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 receiveth Me: and whosoever shall receive Me receiveth Him that sent Me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. *Luke 9:47-48* The way to rise in the ranks of Christ, is to go down. The way to the top is down. Sink into the highest place; in sinking, you rise. Think only of the Lord Jesus Christ's glory. Be willing to do the least thing, and then you are growing in Christ. When you are great, then you are little. When you are nothing, then you are great. The Lord must take away from us carnal pride that makes us stand up on our dignity, and think we must be Somebody! God will not use you as long as you are "somebody"; but when you are nobody, then will God greatly magnify you, and use you in His kingdom and service. Carnal ambition, self-seeking and religious pride reeks in the nostrils of God.
Convert - the turning of the soul from sin to the Savior. The Holy Spirit turning a bad life into a godly one, to change the heart and moral character, from enmity to God and from vicious habits, to the love of God and godly habits and living. *Psalm 19:7; 51:13; Isaiah 6:10; Matthew 13:15; 18:3; Luke 22:32; John 12:40; Acts 3:19; Acts 28:27; James 5:19-20*
A child is transparent, trusting, frank and free from care. They completely and sincerely trust another for their food, clothing, lodging, and protection. A child thinks no lofty thoughts of himself, they are not even aware of themselves. They don't consider if they deserve things, or whether it's important enough to merit such attention. A child is ready to receive and act upon the Truth. Children are not proud of their virtues. They do not battle self-righteousness. Little children see no need to dispute over preeminence or selfish suspicion.
Children are free from the pride of knowledge. They have no learning, no degrees, no intellectual conceit. They are teachable, lead-able, open-minded, and submissive. A child is not important or sophisticated or wise in his own eyes. Children are conscious of their own weakness. They don't propose amendments to the Gospel. Children are transparent, forgiving, quickly penitent and contrite, and cry over a wrong done. They are miserable over theirs sins. They are open to receiving gifts humbly and thankfully, not pretending to merit anything. They know how to receive a gift - they simply take it. They are open to the unmerited favor of God. A child easily returns love for gifts - hugs, kisses, and many thanks. We must grow down until we become like a child. A child has no ambition for great things or titles, they crave not worldly honor.
We need a childlike faith in Jesus, but not a childish faith. Children are humble, modest opinion of themselves. They are not envious of others. They drop all contentions over preeminence. They have no ambitious views of being greater than another. We must lay aside pride, ambition, envy, vanity, and prejudice. *I Kings 3:7* No affectation of worldly honor and power. We should be careful for nothing, void of malice, harmless, merciful, gentle, kind, dutiful, flexible, eager, yielding, governable. Children have no great aims of position, or thoughts to raise themselves, little in his own eyes. Children have a clear conscience. Come to Christ before you grow too old to understand the Gospel with your heart.
The mind of a child is a blank piece of paper. Our minds must be open to the pen of the Holy Spirit. A child has no preconceived notions, opinions, or notions that they cannot give up. The child believes what Jesus says. He is affected to Christ, easily influenced and touched. A child is inquisitive, always wanting to learn. Children are under others' control. They depend upon someone else's wisdom, guidance, provision, and care. Children never seek greatness. Quickly take what is provided them. A child soon forgives and forgets. He has humble resignation and easy dependence to parents. Simplicity of belief. Children are weak, helpless, and unimportant. Grow smaller, not bigger; get less, not greater. Children are at the bottom of the social order. They are not asked about significant decisions. They are without claim or merit.
Children are needy, entirely dependent on another. Children are always hungry, they are lonely at bedtime, when they are sent to their room by themselves, that is the worst punishment for them. They love fellowship. They have no claim or merit in themselves. They have no obvious importance, zero status. The child believes in all humility, looking up to his teacher, and receiving the teacher's words as truth. Say, "Lord, I am a know-nothing, I come to You to be taught, I am nothing, be my All in All.
