After the first few years of my Christian life, I was inserted into an atmosphere of hyper-evangelism. By that I mean that men who pastored and taught me were so interested in what they called “the salvation of souls” that they were not above bending the rules of God to reach their objective. It was obvious that they believed that they were personally responsible for the conversion of the lost. Even though they would pray and say that everything depended upon the work of the Holy Spirit, they behaved as if everything depended upon them – and as an extension – upon the rest of us. For example, I was taught to use psychology to “win souls” – to use humor – and to use tears. I was told to forget about Biblical theology, and to preach from the nice stories of the Word of God. I was taught that some doctrines, like “total depravity” and “sovereign grace,” were forbidden and poison, because in the mind of my teachers, those doctrines were not conducive to soul winning. Some of them would make up fictitious, but powerful, illustrations in order to enhance their sermons – leaving the impression that they were the truth. And I have heard countless sermons preached from scriptures which were ripped from their contexts.
I have no proof of this, but from my experience, I would guess that more than 95% of all messages from Matthew 18:3 are preached without any regard for the context. This morning, I have deliberately read more than I needed in order to show you the background of verse 3. Christ was speaking to His disciples – to people who had already been regenerated – born again. He was not talking about salvation from sin, because these people had already been saved. Yet despite what the Lord was saying, the vast majority of sermons from verse 3 are salvation sermons. “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” There is no doubt that the verse lends itself to a gospel message, but that was not the Lord’s original intention.
I want you to know and to understand the context of this verse. But I’m not going to study it this morning. Today, I want to join all those evangelists who use this verse to speak to the lost – the unbeliever. I know exactly what I am doing, and I willingly admit to abusing this scripture, as far as its context is concerned. But just as I might use the case of a miraculous healing to teach the salvation from sin, I am going to use this verse in the same sort of way. I am doing it with my eyes wide open, and I hope that your’s are as well. This verse is a marvelous TOOL for teaching conversion and salvation.
For example, it reminds us that we all have a NEED for CONVERSION.
“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” For sake of argument, let’s equate THIS entrance into the kingdom of heaven as salvation from sin. Let’s say that “the kingdom of heaven” is speaking about eternity in the blessed presence of the Saviour. Let’s paraphrase Jesus’ words to say, “Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted ye shall not enter into heaven.” Whether or not that is Christ’s meaning right here, the statement is nevertheless true.
There is no argument that every man, woman and child on this planet are sinners. The scriptures are crystal clear on this point. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” “If we say that we have not sinned, we make (God) a liar, and his word is not in us.” If it offends you to hear me say that “you are a sinner,” you need to take that up with Jehovah, not me. I could triple the number of scriptures that I just quoted to you.
Furthermore, the Bible says that the results of sin – your sin – is death – which includes ETERNAL death. Romans 6L23 – “The wages of sin is death.” “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment.” “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven (one of these days) with his mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel our our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Apostle John, looking into the future testified – “I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Unless the Bible is totally ignored, we all must admit to being sinners in the sight of God, and that He will judge us all with eternal death in the lake burning with fire and brimstone.
Now, borrowing from the true context of Matthew 18, it should be noted that even professing Christians and church members might still need to be converted. Christ was speaking to His twelve disciples throughout these six verses. “Except YE be converted, and become as little children, YE shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” There are children of Christians who, the week after their birth were brought to church, and they have been in church nearly every week for years. “Verily I say unto you, Except YE be converted, YE shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” And there have been hundreds, if not thousands of people, who in their younger days, were baptized and joined good Baptist churches, but who are not truly trusting Christ for salvation from their sins. “Verily I say unto you, Except YE be converted, YE shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” There is no one who does not need to be converted – regenerated – justified and saved from their sin. “All we like sheep have gone astray.” LIKE these disciples there might have been an outward conformity to the practices and doctrines of this church or that church, but there may have remained an inward deformity.
Every child of Adam – every human being – needs to be converted to Christ.
But what exactly are we talking about? What is conversion?
We have our English definitions and we have our modern definitions, but what did Jesus say? This Greek word “strepho” (stref’-o) is found nineteen times in our Bibles. Only once is it translated “to be converted.” All the rest of the time it is translated simply – “to turn.” We have seen it already in Matthew a few times – “I say unto you… whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, TURN to him the other also.” “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and TURN AGAIN and rend you.” Jesus “TURNED, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” What is it to be converted? It is to be turned.
Consider the actual context of this statement – the disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest minister under Christ during the coming Millennial Kingdom. Peter had recently received some special blessings, and as a result was thinking pretty highly of himself. Then James and John had joined him at the top of Mount Hermon, and together they had seen the Lord transfigured and glorified. The rest of the disciples were not so privileged. Certainly this meant that these three would be honored in the kingdom more highly that the rest. But I’m sure that some of the others might have had their reasons for being ranked higher that others. I picture a group of lion cubs, quarreling and fighting over some day-old morsel of antelope meat. Above them stands a 400 pound male who with one chomp could end the life of any of them. But look at their self-confidence, fighting between themselves – listen to their useless pride – growling. They are not worthy to stand on the same rocky outcrop as their father and king. But oh, how they can fight among themselves. “Except ye be turned away from this foolishness, and become as little cubs, ye shall not live long enough to become useful members of our kingdom.”
