Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter there in.
Jesus spoke these words when mothers brought infants and little children for His blessing, and though busy teaching He took them in His arms, blessed them, healed the sick among them, rebuked those who would send them away, and declared that only whoever receives the kingdom of God as a little child shall enter therein. To receive it as a little child is to come to God with trusting, receptive simple faith like a child trusts a parent, with humility, loving dependence, and readiness to be taught and led, accepting Christ as Redeemer and personal Saviour. This childlike spirit stands opposite self-exalting ambition and requires renouncing self-reliance, personal wisdom, self-righteousness, worldly attachments, and every cherished sin and indulgence that hinders religious life. Little children themselves belong to the kingdom and are not too young to be brought to Jesus to be blessed and saved, for He receives them as His precious flock, claims them as bought by His blood at infinite price, and hears their simple prayers. Parents and mothers are therefore to bring their little ones to Him in the arms of faith from earliest years through youth, dedicating them daily, teaching them Bible truth and family worship, and training them to serve and do His will in preparation for heaven.
Verse Setting and Wording
The saying belongs to the scene where mothers bring infants and little children to Jesus for His blessing, from infancy through childhood and youth, carrying the care and burden of training them according to the word of God. Though busy teaching, He welcomed them, took them in His arms, laid His hands upon them, tenderly held them, and gave them the blessing for which they came. When mothers bring their sick and dying little ones in their arms to Him, He takes the little ones in His arms, restores them, and causes disease to flee at His touch, bringing hope to every heart. Those who come to Him for help are not turned away, for when people reach out to Him He reaches out to them and does not refuse a hand stretched out for aid.
To send such mothers and children away as an interruption is error that displeases Him. He rebuked a forbidding attitude toward them and commanded that little children be allowed to come to Him without hindrance. They must not be turned away or treated harshly, for they can be reached by the Spirit of God. His welcome and blessing show that the kingdom is for such as these, and His words encourage mothers to continue their work of care and love with hope.
The blessing of the children was witnessed by the rich young ruler, and Christ’s tender reception, taking them in His arms, awakened love for Him in the one who watched. That ruler had a high estimate of his own righteousness and did not suppose he was defective in anything, yet he was not altogether satisfied and felt the want of something he did not possess. In his unsatisfied soul-want he wanted Jesus to bless him as He had blessed the little children and to satisfy his soul-want with a blessing that satisfies.
The wording is absolute: whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter therein, and those who do not receive it in this simplicity and trust will not enter it. Adults must become like children in order to be saved and belong to His flock, sharing the childlike qualities by which children are drawn to Him through His love and kindness. Children themselves must so receive it to enter through the pearly gates into the city of God, receiving the kingdom by accepting careful parental training in kindness and responding with helpfulness.
Childlike Reception Explained
Entering the kingdom requires receiving it with the trusting, receptive spirit and simple faith of a little child. Coming to God to accept His salvation is to trust Him as a child trusts a parent, without fear or trouble, and bringing children to Jesus in faith reflects that same trusting dependence. Those who do not receive it in this childlike way will not enter it, and children are to be taught to choose in this way to love and serve Him.
This means coming to Christ, listening to Him, and receiving His counsel, blessing, and teaching while accepting Him as Redeemer and personal Saviour. He meets learners at their level, making important lessons clear to childish understanding and planting truths that can grow as they mature. It requires a child's humility, loving trust, dependence on God, and readiness to be taught and led by Christ. The learner must remain teachable rather than acting as though baptism makes further learning unnecessary, with duties becoming cheerful when joined with love for God.
Childlike humility stands opposite self-exalting ambition. Those who seek greatness for themselves will be brought low and made least, and profession or position will not admit them. It includes a child's innocence, simplicity, and teachable spirit uncorrupted by worldly deception. This was lived out in strict obedience to the Father's law in perfect freedom, combining childlike innocence and simplicity with manly strength, all-absorbing devotion to God with tender love for man, commanding dignity with winning humility, and unyielding firmness with sweet gentleness.
It requires renouncing self-reliance, personal wisdom, self-righteousness, worldly attachments, and human approval. Entering calls for surrendering and sacrificing every sin and cherished indulgence that hinders religious life and spiritual progress, even at great personal cost and with serious sacrifice. It means coming to the feet of Jesus content to receive without deserving, feeling His love can never be repaid, and laying aside all doubt and unbelief. To whoever comes in this childlike way all the treasures of eternal love are a free, everlasting gift.
