“unless you are converted and become as little children”
(Matt. 18:3, NKJV)
We are still lingering, for a while, with the implications of man’s choice in the garden of Eden, which lead to his state of sickly self-awareness. An important finding of the previous teaching is that God planned that the initial creation process would most probably have to undergo necessary formation processes, or continuous phases of (re)creation. The mere fact that Man did not have the ability (as God had) of distinguishing good from evil, makes it clear that there were probably also other spiritual qualities and characteristics that man did not receive initially, for very good reason. The creation process would entail an unending series of unfolding processes for it to be considered complete. Thus Scripture refers to their naked state, when they were yet unashamed (Gen. 2:25) in pictorial Hebrew as: “child drawn in,” “the bringing in and holding close of an infant to the breast” (AHLB). It is further described as: “A state of innocence as an infant … innocent, guiltless … blameless.”
Although man was thus, for instance, intelligent and capable of thought, he was unaware of life and death, good and evil, right and wrong, wisdom and folly. With regards to these weighty matters he was a mere child, immature, unexperienced and unprepared. Based on God’s characteristic nature of love (1 John 4:8) every created being had to have the right to choice, as love is impossible without choice – no one can lay claim to operating in love if they do not provide a choice. One chooses to love someone.
The original man’s understanding of things was uncontaminated, and – like a child – he had to learn obedience whilst innocent, through what he suffered (as is also said of Jesus in a different context – Heb. 5:8). Later in the book of Hebrews the importance of and rationale behind this educational process is spelled out: “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’ If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.” (Heb. 12:5-8).
Man is thus created in innocence, with a clear assignment to choose life (Deut. 30:19), but he chose the opposite. This resulted in six millennia in which humanity had to live under God’s dedicated correction. All sadness, pain, disappointment, brokenness and illness throughout the ages reminded man of this wrong choice, and his life was hard under the gentle hand of God’s gracious punishment. This brought about that man came to maturity, in the image of God, in whose likeness he was created. Therefore Jesus argues in Matt. 18:2-3: “Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.’”
- Selah: How does man become like a child again?
- Read: 4-6
- Memorise: 6:29 (think about the extent of this verse)