Matthew 18:4
Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4
“Accordingly, whoever, he should humble himself as this child, he, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens” (CG).
In the previous verse, Jesus emphatically told His apostles that unless they turned and became as the children, they would in no manner enter the kingdom of the heavens.
As He has set this forth as an adamant assertion, He can now answer their self-serving question about who the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens is. He does this, beginning with, “Accordingly, whoever, he should humble himself as this child.”
A new word is seen, tapeinoó, to make low or to humble. HELP Word Studies says, “With the believer, ...tapeinóō (‘show humility, true lowliness’) happens by being fully dependent on the Lord – dismissing reliance upon self (self-government) and emptying carnal ego. This exalts the Lord as our all-in-all and prompts the gift of His fullness in us.”
One can see in this explanation exactly why people like the Pharisee in the parable of Luke 18:9-14 are such a stench in God’s nose. There is no humility. Instead, he is confident that he has pleased God so much with his presence that God must just stand in awe of him.
It is why Paul speaks so vehemently against law observance. The law brings about feelings of oneself earning what is impossible to earn. No person can merit grace, and he can never earn salvation. It is a gift. The law and God’s plan of salvation found in Jesus Christ are diametrically opposed to one another.
Understanding this, Jesus continues, emphatically stating, “he, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens.”
The person who understands he has no merit at all before God but who accepts that what God has done is sufficient for his salvation is accepted by God. The person who has this sense of humility in the greatest measure is, therefore, the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens.
Paul explains this, using himself as an example –
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11
Life application: Think it through. There is no personal merit in salvation. Based on that, what is happening in the following propositions–
Law says you must do certain things to be right with God.
Preachers tell you that you need to tithe, a principle of the Law of Moses, to be pleasing to God.
Hebrew Roots says you must observe the Sabbath.
Seventh-Day Adventists impose dietary restrictions.
Reformed theology says you must have works to prove your salvation.
Roman Catholicism says, “If any one saith, that justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ's sake; or, that this confidence alone is that whereby we are justified; let him be anathema.”
We could go on and on with such examples of false and heretical teachings. The theological box of salvation says that we are saved by faith alone through the work of Jesus Christ. To add anything to that, before or after salvation, as a condition for being saved or continuing to be saved, is to deny the all-sufficiency of what Jesus Christ did.
Don’t be caught in this trap. You don’t owe anyone anything in this life as a means of obtaining salvation or as proof of being saved. All you need to do is to trust God through acceptance of the gospel: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4).
Don’t mar the gospel. Hold fast to the truth of God in Christ. After you believe, then do what is right according to Scripture to be pleasing to God, not for keeping your salvation, but in gratitude to God who saved you.
Lord God, thank You that Jesus Christ our Lord has done everything necessary to restore us to You. May we never place ourselves into the salvation equation except as grateful recipients of Your tender mercies by believing the gospel. Amen.