Coming with glad, trusting closeness, as children gladly came, put elbows upon His knees, looked up into His sweet face and read depths of love and gentleness beaming from Him, puts His love in the heart and produces gentleness and love springing up toward others. It gives daily rest and peace close by Jesus without fear, worry, discouragement, or faintheartedness, doing what can be done and doing the best possible as an instrument in the hand of a Master Workman. His righteousness surrounds as a garment, and He makes the light shine rather than the believer trying to make it shine. Children may bring their sins to Him, ask forgiveness, and believe He pardons and receives them. Their conversion does not require a violent emotional experience as evidence, nor knowing its exact time, but receiving by taking in that Jesus loves them and by loving Him and giving their young hearts to Him, through repentance and conversion, keeping in right relation to God and relying on His power to resist enticement to sin.
Children in the Kingdom
Little children belong to the kingdom of God and are not too young to be brought to Jesus to be benefited and blessed, for the kingdom is for such as these. Little children can be saved, and they are to be taught that they can be saved. He receives them as His precious little flock and desires to bless them in their homes, and He is pleased with them when they try to do what is right.
Children are bought by His blood at infinite price and are His property and heritage, for He died for them and claims them as His children. He hears their simple prayers and adds the incense of His own spotless merits, purity and loveliness to them, so they rise before God as a sweet-smelling savor. The truths about the righteousness of Christ coming in mercy and love are to be appropriated to them.
In the children brought to Him He saw future men and women who would be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, some of whom would become martyrs for His name. The hearts of the young are most susceptible to Christianity, easy to influence toward piety and virtue and strong to retain impressions. Truths stamped upon their plastic, expanding minds are never to be effaced but spring up in after years and bear fruit unto eternal life. Children listen to Jesus and accept Him as Redeemer far more readily than grown people, many of whom are worldly-wise and hard-hearted and less likely to follow Him and find a place in the kingdom.
God honors the young, as in choosing Joseph in youth for special work, accepting the boy Samuel dedicated to His service and communicating a solemn message to him while passing by the aged priest who failed to train his children, and giving the childhood character of John the Baptist as encouragement. He pities children knowing Satan seeks to entice them, gives angels special charge over them at home, at school and in Sabbath school, and works by His Spirit to draw them. To enter in, children must receive the kingdom as little children in order to enter through the pearly gates into the city of God, choosing the path that leads into the fold of safety before probationary time closes and it is forever too late to enter. This means being kind, tender and courteous, creating a heavenly atmosphere by kind speech and helpfulness, washing the hands in innocency, praying earnestly, sanctifying the lips, putting away hasty temper, hasty speech, discouraging words, wicked actions, envy, jealousy, fretting, complaining, evil thinking and unthoughtful words, and forming beautiful characters fit for the courts above.
Christ's Tenderness to Children
He is ever a lover of children who accepts their childish sympathy and open, unaffected love. The grateful praise from their pure lips is music in His ears and refreshes His spirit when oppressed by contact with crafty and hypocritical men. When wearied by the bustle of the crowded city He found rest and peace with innocent little children.
Wherever He goes the benignity of His countenance and His gentle, kindly manner win the love and confidence of children. His face and eyes lit up with smiles for them, and little children were drawn to His loving tenderness. They gladly approached Him, put their elbows upon His knees, looked up into His sweet face, loved Him, and were not afraid of His presence, and His presence never repelled them.
His large heart of love comprehended their trials, necessities, perplexities, troubles, sorrows, griefs, disappointments, and injuries. He welcomed their troubles, listened to their stories, soothed their childish griefs, and comforted them with sympathetic words that eased their sorrow. He comes down to meet the wants of children, and noticed the sorrows and needs of little children and of the mothers who cared for them. He came down to their level in teaching and met them at their level, not disdaining to answer their questions. He simplified His important lessons to meet their childish understanding, and planted seeds of truth in their minds that could grow as they matured and in after years spring up and bear fruit unto eternal life.
