The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 18 Part 3 The Continuum Of Spiritual Growth

Our pride must give way to a child like faith and dependency upon God.

Matthew 18:4-6  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Jesus had a little child stand in their midst to teach His disciples about meekness, dependency on the Father, true humility and simple faith required for entrance into His kingdom.

While using a little child to illustrate His point, Jesus turned from dealing with the disciple's pride and argumentative spirit, to their future ministry.

Jesus was preparing them for their future ministry as His apostles, through whom the gospel would go forth beginning at Jerusalem.

They would encounter people who reject their message and those who reject Christ's gospel will suffer the eternal consequences of rejecting it.

Those who actively opposed the apostles as they preached the gospel, or who sought to harm them, would face more severe judgment from God.

Sin is in the world and temptations or opposition will come, but so will judgment.

Matthew 18:7-9  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! 8  Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 

Sin and the temptation to sin are always present in the world we live in.

Jesus warned His disciples, and by extension, warns us too, about the neccissity of guarding our eyes.

This is a symbolic way of teaching us to carefully filter what we allow into our mind, soul and  spirit.

We learned that our filter must be the scriptures that God gave for all people to read.

We must prioritize reading them, thinking deeply about them, memorizing them and studying the scriptures carefully. 

We must not ever despise any child of God, even those whose faith is weak.

Matthew 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 

Jesus turned back to the little child to whom He compared His disciples.

Jesus said "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones" and He spoke of little ones that believed in Christ. 

Jesus was is not speaking of infants in age, but of those who might be compared to such, for their humility and modesty. 

The "little ones" were small in their own eyes, and were seen as ignorant and despicable in the eyes of the world.

Wherefore Christ cautioned His disciples against such a spirit, teaching them not to have a low view of those who may be spiritually below them. 

Christ will be displeased with enemies of His church, if they wrong any of the members of it, even the least one.

He will be displeased with the great ones of the church, if they despise the little ones of it. 

It is as if Jesus said “You that are striving who shall be greatest, take heed lest in this conflict you despise the little ones.” 

Babes in Christ still belong to the family of Christ, and are not to be despised. 

In like manner true believers who have not progressed in their walk with the Lord, are like these little ones, who in their spirits, are like little children, the lambs of Christ's flock.

Jesus used His apostles to show us the right spirit we need toward less mature Christians.

Romans 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 

Romans 12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 

Romans 12:16  Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Jesus Christ used the apostle Paul in many powerful ways. 

His Spirit guided words are especially appropriate for what we are studying in Matthew's gospel.

Jesus said do not despise any of these little ones, which are new believers in Christ (See also Romans 14:3; 14:10; 14:15; 14:20-21).

Speaking through Paul, Christ says we must not think too highly of ourselves because all Christians are sinners saved by the grace of God, adopted into the family of God and recipients of the same promises of God.

Jesus taught his disciples to resist pride and ambition and to be meek and lowly in spirit.

Speaking through Paul, Christ tells us our spirit toward other Christians whether they be mature or immature in the faith, should be marked by kindness, brotherly love, and putting others before ourselves.

Mature Christians are expected to be welcoming and ready to help those who need guidance to begin growing spiritually, or who are weak in the faith.

Our goal is to help them grow, help them see Christ clearly from the scriptures, and to help them cultivate a love for God and His Word.

Spiritual realities: All Christians begin as new born babes in Christ. 

All Christians will do battle with the pride that dwells in us and we must not look down on other believers.

Mature Christians may have a tendency to look down on someone who made a profession of faith in Christ, but has not grown like we think they should.

We are not to be the judges of their spiritual growth. 

We are not to compare where we are in our faith walk, to where we think other Christians ought to be.

We are there to help others grow in any way that we can, by using the scriptures, by being an example of living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Just as an infant is wholly dependent upon its parents for nourishment, care and protection, a new Christian is dependent upon our Father to feed us the pure milk of God's Word.

Just as an infant grows into a toddler, then a young child, then a young man or woman, so each Christian is expected to grow and mature in their faith.

We are to move on from the milk of God's Word, which pictures the elementary, basic truths of scripture, to the strong meat of the Word (See 1 Peter 2:1-3; 1 Corinthians 3:1-2).

We begin as babes in Christ but some believers begin to grow and then spiritually regress.

