Why Christians Remain Babies
Why do most Christians remain spiritual babies? The author
of Hebrews tells us it is because they choose not to go on to maturity in
Christ Jesus.
The capacity for entering into deeper spiritual truths
depends on the faithfulness with which the soul has been obedient in discerning
good and evil in our daily lives.
Our fellowship with God depends upon our obedience to His
Word, and our obedience determines how much spiritual maturity takes place in
our lives. If we do not act upon what we know to be true in God’s Word, we will
not grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ. Neither will we move from “milk” to
“meat” in God’s word.
It is very simple; if we love Him, we will obey Him. There
is no getting around that spiritual truth.
The writer of Hebrews carefully tells his readers,
"Concerning Him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have
become dull of hearing" (Hebrews 5:11). Charles Williams words it
this way, “You have become lazy. You have become so dull in you spiritual
senses. You are so slow to grasp spiritual truth.”
Why had the early baby believers become so dull in their
spiritual hearing, and sluggish, even slothful in gaining spiritual insight?
They had never progressed from the need of spiritual milk. Solid food is for
full-grown individuals “whose senses and mental faculties are trained by
practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble
and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law” (Amplified
Bible, Heb. 5:14).
Maturity produces more maturity. Immaturity reinforces and
leads to more immaturity. You do not jump from immaturity to a fully mature
person. Christians become mature spiritually “on account of long usage have
their powers of perception exercised to the point where they are able to
discriminate between both that which is good in character and that which is
evil” (v.14, Wuest Expanded Translation).
The emphasis is on spiritual progress. Laziness prevents
spiritual development. When you drift from God’s word, you will begin doubting
it, and you will become “dull listeners.” If you have the attitude that
everything spiritual is dull, you will begin a dangerous slide into spiritual
immaturity. The Bible is dull. The preacher is dull. The Sunday School lesson
is dull, and you are dead spiritually. When there is no hunger and thirsting
for the righteousness of God, you are spiritually dead or in grave condition.
The neglect of past opportunities to put into practice
God’s teachings or moral truths results in spiritual dullness. We become lazy
spiritually and unresponsive to the pleading of the Holy Spirit to pursue
godliness.
Both milk and meat are needed for nourishment, but the
former is for infants and the latter for adults.
The Christian in every generation is confronted by the
cultures of the world. Pressure is constantly applied for us to conform.
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a
living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of
worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which
is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2). We are to focus
our eyes upon Jesus Christ who always confronts every culture of every
generation. Meat for strong Christians deals with the hard issues of moral good
and evil. It distinguishes the difference between that which is good and
better, and better and best.
The spiritually mature believer by the exercise of his
senses discerns good and evil and builds through these experiences a standard of
righteousness by which he exercises an even more mature spiritual discernment.
How is your spiritual appetite? What are you hungry
for spiritually?
Maturity comes with habitual spiritual practice. Our
spiritual perception and discernment comes through constant practice.
When we put into daily practice the spiritual light, we
have already received which prepares us for more spiritual truth. We move from
spiritual milk to meat as we obey our Lord and Master.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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