Matthew 18:1-4
18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

The disciples argued fairly regularly over which one of them would be “the greatest” in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus answers them in Matthew by reminding them that humility is one of the qualities God wants to see in us.

The reason Jesus uses a child as an example is because all the adults He was seeing were wrapped up in false pride and pretensions. “Think like a kid,” Jesus is saying. “Just live humbly and don’t stand there crowing about all you’ve done, and you won’t fall off the path.” As soon as you start being proud of all the Christian things you’ve done, soon enough you’ll start thinking of yourself as “so saved you can’t sin anymore” (I’ve actually heard a ‘Christian’ say that). Then, you’re really in trouble.

If we’re so puffed up and proud about all our accomplishments in the church–if we’re so wrapped up in “all we’ve done for God” and we think “surely I’m saved now”–then we just missed the whole point of salvation. Jesus didn’t save anybody because they were good enough to save, or because they did a whole lot for the church, or because they gave to charity. Salvation is not a competition; it’s a gift, one none of us deserve, but all of us can accept.