In taking children in His arms and blessing them He stood at the head of humanity in human form, so full of sympathy and love that the poorest was not afraid to come and He was easily approached by the most lowly. He met every form of woe and affliction with unfailing tenderness and gentleness, going from house to house healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the mourners, soothing the afflicted, speaking peace to the distressed, and speaking hope and comfort to weary mothers. He labored not for Himself but as servant of all and found His meat and drink in comforting others and gladdening the sad and heavy-laden. He came to the world as a baby and little child so humanity could be instructed by His humanity how to lay hold upon His divinity, humanity helping humanity to grasp divinity unto pardon and salvation. His tenderness toward children showed the compassion, love, and mercy of His work, helped draw people to Him, made mothers interested in Him, and opened the way for souls to receive Him. His blessing satisfies soul-want, and makes children more lovable and beautiful in character like Himself.
Bringing Children to Jesus
Parents and mothers carrying the care and burden of training according to the word of God are to bring their little ones to Him in the arms of faith for His blessing, from age one to four or five upward through childhood and youth, and not neglect them. Even when wayward and showing human passions they are still to be brought, for He welcomed and blessed children like them. This bringing includes dedicating them daily, keeping them in health, teaching that Jesus is their very best Friend to whom they can come with trials and sorrows and who will sympathize with them, and presenting God as a God of love rather than tyranny so they will want to be children of God and followers of Jesus Christ. Keeping in right relation to God and relying on His power to resist enticement to sin belongs to receiving the kingdom as a child.
Bringing them means earnest work for their salvation, careful family worship, teaching Bible truth, and helping them come to Him. It means lovingly teaching them that Jesus is their best friend and training them to serve and do His will, leading them step by step to become His coworkers, for His loving reception while busy teaching prepared those children for service in His work. It means helping them pray for His help in resisting evil, avoiding hasty speech and wicked actions, and living as God directs in preparation for heaven.
To bring up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is the greatest missionary work parents can perform, and Christ is ready to do a great work for them if parents cooperate with Him in training and educating them according to His instruction. Mothers bearing this sacred charge must continually advance as daily learners in Christ's school to impart righteousness and lead children higher, feeling their need of divine support and bringing their little ones like the woman in Judea so His hand is laid in blessing on their heads and His Spirit subdues their hearts. Fathers and mothers doing this sacred work must consecrate the whole being to God, seek Him with all the heart in full surrender, pray and believe the promises, seek grace to be taught His way and will, and remove every stumbling block from the path of their children so the Lord can work. They must hold fast to the throne, make decided change, cleanse thoughts and the soul temple, pray and watch unto prayer, come up from their low level, give right instruction and training, and adorn the doctrine of Christ, for they must give account for how they deal with them and for appetites and passions transmitted to them, and mothers of children are to be helped and encouraged by prayer with and for them.
His words give mothers comfort, encouragement, and hope in their work of care and love, assuring that the kingdom is for such as these and that children are not to be kept from Him. Their prayers are heard as they are drawn into His presence, and He remains a personal Saviour and helper who notices and blesses both children and mothers, for children are bought by His blood. The children blessed were imbued with His Spirit, and their mothers went home rejoicing that Christ had blessed them.
His example teaches ministers to show tender love and sympathy so people feel able to approach them, for children gladly approached Him, drawn to His loving tenderness and unafraid of Him. It teaches teachers and Sabbath-school workers to meet children where they are, recognizing that their innocent happiness is not opposed to religion and helping them grow, welcoming even very young children when parents bring them forward, speaking to them personally, and blessing them in the name of Jesus as belonging to the order and interest of Sabbath school. Because He was once a child, children are to be treated gently and honored as a sacred charge, not indulged or idolized, and taught to live pure, noble lives and form characters fit for God's kingdom. Jesus pities children and youth bought at infinite price, knowing Satan seeks to entice them, angels have special charge over them at home, school, and Sabbath school, the Spirit works to draw them, and those laboring with God are responsible to work earnestly to win them to Christ.
Children so brought can become laborers together with Jesus and please God through willing, sacrificial gifts. Children who came to receive a blessing expressed desire to become Christians. They are claimed as His little flock and children bought with a price, to form beautiful character and use present association to learn usefulness through kindness, thoughtfulness, and helpfulness, letting the love of Christ constrain them lest envy, jealousy, fretting, complaining, evil thinking, and unthoughtful words and actions sow tares, thistles, and obnoxious plants, grieve one another and grieve Him, and let the enemy gain mastery.
