I please Almighty God to bless
us this morning as we meditate in His Holy Word. Let us turn
to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, and we'll read verse 3. the Gospel of Matthew chapter
18 and reading verse 3. 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. It is wonderful to recognize
and to realize how gloriously simple the words are of our Savior. And as we realize that that which
we've just read in this third verse is really a response. It's not an answer, but it's
a response to the question that he was asked by the disciples. because we are told they came
to Jesus saying who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven and
the Lord responded in this way he called a little child unto
him and set him in the midst of them and then said as this
third verse reads verily I say unto you except ye be converted
and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom
of heaven. And we surely see from this very
simply and very plainly that our great need is not what position
we will be found in in heaven, but to have the evidence that
we will be there, that we will be there, that we won't be left
outside and that we won't be Committed to the alternative
place of hell But we are found at last in glory so the Lord
Jesus Speaks so very simply and very powerfully and he says Except
you be converted and become as little children He shall not
enter into the kingdom of heaven and therefore there are two requirements
two very clear requirements for every one of us indeed every
person that goes to glory will have received these two favours
and these two blessings because the Lord says accept and therefore
every one of us need to know these two things that firstly
we are converted and secondly that we have become as a little
child and it is clear that unless you and I enter into both of
these situations then we will not enter into the kingdom of
heaven and we live in a sad day we live in a sad day when people
are very willing not to really be truly concerned about their
position about their condition, about whether they are converted
or not. And people seem very often to
be careless and not to be very concerned. And if they're asked
the question, well, are you a converted person? Well, they'll just duck
the issue and turn the conversation and won't give an answer. And
we must assume from such a response that they are not converted because
if we are converted and if we are asked a question like that
we are told that we should give a good answer we should give
an account of our hope we shouldn't turn away from it and we shouldn't
despise what God has done and so here we have this statement
except ye be converted what is conversion? what is conversion?
what does it mean? well very simply I think it means
this that our life is reversed we're turned around we become a new creature we possess
a new life we still have our human nature our natural life
but we perceive and have received the wonderful blessing of a new
life a spiritual life and surely that is a response really to
that statement that the Lord Jesus gave to Nicodemus when
he told him categorically and again he avoided the question
that Nicodemus asked him and he very simply said you must
be born again exactly the same as this we must be converted
we must have the evidence of it and it's a great blessing
therefore when the Holy Spirit arrests us arrests us and stops
us we might say in our mad career a career which was in opposition
to the way of God a career which was basically pleasing ourselves
following the attractions of this world influenced by the devil himself
well my friends we need to have a good answer to a question like
this as to whether we are converted whether we are a changed person
whether we have been turned around from going in a wrong direction
to going in the right direction. Now such a change will be brought
about only by the work of the Holy Spirit. It's not something
that you and I can produce ourselves. We need God. We need the work
of the Holy Spirit to bring us into that condition and that
situation. and you may ask, well how does
that start? how does that commence? well I believe, excuse me I believe
it commences by the Holy Spirit showing to us something of what
we are in the sight of a holy God and that sight will show to us
that we have disobeyed God and because we have disobeyed
God what does it mean? it means that we've sinned it
means that we've sinned and we are then a sinner in the sight
of a holy God. And again, our response may be,
but of course everybody has sinned, we know that. So they have. But what a mercy when the Spirit
of God convinces us that we have sinned against God. And unless our sins are forgiven,
we shall never enter into heaven. well what a mercy when God by
the Holy Spirit convinces us of our condition and you know the response to
that will be very simple it will mean that you and I will come
and plead to God and pray to God we won't just accept it as
something which is, well, that's true. It'll be a concern to us. And that concern will produce
a desire, a prayer to our God. And that prayer will be really
couched in very simple words. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. All of us then will need the
mercy of God. All of us will need the favour
of God, what a blessing it is if you and I can therefore look
