Faith In Christ: A Matter of Childlike Simplicity

"Today's Devotion" For March 7, 2005

Read: Matthew 18:6-9
Luke 10:17-22

FAITH IN JESUS: A MATTER OF CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY

"'I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.'"(Lk.10:21)

To survive in our world it can be reasonably stated that a certain amount of sophistication is required. At least that's what our culture and our world wish us to believe. Sophistication in business, economics, politics, personal relationships, and in just about every aspect of life of which you can think is considered crucial to success and accomplishment. Nothing is ever allowed to be simple. So whether it's technological sophistication that expands and advances so quickly that it seems impossible to keep up with, or social sophistication that dictates dress, mannerisms, places to be seen and to go, or one's "taste" in the arts, people are drawn to the allure of sophistication, even if some of us might decry it as being gaudy, showy, and not real. It's a huge temptation for all.

Matthew recounts that Jesus made it clear to His disciples that to follow Him was not sophisticated. Following Jesus is neither acceptable to the world or a highly regarded "career option." "Delusions of grandeur" have no place in the kingdom. Living in Christ isn't dependent upon our intellectual prowess, our technological aptitude, our social standing, or our political correctness. Jesus calls us to a simple, childlike trust in Him. That's what He says is essential to life with Him. In fact, Jesus is so adamant about how unsophisticated faith in Him really is, that He makes it very clear that anyone who attempts to lead astray someone with such a childlike trust in Him, might want to consider getting a "pair of cement overshoes," than face God's wrath toward them. He is clearly warning those whom He has redeemed to avoid the many temptations to sin, even going so far as to suggest, in the absurd, that cutting off an offending body part might be in order if it would keep us from sinning and away from heaven.

Should we be striving for a "sophisticated" faith as believers in Christ? For many Christians, being "hip" is important. It's a temptation to being considered "relevant" by the world. Yet, to believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior from Sin isn't a matter of sophistication but one of childlike simplicity. We can become so enamored of our own intellectual prowess or social standing that we begin to put "standards" on faith in Christ that God never puts on faith. We become, to paraphrase an old German saying of my youth, “so smart, that we’re dumb.” And, as we all know, being “dumb” isn’t sophisticated.

Ultimately, faith in Jesus Christ doesn't require great intellectual ability, sophisticated thinking, great social standing or fashion sense, political correctness, or any other "sophistication" which the world might consider important. Instead, faith in Jesus is really very “simple,” for it’s an act of God’s grace that leads us to confessing our sins with the help of the Holy Spirit, repenting of that Sin (again with the Spirit's help), and receiving, by faith (worked in us by the power of God's Word and Spirit), God's forgiveness for the sake of Christ. The greatest requirement of such faith in Christ isn’t a sophisticated view of God, but a childlike trust in all of His promises. In the end, it’s that childlike, unflagging faith and trust in God that see us through each and every day and each and every circumstance of our lives.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Your Son, Jesus Christ to me through Your Word and Spirit. Help me to trust in Him explicitly and implicitly, living for Him and in Him every day of my life. Lead me, by the power of Your Word and Spirit, to live in the forgiveness of sins You have given me by faith in Jesus, and help me to share that same forgiveness with others. Father, there is great temptation for me to get a "big" head and think of myself as a "sophisticated Christian." Give me the strength of faith in Jesus that I need to overcome any temptation that would lead me to "think more highly of myself than I ought to think. And help me to remain childlike in my faith and keep it simple as I serve You in Christ's name and reach out in love to those who still need to know Jesus and be saved. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright © 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.