Jesus spoke these words when mothers brought infants and little children for His blessing, and though busy teaching He took them in His arms, blessed them, healed the sick among them, rebuked those who would send them away, and declared that only whoever receives the kingdom of God as a little child shall enter therein. To receive it as a little child is to come to God with trusting, receptive simple faith like a child trusts a parent, with humility, loving dependence, and readiness to be taught and led, accepting Christ as Redeemer and personal Saviour. This childlike spirit stands opposite self-exalting ambition and requires renouncing self-reliance, personal wisdom, self-righteousness, worldly attachments, and every cherished sin and indulgence that hinders religious life. Little children themselves belong to the kingdom and are not too young to be brought to Jesus to be blessed and saved, for He receives them as His precious flock, claims them as bought by His blood at infinite price, and hears their simple prayers. Parents and mothers are therefore to bring their little ones to Him in the arms of faith from earliest years through youth, dedicating them daily, teaching them Bible truth and family worship, and training them to serve and do His will in preparation for heaven.
Verse Setting and Wording
The saying belongs to the scene where mothers bring infants and little children to Jesus for His blessing, from infancy through childhood and youth, carrying the care and burden of training them according to the word of God. Though busy teaching, He welcomed them, took them in His arms, laid His hands upon them, tenderly held them, and gave them the blessing for which they came. When mothers bring their sick and dying little ones in their arms to Him, He takes the little ones in His arms, restores them, and causes disease to flee at His touch, bringing hope to every heart. Those who come to Him for help are not turned away, for when people reach out to Him He reaches out to them and does not refuse a hand stretched out for aid.
To send such mothers and children away as an interruption is error that displeases Him. He rebuked a forbidding attitude toward them and commanded that little children be allowed to come to Him without hindrance. They must not be turned away or treated harshly, for they can be reached by the Spirit of God. His welcome and blessing show that the kingdom is for such as these, and His words encourage mothers to continue their work of care and love with hope.
The blessing of the children was witnessed by the rich young ruler, and Christ’s tender reception, taking them in His arms, awakened love for Him in the one who watched. That ruler had a high estimate of his own righteousness and did not suppose he was defective in anything, yet he was not altogether satisfied and felt the want of something he did not possess. In his unsatisfied soul-want he wanted Jesus to bless him as He had blessed the little children and to satisfy his soul-want with a blessing that satisfies.
The wording is absolute: whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter therein, and those who do not receive it in this simplicity and trust will not enter it. Adults must become like children in order to be saved and belong to His flock, sharing the childlike qualities by which children are drawn to Him through His love and kindness. Children themselves must so receive it to enter through the pearly gates into the city of God, receiving the kingdom by accepting careful parental training in kindness and responding with helpfulness.
Childlike Reception Explained
Entering the kingdom requires receiving it with the trusting, receptive spirit and simple faith of a little child. Coming to God to accept His salvation is to trust Him as a child trusts a parent, without fear or trouble, and bringing children to Jesus in faith reflects that same trusting dependence. Those who do not receive it in this childlike way will not enter it, and children are to be taught to choose in this way to love and serve Him.
This means coming to Christ, listening to Him, and receiving His counsel, blessing, and teaching while accepting Him as Redeemer and personal Saviour. He meets learners at their level, making important lessons clear to childish understanding and planting truths that can grow as they mature. It requires a child's humility, loving trust, dependence on God, and readiness to be taught and led by Christ. The learner must remain teachable rather than acting as though baptism makes further learning unnecessary, with duties becoming cheerful when joined with love for God.
Childlike humility stands opposite self-exalting ambition. Those who seek greatness for themselves will be brought low and made least, and profession or position will not admit them. It includes a child's innocence, simplicity, and teachable spirit uncorrupted by worldly deception. This was lived out in strict obedience to the Father's law in perfect freedom, combining childlike innocence and simplicity with manly strength, all-absorbing devotion to God with tender love for man, commanding dignity with winning humility, and unyielding firmness with sweet gentleness.
It requires renouncing self-reliance, personal wisdom, self-righteousness, worldly attachments, and human approval. Entering calls for surrendering and sacrificing every sin and cherished indulgence that hinders religious life and spiritual progress, even at great personal cost and with serious sacrifice. It means coming to the feet of Jesus content to receive without deserving, feeling His love can never be repaid, and laying aside all doubt and unbelief. To whoever comes in this childlike way all the treasures of eternal love are a free, everlasting gift.