into our lives and recognise there has been a time when we
have been convinced by the Holy Spirit of God that we stand before
a Holy God as a guilty sinner, a sinner that needs mercy. Indeed, a sinner that needs to
be saved from the pit, saved from eternal destruction. What
a mercy then, if we have the evidence of this great and glorious
beginning of conversion in our souls. you know if it is the
work of the Holy Spirit it won't be an effect that disappears
it may perhaps fade a bit but it won't disappear because the
work of the Spirit is permanent and what a mercy therefore if
you in our lives recognise the great need here of being converted
Remember again, except ye be converted, ye shall not enter
into the kingdom of heaven. We will not enter into heaven. And that's a very solemn thought
and a very solemn truth to realize that if we're not converted,
we shall not enter into heaven. Surely this shows to us the great
need we have then of being converted. And if the Lord then does show
us that we are a sinner, we won't just accept it as something which
is irrelevant, because the Holy Spirit will then direct us to
the need to be sorry for the need before God to repent of
our sin. You won't just sit back and say,
well, of course that's just me, it's one of those things. You'll
realize that unless our sin is removed, we shall not enter into
heaven. As I sometimes say, Heaven is
a holy place. There is no sin in heaven. And you and I cannot enter into
heaven with sin. We need, therefore, to be blessed
with a wonderful grace of God, of repentance for our sin, and
to come crying unto God that he will have mercy upon us. and then to be directed out of
ourselves beyond ourselves you know we can look at ourselves
we can look down on ourselves we can become very despondent
we can be very upset and very sad but my friends just looking
at ourselves will not save ourselves we need to look out of ourselves
we need to look up We need to look to the Lord Jesus Christ
to have the evidence granted to us that this blessed and glorious
Saviour came into this world to die for sinners and to have
the glorious application that that was directed to us as individuals. It will not be satisfactory,
it will not satisfy to know that so-and-so is saved and so-and-so
has received forgiveness. We will need a personal evidence
of this blessed work of the Holy Spirit so that we do know that
we are converted. the temptation of course is to
say well I understand that but I'm not really too concerned
about it I'm a young person and I haven't got to worry too much
or you may be an old person and think well you've still got time
on your hand to consider this well let us never forget that
you and I don't know how long we have on this earth we do not
know today may be the last day we may appear to be very healthy
it doesn't mean to say that we won't have our life taken and
so the word of God speaks to us in very clear tones today
if you will hear my voice harden not your hearts what a blessing
it is if the Holy Spirit causes us today to truly hear his voice
and to truly seek that we may know that we are a changed person. We have received that life of
God, that new life, that we are a converted person, that we have
been changed, we have been turned, our life has been reversed. from serving ourselves to serving
the true God. Well, the Lord said, remember,
He didn't answer the question put to Him, who is the greatest?
That wasn't relevant. The important thing was that
we are, they were, we are converted. That's the great thing. And so
if I was to ask you each this morning, are you a converted
person? What is your response? Are you
going to say, well, well, I hope so? Many people, you see, go
on in life with a hope so religion. My friends, we do want the evidence
to know the Apostle Paul said, very clearly and very categorically
I know whom I have believed. You see the devil wants you and
me to remain in what we read in the Pilgrim's Progress as
Doubting Castle. He wants us to settle down there
and we think well so and so is in this position and so and so
is in that position. My friends, you and I as individuals
stand before God. You and I as individuals have
to answer before God. You and I as individuals need
to know that we are converted so that we can say to the glory
of God that by His grace, is free unmerited favour. We are
one of those whom God has come to. The apostle says, he uses
the word quickened, made spiritually alive. And when he wrote to the
church at Ephesus, he said so clearly, and you hath he quickened,
made spiritually alive. All of us today need to be aware
of that great truth. And all of us need the evidence
that we are made spiritually alive. You hath he quickened. We don't quicken ourselves. We
don't make ourselves spiritually alive. The Lord does. But my
friends, let us be very clear, we do need, we need to know that
we are quickened, that we are converted. And therefore then we can have
that good hope that we shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Well, said Jesus, verily I say
unto you, He says it to my friends, to the whole Church of God, to
the whole world really. Very I say unto you, except ye
be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter
into the Kingdom of Heaven. So we have the two evidences.
