
Radcliff, KY 40160
Questions, comments or further explanation? Contact me at: dennis.hogan@icloud.com
If you have friends, family, or acquaintances that you feel could benefit from RTS, please forward
their e-mail address to me and I will add them to my mail list.
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