A child believes sincerely and in simplicity with all its heart. A child has no sinister motives, or formality. The child's faith and repentance are genuine. Don't play at religion any longer. A child is not ashamed to talk as your heart feels - speak openly about Jesus and His bleeding love to others around you. Trusting to Christ alone now is the way of safety. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as a little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Children are willing to receive; they are broke and needy. Kids desire to make others happy. A little child believes Jesus is a real Person near at hand. There is an absence of boasting or selfish desire to be greater than others. They are not achieving, but accepting. Little children have a sense of wonder that makes life exciting; they are filled with potential. Children are simple in their wants, have expectant attitudes, and depend completely (conscious clinging trust) on their fathers to meet all their needs. A child has no pride in who, or what they are, or what they have achieved; they possess no self-ambition. The entrance gate into the kingdom of God is very low; we must go through on our hands and knees with our head held low. There is no place in the kingdom for those who trust in themselves. Humble yourself or Jesus will leave you in your pride and lostness. Jesus only gives His free forgiveness of sins to those sinners who don't deserve it.
Believe exactly what Christ says, and trust all that Christ has done. Children believe that God hears their prayers. Honest simplicity and trustfulness of a little child. Humble, but not aware of it. A child is grieved when others are in distress. A child seeks to please his father, and seeks his approval and smile. A child loves peace and joy, they cannot endure arguing and fighting. A child is troubled to hear anyone speak evil of their parents. A child is grieved when his father is upset with him. A child will strive to imitate his father and follow in his steps. They have n0 duplicity or hypocrisy, and without partiality. They instinctively choose the low place. They are simple, not careful about the future. A child clings close to their parent, sincerely esteeming their father the biggest and best man in the world. Follow Jesus humbly, diligently, joyfully, wholly.
Trust Jesus for everything to do with salvation and life. You know so much, that you knowtoomuch. Human nature wants to alter or amend the Gospel. Christ is not received by the brain, but by the heart. The best receiver is the empty sinner (John 1:12). Jesus is your main need. You must have Christ, or die in your sins. Trusting, not thinking and reasoning, is the way to Christ. Simply believe what Jesus says in the Bible.
There is nothing in you can do to make you fit for the kingdom of God. Just be nothing, the less you are, and the weaker you are, the better. The devil tempts you to become as gods (Genesis 3:5), but Jesus leads you to become as little children, just the opposite. Seeking to become gods, men become devils; but seeking to become as little children, you will partake of the divine nature. The path to true happiness is becoming little. Take Christ at His word, trust His finished work. A child is not trouble about not being prepared to come to Christ - he is a sinner and he know it, so he just comes to Christ. Jesus calls me, so I come; Jesus died for me, so I trust Him.
Conversion is an absolute necessity. We can only do righteously after we are made Righteous in the sight of God by the grace of God. If a ship is headed for hidden rocks, scrubbing the decks won't do any good, the ship's course must be changed; the ship must be turned. Self-improvement cannot help the sinner; your soul is headed for eternal shipwreck, your course must be turned, our you will sink into Hell. You must invite the Pilot onboard your soul, and let Him have the helm of your heart. Only Christ can turn you away from your iniquities. Jesus paid the full Ransom to release you from the slavery and love of your sins. You can't do good, until you are first made good, by receiving Christ's Goodness. You must be converted, your mind and thoughts must be changed by the Holy Spirit. You've made up your mind, but the Holy Ghost must unmake your mind and then transform it.
Celebrate the Crucified Creator's goodness. You are nothing else but sin. Simply seek Jesus Christ, trust His precious blood, and you are saved. To be converted means to be turned around in your thinking by the working of the Holy Ghost. Conversion is a turning from self-confidence and self-rule to the rule of God. Conversion is being turned from your self-made plans to God's plan for your life. To do less than "be converted" by Christ Himself is to miss the kingdom of God altogether. Children are a pattern for us to follow: in their humble dependence on others, their openness, their acceptance of themselves other their low position in life. Children live by faith, by faith they accept their lot, trusting others to care for them and see them through. We enter the kingdom of God by admitting our helplessness, inability to save ourselves, and becoming totally depending on the mercy and grace of God in Christ.
Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."
