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Matthew 19:13-15
In Matthew 18:3-5 (NIV) Jesus states, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” And in John 3:3 (HCSB) Jesus tells Nicodemus, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And in our Bible study passage for today Jesus declares in Matthew 19:14 (NKJV), “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
This is the promise of a new life and a new beginning in salvation for everyone who puts their faith in Jesus.
The representation of little children to beginning a new life in the salvation that Christ Jesus offers us is of the purity of a child. A little child is dependent on others for survival – for food and shelter. A little child possesses a lack of knowledge that is open to growing and learning about the ways of life so that they may become an adult and be of use to society in the gifts God gives them as they grow. But it is the innocence of the child that is the purity as you could never hold a child responsible for making important decisions as they do not have any knowledge on the topic – they are innocent of any responsibility and understanding. This is what Jesus is comparing the kingdom of heaven to – the innocence and purity of a child that as an adult comes an understanding and realization of right and wrong in which innocence is removed and accountability takes over. There must be a re-birth – a new start – a new beginning in which innocence is restored. This is the gift of salvation in Christ Jesus as He came into this world to provide a new start to all lives that have fallen to the sinful nature, and that includes everyone as we learn in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”. But we also learn in Romans 3:24, “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”. And we also learn why God would do this in Romans 3:26 which states, “to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Dear LORD,
Please help us to see that in returning to the state of a little child in the new life and salvation that You offer us in Christ Jesus is not to be related in moving backwards as to lose everything that we have learned in life, but to have everything that we have learned in life to be forgiven of the sinful nature that has taken over our lives along the way. You knew that as we learn of our sins, we would have remorse – we would be left hopeless in the realization and understanding of our sinful nature, so You sent Your One and only Son to save us from the sinful nature and give us a new start to life – a new beginning that is reflective of the innocence of a child…a child of God. Please let it be so LORD. In Jesus name I pray, amen.