Matthew 18:3-11 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. 4 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. 7 Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense 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. 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. 11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

We Are To Be Responsible For Our Own Lives

In order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven – the place that God calls home – you must be “converted, and become as little children”. The word rendered “converted” is the Greek στρέφω stréphō, (pronounced stref’-o), which means “to turn yourself around, to turn back from where you were headed, to turn your self from one course of conduct to another”. The word requires that a person take responsibility for their own lives. To recognize the direction you are going in, and, like a child, turn to Jesus Christ and allow Him to take your hand, and lead you in another direction.

We live in a day of diminished personal responsibility. The narrative of the world is that “It’s not MY fault, but SOMEONE ELSE is the reason I am the way I am”. Blame shifting and finger pointing are all in vogue today. Yet this is nothing new. When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, He told Adam:

Genesis 2:16 … Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Adam was responsible for NOT eating of this one tree. The Bible says “the LORD God COMMANDED THE MAN”. יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים YAHWEH ‘Elohiym, the Triune and Eternal I AM, told just the man to not eat of this fruit. Eve was never told this. And yet, when Eve …

Genesis 3:6 … took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Sin entered into the world. When God questioned Adam as to why he ate of the fruit, Adam’s reply was to deflect his sin by saying:

Genesis 3:12 … The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

“It wasn’t MY fault, God. It was THAT WOMAN’S fault. Yeah, THAT WOMAN that YOU GAVE ME. It was she who sinned (and Lord, I think You had a little hand in this, too!” The blame game. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the snake. The snake had no one to blame.

Jesus calls each and every one of us to personal responsibility.

When Christ speaks of eternity, He always addresses personal responsibility. You alone are responsible for your life, and your eternal life.

Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

We are called to HUMBLE OURSELVES as LITTLE CHILDREN. To come before God our Father and take accountability for our own lives. The Bible makes it clear that the Most Supreme Court of God does not judge a person based upon what someone else did, but Gods judges us on the basis of what WE did. The Scripture says:

Galatians 6:3-5 …. if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

Each and every person shall stand before God one day, and give an account for OUR OWN life. The things that we do in this life will echo throughout eternity. You cannot take anything physical with you when you depart planet Earth for the Kingdom of Heaven, but you will carry something spiritual with you.

Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Every action, every thing you do in this life, is a seed planted that will effect the future of those around you, and your own eternal future. Each person will, in eternity, be responsible for their own actions. The Prophet said it this way:

Jeremiah 31:29-30 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. 30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

You are responsible for your own iniquity, your own decisions. God will not blame another for what you failed to do. God will judge sin. God always judges sin. He said in Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 18:4-13 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. 5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, 6 and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, 7 and hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; 8 he that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man, 9 hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God. 10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things, 11 and that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbor’s wife, 12 hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination, 13 hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

In our day rioters are rioting because someone did something to them, therefore their rioting is to be excused. Beloved, this is not supported by Jesus.

Jesus said humble yourself as this little child. Jesus calls us to follow Him as little children, believing in Him, doing what He said do. We are to be responsible for our own lives. God never judges another for what you, yourselves have done. It is God’s Law – and God is just – Who says:

Deuteronomy 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

I Watch My Life Because God Watches My Life

God watches over His Children. You are to become as little Children in following Jesus. But what should you do if you are harmed, offended, diminished by the actions of another? Jesus said:

Matthew 18:6 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.

God takes care of His little children. If you are a child of God by faith in Christ then, rest assured, there is coming a day when God will avenge your enemies. When John the Revelator looked into Heaven, he saw:

Revelation 6:9-10 … under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

God will avenge His people Whom He loves.

Little child, little Christian, leave vengeance to your God. If you belong to Jesus, rest in Jesus, trust Jesus. Continue to tell others about the glorious salvation you have in Christ by faith. The Apostle said:

Romans 12:17-21 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

As our Master turned the other cheek when hit, we ourselves are to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39). Rather than seek retribution against that which the unbeliever does, the child of Christ:

Matthew 5:44-45 … Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

God will avenge the evil done to you. Do not take vengeance, but follow our Master’s example and command. Jesus said:

Matthew 18:7 Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!

The world is going to be offended by the Christ Child following the Word of God. This is going to happen. You, as Christians, are light in the midst of darkness. This is going to happen. Jesus said:

John 15:18-21 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

The world will hate the Christian, living for the Savior. Why? Because the world is yet in darkness. It does not know the Heavenly Father as He is. You see, the world promotes the Heavenly Father as “A God of Nothing But Love”. The world takes passages like:

1 John 4:8, 16 … God is love …

It is true that God is love. God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son (John 3:16). But God is also holy.

Psalm 99:9 … the LORD our God is holy.

