UNLESS YOU CHANGE / MATTHEW 18:3

(KJV) Matthew 18:3

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.

The positive changes Jesus desires to make in our lives through the initial experience of spiritual salvation and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit start with a childlike (not “childish”) attitude. In order for Christ to transform our character and make us fit for His kingdom, our attitude toward Him must be humble, honest, dependent, trusting and ready to be molded by the heavenly Father. Following the childlike step of submitting to God, the conversion (life change) Jesus requires consists of two parts: radically turning away from everything that is selfish and ungodly and deliberately turning toward God. This means doing what is right by His standards and producing spiritual fruit (character and positive actions) as evidence of true repentance (Matthew 3:8).

1. Spiritual conversion does not consist of a single act of sorrow or regret over past sins. It requires an ongoing, all-encompassing attitude toward life that continually resists sin and puts aside selfish desires in order to seek after God’s plan with all our heart (2 Corinthians 7:10). This is necessary because by nature we tend to follow a path that leads away from God and toward eternal death (Romans 1:18-32; Ephesians 2:2-3). True spiritual conversion is a total change of heart in response to God’s gift of salvation. Such a change is possible only by God’s grace (undeserved favor, love, help, kindness and enablement) and the power of the Holy Spirit, which we must receive through faith (Acts 11:18). 

Because of a new relationship to God, genuine conversion involves significant changes in other areas of life, including relationships, priorities, habits, commitments, interests and the overall view of life. Conversion is a complete life transformation, and it is a necessary element of genuine saving faith and a basic requirement for ongoing spiritual growth (Acts 26:18)