Hebrews 5:11-14  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 

We are to be weaned off the milk so that we can consume the strong meat of God's Word, which pictures gaining an understanding of the doctrines and duties of our faith.

This text from the book of Hebrews shows the danger of remaining like a babe in Christ and not progressing on the path of spiritual growth and maturing faith. 

If we do not progress from learning the basic, elementary truths of the Bible, to learning its' beautiful doctrines and our duties, then we may suffer spiritual regression.

The people spoken of in Hebrews received God's truths and began to grow, but then they became dull of hearing.

Instead of growing and maturing in their faith so that they could teach others, they regressed and needed to be taught the basics once again.

They needed more milk from God's Word because they were like infants, unable to chew and digest the strong meat of scripture.

They became unskillful in the Word, meaning that they reverted to being like an infant needing mother's milk.

The Christian continuum starts with a little child, then a young man and finally a mature father.

1 John 2:12-14  I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 13  I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14  I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one

John was the last of Jesus' disciples to die. He lived a very long life marked by loving Christ and serving Him wherever he was located.

John was guided by the Holy Spirit to write his gospel, followed by three letters to the churches and the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation.

John 13:23  Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 

John writes to us having been the special disciple whom Jesus loved (See John 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20).

John was faithful to his calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

He witnessed the birth of the church, the persecution of the church, and the widespread expansion of the church, from Jerusalem to Judaea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth (See Acts 1:7-8).

John also saw false teachers, doctrines of devils and seducing spirits plague the churches, such that there was deviation from apostolic truth.

Therefore, John's gospel and letters to the churches contain corrections needed to get churches and Christians back on track with the truth of scripture.

In First John, the aged apostle lists out three stages of spiritual growth and this connects with the need to progress from a babe in Christ to a maturing faith in Christ and service for God.

This is one reason why John calls new believers “little children” because each of us need looking after, guidance, training and nurturing in spiritual matters. 

Every believer begins as a babe in this stage of their new life in Christ, but it is unfortunate that some never progress into spiritual adulthood.

The second phase of growth is defined by the term “young men”. 

They are more capable and obviously stronger than  little children. 

Like their real life counterparts, young men or young women of faith can learn more and can do more, by virtue of a vast reservoir of energy and a willingness to try new things. 

The young believers in Christ were able to fight off the attacks of Satan by skillfully using the Bible.           

Last, we have a reference to mature Christians, called the “fathers” by John. 

The term "Fathers" represent those believers whose faith has been seasoned with experience of walking by faith with Christ, and whose minds are tempered with Biblical wisdom. 

“Fathers” are often our role models and spiritual parents, who help us begin growing when we are babes in Christ. 

They often exhibit grace, patience, initiative, and a willingness to listen to others in order that they might help them make progress in their walk with Christ. 

For a babe in Christ, beginning to gain spiritual growth and a maturing faith is like learning how to work smarter instead of harder.

Thus, Jesus reminds His disciples that they must not despise or look down on other believers, because they are also children of the living God.

Angels of God are ministering spirits who have special care for little children of the faith.

Matthew 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 

"In heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father." 

This Christ says to us and we can take His word about what is done there by the world of angels.

We see that they are the little ones' angels. 

God's angels are theirs  for all His is ours, if we be Christ's (See 1 Corinthians 3:22). 

The little children are theirs because the angels have a charge concerning them to minister for their good, to pitch their tents about them, and bear them up in their arms (See Hebrews 1:14).

It is bad being enemies to those little children who are guarded; and it is good having God for our God, for then we have His angels to help us.

The happiness of heaven consists in the vision of God, seeing Him face to face as he is, beholding his beauty. 

The angels see Him without interruption, when they are ministering to us on earth, yet still beholding  the face of God. 

When Gabriel spoke to Zechariah about the miraculous birth of John the baptist, he said that he stands in the presence of God (See Luke 1:19). 

We are not equipped to see into the unseen spiritual realm, but when we are taken to heaven through death or the rapture, we will be equipped to see our great God, His Son and His mighty angels.

Throughout the Bible, angels of had ministry to the people of God.

This is what Jesus is teaching the disciples in regard to not despising these little children in the faith.

He is teaching us that we must strive to maintain that child like faith of innocency and purity and trust in God.

May each of us seek to grow spiritually by praying to God for help, asking for His Spirit to guide our steps in the Word, in our walk, in our worship and in our witness for Christ.

Bob