Coming with glad, trusting closeness, as children gladly came, put elbows upon His knees, looked up into His sweet face and read depths of love and gentleness beaming from Him, puts His love in the heart and produces gentleness and love springing up toward others. It gives daily rest and peace close by Jesus without fear, worry, discouragement, or faintheartedness, doing what can be done and doing the best possible as an instrument in the hand of a Master Workman. His righteousness surrounds as a garment, and He makes the light shine rather than the believer trying to make it shine. Children may bring their sins to Him, ask forgiveness, and believe He pardons and receives them. Their conversion does not require a violent emotional experience as evidence, nor knowing its exact time, but receiving by taking in that Jesus loves them and by loving Him and giving their young hearts to Him, through repentance and conversion, keeping in right relation to God and relying on His power to resist enticement to sin.
Children in the Kingdom
Little children belong to the kingdom of God and are not too young to be brought to Jesus to be benefited and blessed, for the kingdom is for such as these. Little children can be saved, and they are to be taught that they can be saved. He receives them as His precious little flock and desires to bless them in their homes, and He is pleased with them when they try to do what is right.
Children are bought by His blood at infinite price and are His property and heritage, for He died for them and claims them as His children. He hears their simple prayers and adds the incense of His own spotless merits, purity and loveliness to them, so they rise before God as a sweet-smelling savor. The truths about the righteousness of Christ coming in mercy and love are to be appropriated to them.
In the children brought to Him He saw future men and women who would be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, some of whom would become martyrs for His name. The hearts of the young are most susceptible to Christianity, easy to influence toward piety and virtue and strong to retain impressions. Truths stamped upon their plastic, expanding minds are never to be effaced but spring up in after years and bear fruit unto eternal life. Children listen to Jesus and accept Him as Redeemer far more readily than grown people, many of whom are worldly-wise and hard-hearted and less likely to follow Him and find a place in the kingdom.
God honors the young, as in choosing Joseph in youth for special work, accepting the boy Samuel dedicated to His service and communicating a solemn message to him while passing by the aged priest who failed to train his children, and giving the childhood character of John the Baptist as encouragement. He pities children knowing Satan seeks to entice them, gives angels special charge over them at home, at school and in Sabbath school, and works by His Spirit to draw them. To enter in, children must receive the kingdom as little children in order to enter through the pearly gates into the city of God, choosing the path that leads into the fold of safety before probationary time closes and it is forever too late to enter. This means being kind, tender and courteous, creating a heavenly atmosphere by kind speech and helpfulness, washing the hands in innocency, praying earnestly, sanctifying the lips, putting away hasty temper, hasty speech, discouraging words, wicked actions, envy, jealousy, fretting, complaining, evil thinking and unthoughtful words, and forming beautiful characters fit for the courts above.
Christ's Tenderness to Children
He is ever a lover of children who accepts their childish sympathy and open, unaffected love. The grateful praise from their pure lips is music in His ears and refreshes His spirit when oppressed by contact with crafty and hypocritical men. When wearied by the bustle of the crowded city He found rest and peace with innocent little children.
Wherever He goes the benignity of His countenance and His gentle, kindly manner win the love and confidence of children. His face and eyes lit up with smiles for them, and little children were drawn to His loving tenderness. They gladly approached Him, put their elbows upon His knees, looked up into His sweet face, loved Him, and were not afraid of His presence, and His presence never repelled them.
His large heart of love comprehended their trials, necessities, perplexities, troubles, sorrows, griefs, disappointments, and injuries. He welcomed their troubles, listened to their stories, soothed their childish griefs, and comforted them with sympathetic words that eased their sorrow. He comes down to meet the wants of children, and noticed the sorrows and needs of little children and of the mothers who cared for them. He came down to their level in teaching and met them at their level, not disdaining to answer their questions. He simplified His important lessons to meet their childish understanding, and planted seeds of truth in their minds that could grow as they matured and in after years spring up and bear fruit unto eternal life.