The first is of being converted. And then there's the second evidence.
And the second evidence is this. that we become as little children. Little children. Well, little
children, as we know, are taught. Little children learn. Little
children are blessed with an understanding. We become as little
children. You may say, well, I think I
need that described a bit clearer. the Lord Jesus does that for
us because in the next verse he says whosoever therefore shall
humble himself as his little child the same is greatest in
the kingdom of heaven so what that means really is you and
I must come off from being proud come off from thinking that we
don't have to come down to this position of truly seeking for
mercy, recognising that in and of ourselves, we are a lost sinner. In and of ourselves, there's
no hope for us. You see, all your chapel going
will not save your soul. All your reading of the Bible
will not save your soul. All your good deeds will not
save your soul. My friends, all those things
are good in themselves. They will not save your soul.
We need to have this wonderful evidence of the work of God,
the work of the Spirit within us, which is truly humbling. And it's humbling because of
this. The hymn writer sums it up in these words, Why me, O
blessed God, why such a wretch as me, who must forever lie in
hell, were not salvation free? See that is to be humbled before
God and to marvel that Almighty God should come and look upon
us. The Almighty God should come
and favour us. We have to come to God in all
our simplicity. You have to throw away all natural
learning. Nothing wrong in natural learning.
My friend, natural learning will not save our souls. We must have
the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit. We must have the
evidence that God has brought us to that position to be willing
to be shown the way of salvation. To be willing to be taught by
the Holy Spirit. To be willing, as it were, to
sit at Jesus' feet. Remember the case of Martha and
Mary? Martha, we're told, was coming
about with much serving. Didn't do wrong things. She did
that which was good and right. But the Lord said that Mary hath
chosen that good part. And what was that good part?
She was sat at Jesus' feet to hear what Jesus would speak to
her. Well, this morning, do we desire? Are we found? at Jesus' feet
as a little child we're not there dictating to God you know sometimes
people dictate to God and they say well I will do this
and I will do that if sometimes people even say that with regard
to following the Lord and being baptised they say well if I'm
blessed with this blessing then I will my friends we're dictating
to God we're not as a little child we're not coming very simply
and pleading with him his will might be done in our lives that
we might be given strength to do his will and not our will
to become as a little child a little child generally speaking is willing
to Listen, and it needs to be taught. And you and I, my friends,
need to be taught the things of God by the Spirit of God. And it's wonderful to realize
the Lord does come and teach his children. Isn't that amazing
to think that Almighty God comes and teaches His children. As you and I are made to be teachable,
willing to do the will of God. You might say that's willing
in the day of His power. It is so when the power of God
comes upon us and takes away all our own plans and all our
own wills, brings us to the feet of the Saviour. to be sat there,
to listen to what He will have us to do, and to listen to His
great and glorious teaching. Well, that must have been wonderful
teaching that Mary heard at the feet of Jesus. And my friends,
we still have a great and glorious Savior who does teach us, who
shows us our need of salvation, and shows to us then the glorious
plan of salvation and my friends it's a plan that you and I could
never have thought of could never have conjured up in our own minds to think and it's good to ponder
these things to think that in eternity past the great God the
Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Those three co-equal God planned
the wonderful way of salvation. The wonderful way of salvation
and planned it for the whole Church of God and planned it
for you and me. That should be a very humbling consideration,
to think that the God who created the world, created the world,
planned to redeem your soul and my soul. And if we are those
of His love and everlasting love, to give us the wonderful evidence
in our hearts that we are indeed born again born again well you
see with these blessings what does it give to us? it gives
to us the evidence and what is that evidence? I believe it's
the passport to glory and this is what you and I must have Again,
just mentioning the pilgrim's progress, and you may remember,
or at least if you don't remember, if you haven't read it, I can
tell you, there was a Christian and there were others with him,
some who were good and some who were not believers, and there
was one who was called Ignorance. And there's many so-called Christians
who are really not Christians but they're ignorant I think
they're on the way to heaven they're doing this and they're
saying this my friends it's the reality of religion between your
soul and God it's not what you say you see some people can speak
the things of God some people can quote the things of God you
know I've met people who can quote no end of scripture can
quote no end of hymns but they're not converted they don't possess
the life of God in their soul when ignorance came up to the
gate of heaven and he looked to be let in he looked to the
gate might be opened and he was asked for his certificate he
was asked to show the evidence that he was converted. He was
asked to show the evidence that he had become as a little child. And well, what did he do? Well,
we're told he fumbled in his bosom. That means he tried to
make out that he possessed a certificate, which he didn't. Well, that was a sad occasion. Because he was told to depart.
And those terrible words, I never knew you. All his so-called pretense
of religion was empty. It was just words. It was just
formality. There was no truth in it. What
a blessing then. even if the passage through life
is difficult and hard, as it was in Christian's life. He went through many times of
difficulty, many temptations, a slow despondent, and places
like that. But you see, he got safe home
to glory. My friends, that's the great
need that we have We need therefore today to be converted and have
the evidence of it and to show that we are as little children. Little children. Whosoever shall
humble himself as his little child, the same is greatest in
the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive One such
little child in my name receiveth me. It's interesting, isn't it? You see, we can easily misjudge
people. It's not the quantity, it's the
quality. It's the reality of true religion. And it's really summed up, as
I've sometimes said, in a very simple statement. when someone
recognises themselves as a perishing sinner and the Lord Jesus Christ
as a precious saviour. Well, this morning, my friends,
where do we stand? Where do we come? What a mercy
if we've been brought before a holy God, as though we've stood
at the judgment seat of Christ. And we felt condemned. We felt
guilty. And we've had to plead for repentance. The Word of God tells us, I tell
you, except you repent, ye shall likewise all perish. Well, can
we this morning look into our hearts and realise, yes, God
has given me that grace of true sorrow for my sin, true repentance,
the work of the Holy Spirit of God. You and I don't produce
it ourselves, but what a mercy it is to think that we have such
a kind and gracious God. You know, in this chapter as
we read together, again speaking about little ones, take heed that ye despise not
one of these little ones and that's a note for us all isn't
it because sometimes we can be critical can't we? and we can
despise people who we think don't possess the grace of God and
we might be mistaken take heed that ye despise not one of these
little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their angels to
always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For
the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost." Again,
we have to come to that place to realise unless we're saved,
we are lost. We can't save ourself. The Son of Man is come to seek
and to save that which was lost and then He gives that wonderful
example How think ye, if a man have an hundred sheep, and one
of them be gone astray, doth not leave the ninety of nine,
and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone
astray, if so be that he find it? Verily I say unto you, he
rejoiceth more than of that sheep, and of the ninety of nine which
went not astray. Even so, it is not the will of
your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones
should perish. Perhaps we might feel we're like
that. We've gone astray. We've wandered out of the way. We ought to think of that. The Saviour knows where we've
got to. Perhaps He's come to find us,
and perhaps He's found us, and perhaps He's now directing us
to the reality of true religion, which is summed up in this simple
statement, except ye be converted and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. So we've had to be
brought right down as a little child, willing to learn, willing
to be taught, willing to realise we are indeed, as the Apostle
Paul described himself, less than the least of all saints.
It's a good position. It's a God-given position. What a mercy then this morning.
If it's we, may by the Spirit of God be able to come and examine
ourselves. My friends, let us remember that
great statement. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. The devil would have us all settle
down short without the evidence that we are indeed converted
and that we are as little children. May the Lord come and give us
faith and grace to believe that this great and glorious God has
looked upon me, a worthy sinner, and loved me with everlasting
love. If you and I have those great
truths applied to our souls, we shall know that it is well
with our soul. Amen.