Babies

Hebrews 5-Part 3
For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Hebrews 5:13


LET IT GLOW

Review:
The author of Hebrews gives us six warnings throughout the book found in The MacArthur Bible Commentary. So far we have talked about the first two; today we will talk about the third warning.
1. The first warning was against drifting from "the things we have heard." (2:1-4)
2. The second warning was against disbelieving the "voice" of God. (3:7-14)
3. The third warning is against degenerating from "the elementary principles of Christ." (5:11-6:20)

For a couple of months, my babies could only drink milk for their nurishment. Then they could digest baby cereal, cooked and mashed up fruit. I'm glad they grew and eventually were talken off the bottle and able to eat soft baby food. If you are a mother, you know the progression. Blended up meat was given before they had molars to eat the tough meat. This is similiar to what the writer is saying to the Hebrew believers. Shall we check which stage of spiritual food they were on?

The third warning was to not be spiritually immature. Characteristics of their immaturity were:

• dull, hard of hearing, not listening to the Word;
• a diet of milk of the Word instead of meat, which isn't growing faith and obedience;
• unskilled in the Word, so they weren't living a life of righteousness;
• not discerning good and evil, doing the wrong instead of the right.

It is a tragic thing whenever a baby fails to grow up. As a parent and grandparent, I loved to hold and cuddle the babies, but I desired them to grow up and mature, too. Doesn't God have the same desire for His children, also? Of course, He wants us to progress spiritually. Am I?

LET IT GROW

So if those were the marks of the immature believer, what are the marks of a maturing beliver?

• listening to the Word and the Holy Spirit with keen, attentive ears, receiving it and acting upon it;
• able to teach the Word while continuing as a student in it;
• digesting the meat of the Word and living it;
• developing skills in sharing the gospel, exercising faith, growing in godliness;
• distinguishes between right and wrong, resisting temptation to do wrong and not sin.

Wiersbe said, "Most Christians are 'betweeners.'" They are between Egypt and Canaan-out of the place of danger, abuat not yet into the place of rest and rich inheritance. They are between Good Friday and Easter Sunday-saved by the blood but not yet enjoying newness of resurrection life."

Are you and I a betweener? I suspect not, since you are into the Word, reading these lessons with me. I hope we are applying what we learn.

There's more to being a Christian than having our fire insurance.

Rick Warren says that God wants us to develop character described in the beautitudes of Jesus (Matt.5:1-12), fruit of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23), Paul's great characteristics of love (1Cor. 13), and Peter's list of charcteristics on an effective and productive life (2Peter 1:5-8).

Now that's meat to chew on. will we stay a spiritual baby or mature into an adult?


LET IT GO


Listen to the Word of God.

Learn the Word of God.

Live the Word the Word of God.

Grow in faith.