For some reason unknown to me, the event at which time Saul of Tarsus was born again, becoming a saint of God and servant of Christ…. The event when God saved that wicked man, is generally called “the conversion of Saul.” It might be called any number of things, but “conversion” is very appropriate. And the salvation of any sinner could be called a “conversion,” but this is the only one always described that way. Saul had become a leader in the persecution of Christ’s disciples and the early churches. He had already become infamous as the leader of the stoning of righteous Stephen. While still breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples, he traveled toward Damascus, Syria, in the quest of more arrests, beatings and even executions. But just outside the city gate, Saul was confronted by the resurrected Christ. He was stopped in his tracks; knocked to the ground (so to speak), and blinded. As the Lord gave Saul a new heart, in effect creating a new man – the Apostle Paul – Saul was converted. He was turned. Whereas he was headed to Damascus to persecute the saints; he became one of those saints. Whereas he had hated Jesus of Nazareth, he became a follower of Christ, and worshiper of the eternal Son of God. Whereas he had been filled with pride, self, self-confidence and self-will, he became an humble, supple supplicant. Saul was converted – he was turned.
I Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” Implicit in that statement is conversion – “that he might bright us to God.” Ephesians 2 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh… That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Paul, the converted man, tells us that we have been reconciled unto God by the cross of Christ. We have been turned and returned to the God who created us.
Have you heard the tense of the word that I’ve been using? Jesus said, “except ye BE converted.” I have been saying that “Saul WAS converted.” Peter said that “Christ also hath … suffered for sins .. .that he might BRING US to God.” And Paul says that we “who sometimes were far off ARE MADE NIGH by the blood of Christ.” In these verses and a great many others, we are passive in this conversion. We don’t turn, but rather we ARE turned by the sovereign power of God. We who are spiritually dead, can’t turn to God anymore than we can fly to the moon. Salvation is by the grace and power of God, not by our will or our strength.
What many people think is the ACT OF CONVERSION is in reality the EVIDENCE OF CONVERSION.
I doubt that Christ Jesus, the Creator of the universe, ever owned property in this world. He lived with Mary and Joseph in his youth, but when He lift home, he never bought a home for Himself. And I doubt that He ever rented a place of His own. The city of Capernaum was the center of His Galilean ministry – He kept returning to Capernaum after each of His missionary excursions. But when He was there it seems to me that He lived with the family of Peter. Peter was married, and apparently he and his wife had several children. I know that this may really irk Roman Catholics and others, but Biblical facts are as true as any other kind of facts – in some ways even more true. Peter was a married man – he was never a Catholic priest or pope.
The context of our scripture this morning suggests that Christ was at Peter’s house. “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” I’d guess that this little child was one of Peter’s, and Christ probably called this little child by name. I am told that the single word “little child” is neuter, so we have no idea if it was a little girl or a little boy. Was that child intimidated by being put into the spot-light – especially the spot-light held by Christ Jesus? No matter what the attitude of the child, I’m sure that the circumstances were somewhat dramatic.
Note that Jesus didn’t say, “except ye convert yourselves, and become as this little child, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Again I remind you that in Biblical and spiritual conversion, we are passive, and all the work is done by God. And that means that the child-likeness is one of the evidences of conversion, not one of its causes. If I can put it this way, child-likeness is one of the proofs that we are children of God. Now, I have helped to raise a couple of kids, at least one grandchild, and I have closely observed a few dozen others. I know that sin is born into every child, and that sin can express itself in a hundred different ways. But keep in mind that Jesus was referring to this child of Peters’ in a positive way, so we can temporarily dispense of the effects of childish sin. Generally speaking, children know they are much weaker than adults – they know their own strength. And they may pout and sometimes rebel, but well-disciplined children recognize adult authority. Certainly under the circumstances that day, Peter’s child was submissive, probably shy and cooperative. Children can be affectionate, open, sincere, without any duplicity and helpful.
And now to apply these things – what sort of person are you? Can you see the good characteristics of a child in you? Perhaps more importantly, can others see those good traits of the child in you? Does the Lord see them? If you are stubborn, wilful, rebellious, knowingly and openly sinful, how can you say that you are converted? While child-likeness is not proof that you are a Christian; a lack of child-likeness may be proof that you are not. Is there child-like evidence in your life that YOU are a child of Heaven?
My last point for this morning may be a bit of a stretch, but let’s continue in an allegorical fashion. To return to child-likeness is to have nearly a lifetime of life erased; it is to go back to the beginning. How many sins have you committed against God during the last year? The last ten years? Your life? How many times have you brought shame to yourself, to your family, to your God during your lifetime? How many things have there been that you’d like to have erased from history if that were possible? Conversion, as an aspect of God’s salvation, does that in one sense of the word. Justification, another aspects of God’s salvation, is God’s declaration that we are righteous. In justification our sins are reckoned to the account of our Saviour – our substitute – they are gone. And the righteousness of Christ is applied to our account in the sight of God. In atonement, our sins are covered by the blood of Christ – they are gone from the sight of God. I am not saying that children are without sin, because that is not the case – we were all born sinners. But in conversion, we are, at least in a picture, taken back to days of innocence and sinlessness.
Christ Jesus has said, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” I repeat Jesus’ words, and I could add a great many other such Biblical exhortations. “Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” Except ye “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” “ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” This is the clear statement of the scriptures. “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted … ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Have you been converted to Christ? If you have no proof of this in your life, I urge of you to throw yourself down before the Lord begging for His mercy and grace.