Unless You Are Converted…..
As we continue to examine the things that Jesus said as recorded in the Gospels we have come across a rather startling statement; Matthew 18:3 ….. “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” What does Jesus mean by this? Is He implying that we must be be without discernment and blindly trust as a child does? Some have interpreted this passage in that way. However the Bible never calls men to a blind trust, but to rely upon a God who has faithfully communicated and kept promises to His covenant people throughout human history.
What Jesus is actually saying is that we must trust Him implicitly and put no stock in our own ability to save or to keep ourselves even as a little child, here a suckling infant, relies completely upon the love, care and provision of its mother. We contribute nothing to our salvation but the fact that we are sinners. God is a loving Father who chooses to set His love on the unlovable, the rebellious sinner who has set himself contrary to God’s commands and fails to recognize that He is the Creator and Sustainer of all. God chooses to save sinners not because they are good, but because He is good!
In Matthew 18:3 Jesus is not calling the disciples to blind or reckless faith, rather He is calling them to recognize their own inability to come to God and to trust completely in Him for their eternal well being. So much of Christian (so called) teaching today is just another form of self-help, self-improvement psychology that it is difficult even for many Christians to get their minds around this truth. Self-worth and self-esteem are the order of the day and this teaching really flies in the face of all of that. Jesus says that you have nothing to contribute to this except to recognize your inability and fall upon the loving care of your Heavenly Father. If this idea sounds strange to you, whether you are a Christian or not, I encourage you to listen to the message by clicking on the link below. I would love to hear your feedback on this. This is the historic Christian faith. This is the message that we need to hear and to heed
Unless You Are Converted – Matthew 18:1-3
In Christ!
Kevin
Tags: Conversion, New Birth, Regeneration, Repentance
Sermons | Kevin Hoffman | 
August 3, 2010 8:03 am
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