And God is just and righteous:

Isaiah 61:8 … I the Lord love judgment …

Psalm 33:4-5 the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

God is righteous, and holy, and just. God is the standard of truth, and judges all those who do not meet His standard. Beloved,

If You Go To Hell, It Is Your Fault!

In America, personal responsibility is no longer in vogue, and neither is the Biblical truth of hell and eternal punishment. Yet hell is a real place. Jesus said:

Matthew 18:8-9 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.

It is your hands that do sin, your feet that lead you to sin, and your eyes that cause you to mull over the possibility of sin. Jesus is not commending self mutilation here, but is using a powerful analogy to explain how terrible hell is. Jesus used similar language when He spoke His Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:29-30 … if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Sin is an offense against an immense and eternal God. Those who leave this life with their sins uncovered shall never enter into God’s Heaven. Some people today believe that Jesus, on dying on the Cross, secured salvation for every person who has ever been born, whether they believe in Him or not. Yet the Scripture does not teach this. Jesus told Nicodemus:

John 3:16-18 … For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The text is very clear. To make it clearer, I remind you of the words of our Lord Who told the religious Scribes and Pharisees:

John 5:39-40 … Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

In Jesus is life, eternal life (John 17:3). In Jesus was life (John 1:4). When you come to Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior, the sins that are on your account are transferred to Christ’s account. The Bible says:

1 Peter 2:24 {our Lord Jesus} … committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). When you receive Christ as Lord and Savior, your sins are covered because of what Jesus did for you on the Cross. It is not God’s desire that ANYONE end up in hell. The Lord taught that hell was originally designed to be a place for fallen angels to inhabit. Jesus said that hell is …

Matthew 25:41 … everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels

Hell is a place to be feared. It is a place that those who reject Jesus Christ as Savior will go to in the next life. Jesus said that hell is so horrifying that it would be better to willingly sacrifice a body part, than to be cast into such a place.

Hell is not a place of annihilation. It is a place of eternal punishment. It is Jesus who has the keys to hell and death (Revelation 1:18). Jesus said that He would send forth angels to gather up …

Matthew 13:41-42 … all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus made His viewpoint on hell clear when He spoke of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. In that story Jesus said of the thoughtless and heartless rich man:

Luke 16:22-24 … the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The rich man in hell was unrepentant as to his previous lifestyle. He treated Lazarus as a servant, not a child of God. The rich man died, but being cast into flames he did not burn up. Instead, we see he is in torment, suffering. Hell is a place where those …

Revelation 20:15 … whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The horror of hell is not just that there is suffering in it, but in that the suffering never ends. C.H. Spurgeon noted:

“In hell there is no hope. The dammed have not even the hope of dying–the hope of being annihilated. They are forever–forever–forever lost! On every chain in hell, there is written ‘forever.’ In the fires there, blaze out the words, ‘forever.’ Above their heads, they read, ‘forever.’ Their eyes are galled and their hearts are pained with the thought that it is ‘forever.’”

Leslie Schmucker, writing in the article “The Uncomfortable Subject Jesus Addressed More Than Anyone Else” (see the Gospel Coalition):

“Jesus doesn’t only reference hell, he describes it in great detail. He says it is a place of eternal torment (Luke 16:23), of unquenchable fire (Mark 9:43), where the worm does not die (Mark 9:48), where people will gnash their teeth in anguish and regret (Matt. 13:42), and from which there is no return, even to warn loved ones (Luke 16:19–31). He calls hell a place of “outer darkness” (Matt. 25:30), comparing it to “Gehenna” (Matt. 10:28), which was a trash dump outside the walls of Jerusalem where rubbish was burned and maggots abounded.”

The sad thing about hell is the regret that those will experience for all eternity. “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). There is no indication in Scripture that people will be given a second chance at redemption upon leaving this life. I have heard people say:

“I don’t believe a truly good God would send anyone to hell”.

Would a good judge sentence someone who committed a crime to imprisonment? Of course they would. In fact, a good judge MUST sentence the guilty to imprisonment. God sends no one to hell, but offers all an escape from it.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God would have all to repent, to be converted as little children, to come to Jesus by faith. God gives us a choice, and we are responsible for the choice we make.

Matthew 19:11…. the Son of man is come to save that which
was lost.

God became man, incarnate, so that He could seek out and save the lost. Our Jesus left the 90 and 9 in Heaven, and came to earth for the lost souls. It is not God’s will that anyone go to hell. And yet, Beloved, this is a reality that anyone without Christ will face one sad day.

That is your choice. Will you receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Will you live a life surrendered to Him? What you do with your life is your choice, and your responsibility. Do not delay. If you are not saved, call upon Jesus’ name this very day.

I’d love to see you all in Heaven one day!

May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen.