Receiving the Kingdom Like a Child

3/4 Reading Portions: Exodus 15; Luke 18; Job 33; 2 Corinthians 3

Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)

3/4 Reading Portions: Exodus 15; Luke 18; Job 33; 2 Corinthians 3

Luke 18:17

“Truly, I say to you,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

CARRIED

For many years in my early Christianity, I used to hear preachers and fellow Christians speak about “childlike” faith. This left me confused. I don’t question the integrity or sincerity of their well-meant intentions; however, we must be biblical in our logic and conclusions. Never is the “faith of a child” or “childlike” faith spoken of, alluded to, or hinted at in Scripture. Think about this a moment. Does an unsaved child, a descendant of Adam, who was conceived in sin (Psa 51:5) and goes astray from birth only to speak lies (Psa 58:3), have more faith than an unsaved adult? Of course not! Both are void of saving faith. So, what is the Lord Jesus talking about when He speaks of receiving the kingdom of God like a child? The Lord is merely being consistent with the gospel message of salvation. Here, in Luke’s gospel, parents were bringing infants to the Lord so…

…that He might touch them. Luke 18:15

The parents are illustrative of the Father and the Holy Spirit carrying the unsaved soul to Jesus (Matt 11:27; John 16:7-11). Likewise, Mark records in his gospel parents bringing children to the Lord Jesus (Mark 10:13-16).

Jesus used children to illustrate a different aspect of a similar kingdom truth when His disciples asked Him,

“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Matthew 18:1

Jesus called a child to Himself and told the disciples that they must become like little children to enter the kingdom (Matt 18:2-3), and further, they must be humble like a little child to be great in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 18:4). Again, this is consistent with Luke 18:15-17; and consistent with what the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3:3), as well as what He preached in the Sermon on the Mount about the meek and poor in spirit (Matt 5:3, 5). The kingdom is spiritual and supernatural. The Father and the Holy Spirit must carry us to Jesus ever and always. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

The kingdom truth of gospel grace
Is pictur’d with a child;
The Spirit brings us to Christ’s face,
And makes us meek and mild.