In taking children in His arms and blessing them He stood at the head of humanity in human form, so full of sympathy and love that the poorest was not afraid to come and He was easily approached by the most lowly. He met every form of woe and affliction with unfailing tenderness and gentleness, going from house to house healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the mourners, soothing the afflicted, speaking peace to the distressed, and speaking hope and comfort to weary mothers. He labored not for Himself but as servant of all and found His meat and drink in comforting others and gladdening the sad and heavy-laden. He came to the world as a baby and little child so humanity could be instructed by His humanity how to lay hold upon His divinity, humanity helping humanity to grasp divinity unto pardon and salvation. His tenderness toward children showed the compassion, love, and mercy of His work, helped draw people to Him, made mothers interested in Him, and opened the way for souls to receive Him. His blessing satisfies soul-want, and makes children more lovable and beautiful in character like Himself.
Bringing Children to Jesus
Parents and mothers carrying the care and burden of training according to the word of God are to bring their little ones to Him in the arms of faith for His blessing, from age one to four or five upward through childhood and youth, and not neglect them. Even when wayward and showing human passions they are still to be brought, for He welcomed and blessed children like them. This bringing includes dedicating them daily, keeping them in health, teaching that Jesus is their very best Friend to whom they can come with trials and sorrows and who will sympathize with them, and presenting God as a God of love rather than tyranny so they will want to be children of God and followers of Jesus Christ. Keeping in right relation to God and relying on His power to resist enticement to sin belongs to receiving the kingdom as a child.
Bringing them means earnest work for their salvation, careful family worship, teaching Bible truth, and helping them come to Him. It means lovingly teaching them that Jesus is their best friend and training them to serve and do His will, leading them step by step to become His coworkers, for His loving reception while busy teaching prepared those children for service in His work. It means helping them pray for His help in resisting evil, avoiding hasty speech and wicked actions, and living as God directs in preparation for heaven.
To bring up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is the greatest missionary work parents can perform, and Christ is ready to do a great work for them if parents cooperate with Him in training and educating them according to His instruction. Mothers bearing this sacred charge must continually advance as daily learners in Christ's school to impart righteousness and lead children higher, feeling their need of divine support and bringing their little ones like the woman in Judea so His hand is laid in blessing on their heads and His Spirit subdues their hearts. Fathers and mothers doing this sacred work must consecrate the whole being to God, seek Him with all the heart in full surrender, pray and believe the promises, seek grace to be taught His way and will, and remove every stumbling block from the path of their children so the Lord can work. They must hold fast to the throne, make decided change, cleanse thoughts and the soul temple, pray and watch unto prayer, come up from their low level, give right instruction and training, and adorn the doctrine of Christ, for they must give account for how they deal with them and for appetites and passions transmitted to them, and mothers of children are to be helped and encouraged by prayer with and for them.
His words give mothers comfort, encouragement, and hope in their work of care and love, assuring that the kingdom is for such as these and that children are not to be kept from Him. Their prayers are heard as they are drawn into His presence, and He remains a personal Saviour and helper who notices and blesses both children and mothers, for children are bought by His blood. The children blessed were imbued with His Spirit, and their mothers went home rejoicing that Christ had blessed them.
His example teaches ministers to show tender love and sympathy so people feel able to approach them, for children gladly approached Him, drawn to His loving tenderness and unafraid of Him. It teaches teachers and Sabbath-school workers to meet children where they are, recognizing that their innocent happiness is not opposed to religion and helping them grow, welcoming even very young children when parents bring them forward, speaking to them personally, and blessing them in the name of Jesus as belonging to the order and interest of Sabbath school. Because He was once a child, children are to be treated gently and honored as a sacred charge, not indulged or idolized, and taught to live pure, noble lives and form characters fit for God's kingdom. Jesus pities children and youth bought at infinite price, knowing Satan seeks to entice them, angels have special charge over them at home, school, and Sabbath school, the Spirit works to draw them, and those laboring with God are responsible to work earnestly to win them to Christ.
Children so brought can become laborers together with Jesus and please God through willing, sacrificial gifts. Children who came to receive a blessing expressed desire to become Christians. They are claimed as His little flock and children bought with a price, to form beautiful character and use present association to learn usefulness through kindness, thoughtfulness, and helpfulness, letting the love of Christ constrain them lest envy, jealousy, fretting, complaining, evil thinking, and unthoughtful words and actions sow tares, thistles, and obnoxious plants, grieve one another and grieve Him, and let the enemy gain mastery.