What is Childlike Faith?
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It is often said in Christian circles that we should have ‘childlike
faith.’
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What is Childlike Faith?
Robert Driskell
While this term is not found in the Bible, the
concept is readily seen when one takes a closer look.
Jesus clearly said that there is something about
the attitude of the child that is essential for admittance into His Kingdom.
In
the Gospels, Jesus speaks about the relationship between child-like attributes
and the Kingdom of Heaven,
“And
they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples
rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to
them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such
belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the
kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:13-15 ESV, cf. Matt. 19:14).
In one sense, “becoming
like a child” means we relinquish the idea that we have worked
for our salvation or that God owes us anything at all
We Must Recognize That Salvation Is a Gift
To “receive
the kingdom of God like a child” means
that we must receive the gift of salvation knowing that it is not by our merit
that we are saved, but by the pure grace of God.
We
have done nothing to make ourselves worthy of forgiveness; we are forgiven on
the basis of Jesus’ payment for our sins.
He
died on the cross for us; we are the recipients of His saving work.
In
one sense, “becoming like a child” means we relinquish the
idea that we have worked for our salvation or that God owes us anything at all.
We Must Be Humble
“At
that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven?' And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you
will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven'” (Matthew
18:1-4 ESV).
In
this passage, we see the disciples seeking prestige and honor for
themselves. Jesus corrects them by pointing to the example of a
child.
Jesus
points out the importance of humility in the life of those who claim to be His
followers. The life of one who follows Jesus is not about putting the
focus on ourselves; rather, we should be about pointing others to Jesus.
When we act proudly, we actually place ourselves in opposition to
God, “But he gives more
grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the
humble'” (James
4:6 ESV).
We
should live constantly in a state of dependence upon Him and not allow our
position within the family of God to make us conceited.
The
apostle Paul has some very clear teaching on the issue of humility,
“Do
nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more
significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own
interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4 ESV).
Followers
of Jesus make up the body of Christ (Romans 7:4, 12:5; I
Corinthians 10:16, 12:12, 27).
And
a body functions best when all parts are cooperating with one another (Ephesians 4:15-16).
When
haughtiness and conceit are present, cooperation disappears.
We Must Be Dependent
Following an extended passage on the trustworthiness of God
providing all our needs, Jesus said this, “But
seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will
be added to you” (Matthew
6:33 ESV).
Jesus
is here telling us that, as long as we are placing Him and His kingdom ahead of
other things in our lives, God will provide everything we need.
We
can trust Him to see us through the good times and the bad times. He will
never leave us nor forsake us (Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:4-6).
We Must Be Submissive to His Will
When we come to Jesus we must come as spiritual newborns, with
no pre-planned agenda.
Instead we are willing to be molded to His will and His ways. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2a ESV).
We
must allow ourselves to be molded by God into the people He wants us to be for
His purposes. We must never think that our relationship with God consists
of us merely adding God into our already made plans.
God is
the architect of our lives and we need to submit to His Lordship in every
aspect of our existence, as a young child submits to his or her parents.
How Should Our Faith Be Different
From Child-likeness?
The one area in which we must not be child-like is the area
of gullibility.
The
Bible never instructs us to be naïve or to blindly follow every teaching, or
teacher, that claims to be Christian.
We are instructed to, “…test everything;
hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:21-22 ESV).
It is
a spiritually dangerous practice to believe something simply because the
teacher claims to be Christian or because they claim their teaching comes from
the Bible.
We should be as the Bereans who, when they heard Paul’s
teachings, responded in this manner, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they
received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if
these things were so” (Acts
17:11 ESV).
I
tell others to make sure any teaching they hear lines up with the Bible, even
if that teaching is from me.
As long as the teaching we are receiving is biblical we can
be sure, “… that by testing you may discern what is the will of
God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2b
ESV).
Conclusion
Christians are often encouraged to have a “childlike faith.”
The
Bible speaks of several childlike attributes that correspond to how we, as
followers of Jesus, should seek to live.
We
must realize that salvation is a gift that we do not deserve and cannot achieve
by works, we should be humble towards others, we should be dependent on God for
everything, and we should submit our lives and wills to His will and plans for
us.
Even
as we are instructed to be like children in one sense, we are also instructed
to test the teachings we hear to determine what is true and what is not.
We do this by comparing those teachings to the Word of God.
I would like to summarize this article with the words of
Jesus Christ, to the disciples He would soon send out into the world as His
representatives, “Behold,
I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents
and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16 ESV).
There are no "magical" words that result in
salvation. It is only faith in Jesus' death and resurrection that can save us.
Ephesians 2:8 declares, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."
All we
have to do is believe that Jesus died in our place and rose from the dead (Romans
10:9-10).
We
can be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.
We are declaring to God that we are relying on Jesus Christ
as our Savior.
If you acknowledge to God that you are a sinner and in need
of salvation through Jesus Christ say this prayer.
"Father God,
I know that I am a sinner.
I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin.
However, right now, I am
trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as my
personal Lord and Savior.
Lord Jesus, I pray and ask You, to come into
my heart and be Lord of my life. I thank You that You have given me eternal
life, and according to Your Word, I am born again.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of
the Holy Spirit Who is in me now. I surrender my life to You. Use me for Your
glory. I promise to study Your Word - the Bible.
Thank you Lord, for saving
me and forgiving me.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen."
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As a gift from God salvation is free - your good works add nothing to it
As a gift from God salvation is free - your good works add nothing to it
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“How Deep The Father's Love For Us”
lyrics
How
deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that left Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
(REPEAT)
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that left Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
(REPEAT)
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