Sometimes our greatest violation of “quench not the Spirit” may not come from our own lives, but in the way we quench the Spirit in the lives of other believers.

God may be working in them, convicting them, challenging them and we may put out the Spirit’s fire by something we say or something they see us do. This is especially true in relation to baby Christians.

In Matthew 18:2, Jesus is teaching His disciples. He “called a little child to Him and set him in the midst of them”. Can’t you just picture Jesus holding that little one on His lap? He then gives a great spiritual truth taken from today’s verse. In other words, unless you acknowledge your utter dependence upon the Father and come to Him in child-like faith, you cannot be saved.

However, in Matthew 18:6, Jesus gives a solemn warning. He says, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

What does He mean? Is He speaking of a physical child or a spiritual child? I think the answer is both, but the primary emphasis of the passage is causing a new believer to stumble and fall into sin.

Let’s not cause one to stumble! Tomorrow we will examine the millstone.