But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. (Matthew 18:6)
God is dangerously protective of children. I didn’t want to mislead any of the eight hundred black-haired cherubs who sat crosslegged before our stage at a primary school in Ranipet, India. They nested against each other in a long narrow room—rows of bright eyes amidst a sea of blue gingham uniforms. The pure face energy put me beneath God’s throne and I knew without a doubt he guarded these innocents.
Our evangelism team leader concluded the program with an invitation to receive Christ.
“Stand if you want Jesus,” he shouted. “One, two, three.”
Every head jerked about to see what they were supposed to do. At first, no one stood. Then, after more translation, everybody stood. The principal told them all to sit while another teacher tried to get only those who wanted Jesus to stand. But it was a Christian school and they all wanted Jesus, or already had him, and still wanted him, so were they to stand or sit?
I was transported to the throne room and felt heaven’s mirth at our situation.
Jesus paid a horrific price at the cross to save us from consternation over the right way to return to God. Stand for Jesus, say a prayer, turn around three times—it doesn’t matter, as long as we come through Jesus. To say otherwise is to doubt Christ’s sufficiency and ability to see into the heart.
The sublime reality is that God is holding a wide-open Jesus fest and every humble soul is welcome.
Prayer: Lord, keep me from the sin of complicating the gospel.