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1. FAITH … NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSIBLE / MATTHEW 17:20
2. UNBELIEVING AND PERVERSE / MATTHEW 17:17
3. WAS TRANSFIGURED / MATTHEW 17:2
4. COMING IN HIS KINGDOM / MATTHEW 16:28
5. KEYS OF THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 16:19
6. PETER … ROCK … CHURCH – THE GATES OF HADES WILL NOT OVERCOME / MATTHEW 16:18
7. BE ON YOUR GUARD AGAINST THE YEAST / MATTHEW 16:6
8. YOU HAVE GREAT FAITH / MATTHEW 15:28
9. FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR TRADITION / MATTHEW 15:5-6
10. DON’T BE AFRAID / MATTHEW 14:27
11. PRAY ALONE / MATTHEW 14:23-24
12. LOAVES AND FISH / MATTHEW 14:19
13. DANCED FOR THEM / MATTHEW 14:6-7
14. SEPARATE THE WICKED FROM THE RIGHTEOUS / MATTHEW 13:49
15. KINGDOM … A NET / MATTHEW 13:47
16. KINGDOM … TREASURE / MATTHEW 13:44-46
17. THE FIERY FURNACE / MATTHEW 13:42
18. WEED OUT … EVERYTHING THAT CAUSES SIN / MATTHEW 13:41
19. LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER / MATTHEW 13:30
20. GOOD SEED … WEEDS / MATTHEW 13:24-25
21. PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 13:3
22. AN EVIL SPIRIT / MATTHEW 12:43
23. JONAH / MATTHEW 12:40
24. BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE SPIRIT / MATTHEW 12:31
25. THE KINGDOM OF GOD / MATTHEW 12:28
26. SABBATH / MATTHEW 12:1
27. COME TO ME / MATTHEW 11:28
28. FORCEFUL MEN LAY HOLD OF IT / MATTHEW 11:12
29. GREATER THAN HE / MATTHEW 11:11
30. JOHN / MATTHEW 11:7
31. PROPHET … RIGHTEOUS MAN / MATTHEW 10:41
32. I DID NOT COME TO BRING PEACE / MATTHEW 10:31
33. ACKNOWLEDGES ME BEFORE MEN / MATTHEW 10:32
34. HELL / MATTHEW 10:28
35. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THEM / MATTHEW 10:26
36. CITIES OF ISRAEL / MATTHEW 10:23
37. GIVEN WHAT TO SAY / MATTHEW 10:19-20
38. PREACH … THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 10:7
39. AUTHORITY TO DRIVE OUT EVIL SPIRITS / MATTHEW 10:1
40. ASK THE LORD TO SEND / MATTHEW 9:38
41. THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL / MATTHEW 9:37
42. NEW WINE INTO OLD WINESKINS / NEW WINE PRESERVED / MATTHEW 9:17
43. THEN THEY WILL FAST / MATTHEW 9:15
44. EAT WITH ‘SINNERS’ / MATTHEW 9:11
45. THEY PLEADED WITH HIM TO LEAVE / MATTHEW 8:34
46. LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD / MATTHEW 8:22
47. GREAT FAITH / MATTHEW 8:10
48. DON’T TELL ANYONE / MATTHEW 8:4
49. JESUSE TOUCHED THE MAN / MATTHEW 8:3
50. I NEVER KNEW YOU / MATTHEW 7:23
51. MANY WILL SAY LORD, LORD / MATTHEW 7:22
52. DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER / MATTHEW 7:21
53. BY THEIR FRUIT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM / MATTHEW 7:16
54. SMALL IS THE GATE … AND ONLY A FEW FIND IT / MATTHEW 7:14
55. YOUR FATHER … GIVE GOOD GIFTS / MATTHEW 7:11
56. ASK … SEEK … KNOCK / MATTHEW 7:7-8
57. DO NOT JUDGE / MATTHEW 7:1
58. SEEK … KINGDOM … RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 6:33
59. IF THAT IS HOW GOD CLOTHES / MATTHEW 6:30
60. DO NOT WORRY / MATTHEW 6:25
61. EYE IS THE LAMP OF THE BODY / MATTHEW 6:22
62. WHEN YOU FAST / MATTHEW 6:16
63. IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE / MATTHEW 6:15
64. IF YOU FORGIVE / MATTHEW 6:14
65. DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE / MATTHEW 6:13
66. FORGIVE AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN / MATTHEW 6:12
67. DAILY BREAD / MATTHEW 6:11
68. YOUR KINGDOM COME – YOUR WILL BE DONE / MATTHEW 6:10
69. THIS THEN IS HOW YOU SHOULD PRAY / MATTHEW 6:9
70. PRAY IN SECRET / MATTHEW 6:6
71. ‘ACTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS’ BEFORE MEN / MATTHEW 6:1
72. DO NOT RESIST AN EVIL PERSON / MATTHEW 5:39
73. LOOKS LUSTFULLY / MATTHEW 5:28
74. ANGRY … RACA … FOOL / MATTHEW 5:22
75. UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:20
76. GREAT IN THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 5:19
77. THE LAW TO FULFILL / MATTHEW 5:17
78. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS / MATTHEW 5:14-16
79. PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:10
80. THE PEACEMAKERS / MATTHEW 5:9
81. THE PURE IN HEART / MATTHEW 5:8
82. THE MERCIFUL / MATTHEW 5:7
83. HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:6
84. THE MEEK / MATTHEW 5:5
85. THOSE WHO MOURN / MATTHEW 5:4
86. BLESSED POOR IN SPIRIT / MATTHEW 5:3
87. SERMON ON THE MONT / MATTHEW 5-7
88. THE KINGDOM AND HEALING / MATTHEW 4:23
89. FISHERS OF MEN / MATTHEW 4:19
90. IT IS WRITTEN / MATTHEW 4:6
91. FASTING FORTY DAYS / MATTHEW 4:2
92. JESUS … TEMPTED / MATTHEW 4:1-11
93. THE TRINITY IN EXAMPLE / MATTHEW 3:17
94. SPIRIT … ON HIM / MATTHEW 3:16
95. JESUS … BAPTIZED / MATTHEW 3:13
96. WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / MATTHEW 3:11
97. FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE / MATTHEW 3:8
98. PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES / MATTHEW 3:7
99. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN – REPENT / MATTHEW 3:2
100. WARNED IN A DREAM / MATTHEW 2:22-23
101. ESCAPE TO EGYPT / MATTHEW 2:13
102. CHIEF PRIESTS AND TEACHERS OF THE LAW / MATTHEW 2:4
103. HEROD – MAGI / MATTHEW 2:1
104. NO UNION WITH HER UNTIL / MATTHEW 1:25
105. VIRGIN … GIVE BIRTH TO A SON / MATTHEW 1:23
106. JESUS / MATTHEW 1:21
107. MARY … JESUS / MATTHEW 1:16
108. CHRIST – SON OF DAVID / MATTHEW 1:1
109. GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST / MATTHEW 1:1-16
110. I AM WITH YOU / MATTHEW 28:20
111. KILL ALL THE BOYS / MATTHEW 2:16
112. FORGIVENESS OF SINS / MATTHEW 26:28
113. SATAN / MATTHEW 4:10
114. DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS / MATTHEW 25:41
115. MONEY / MATTHEW 6:24
116. GO … MAKE DISCIPLES … BAPTIZING / MATTHEW 28:19
117. SALT OF THE EARTH / MATTHEW 5:13
118. YOU ARE WORTH MORE / MATTHEW 10:31
119. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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Summary

Article Name

UNLESS YOU CHANGE / MATTHEW 18:3

Description

The positive changes Jesus desires to make in our lives through the initial experience of spiritual salvation and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit start with a childlike (not “childish”) attitude.

Author

Margarita Crews

Publisher Name

Guided By Grace

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