Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

A successful businessman and community leader responds to an altar call, accepting Christ. The leaders of the church gather around him and welcome him into the fold. They immediately start making plans in how he can be useful to the church. He response, “I don’t need a job. I need a savior.”

This is an old tale that has been circulated around churches for decades as a reminder of two very important aspects of salvation. The first is responsibility of service and the second is growth in Christ.

As I stated some time ago we all enter the kingdom as babes in Christ. The responsibility of service is required to provide a sanctuary for this babe in Christ. Babes are defenseless, vulnerable and in need of bonding to promote security and love. Babies need to be cuddled.

Deuteronomy 33:27a,b The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee;

So often church members accept that God is our refuge, but allow me to point to the position of the everlasting arms. They are underneath, below, and we the body of Christ are more than the hands and feet of Christ, we are also those everlasting arms.

I never felt so alone as those days after my altar call. Everyone left me in search of another lost sheep to dip. While they were away, the enemy came upon me. They did not provide me with any protective covering, no bonding, no sanctifying efforts whatsoever. I was vulnerable, alone and under attack.

That is no way to treat a newborn!