In Part 1 of “Time to Grow Up” we explored some basic and elementary principles that pertain to our spiritual growth as we continue to embark upon our journey towards the maturity and perfection our Heavenly Father has ordained for us. We now continue and conclude our study on this most important subject. So let’s pick up where we left off discussing the Ten Commandments.
Because God makes things pretty simple, the Ten Commandments spell out what is required of us in the simplest of terms. So let’s do a quick review of those commandments which you probably already know are broken down into two basic principles. Principle 1 is our love for God and Principle 2 is our love for one another. Here is a summary of these 2 principles:
Principle 1 – Our love for God (Commandments 1-4)
1. Trust God only
2. Worship God only
3. Don’t use the Lord’s name in vain
4. Keep God’s Sabbath holy
Principle 2 – Our love for one another (Commandments 5-10)
5. Honor your Father and Mother
6. Don’t kill people
7. Be faithful to your spouse
8. Don’t steal from others
9. Don’t lie about people
10. Don’t lust after things that belong to others
In Matthew 22: 36-40, Jesus spoke of these two elementary principles when He said the greatest commandment was to first “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart; with all thy soul and with all thy mind.” (Principle 1) “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Principle 2) He ended that passage by stating that everything written in the law and by the prophets hung on (are supported, defined and empowered by) these two principles.
By coming to God through His Son Jesus, we have grown from robotically executing the law to lovingly fulfilling the law. Romans 13: 8-10 says “owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” This is the galaxy-wide difference between saying I love you but not really meaning it and actually showing that I love you from a genuine and sincere heart.
Okay y’all, here’s a pop quiz. What are the first principles of the oracles of God from Hebrews 5 that we need to be retaught and live out daily? That’s right, LOVE! Say it again. LOVE! Not meaningless surface-level demonstrations of alleged affection. GOD'S LOVE! And without it, nothing is right. In fact, in Revelation 2: 2-5, Jesus says that even though we may do many works in His name, if we fail to remain in the place where we first received Him, a place of perfect love, He will have something against us. “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” If we fail to stay grounded and rooted in love we have regressed, fallen and sinned and must do our first works again which is to repent and return to that first love. As the song goes, “Take me back, take me back dear Lord, to the place that I first received You. Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I first believed.” Through Jesus Christ and the loving sacrifice of His own precious life for each of us, we receive the power to truly live our lives in the manner God intended, fulfilling the spiritual purpose for which the law was given.
Returning to Hebrews 5: 12, the verse closes by saying when we lose our love we “become such as have need of milk, and not strong meat.” Our spiritual digestive systems suddenly revert to a state of infancy. This results in the inability to absorb or tolerate anything more than the most basic of sustenance. Brother Paul of Tarsus spoke of this condition when he wrote the following to the Corinthian church: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” (1 Corinthians 3: 1-2) He was saying that he could not even talk to them as normal, grown up spiritual persons but had to converse with them as if they were carnal men because they were spiritual babies. And because they were babies he had to feed them with milk and not meat.
So how did Paul determine they were babies? This is very interesting because, think about it, normally when someone is referred to as a “baby Christian” it usually indicates that they are misbehaving or supposedly don’t know any better. In either case, that’s not where we want to be. As Paul continued, “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? “ (1 Corinthians 3: 3) In other words he was saying, “Where’s the love?” These were telltale signs which were unmistakable as He observed how they continued to behave themselves by human standards demonstrated by the envying, strife and divisions among them. Paul was forced to be a disappointed witness to the fact that they had lost their love. No forgiveness, no empathy, no compassion, no understanding, no respectful interaction, no tolerance, no reaching out to help. Their actions are an example for us to realize how very important it is that we continually examine ourselves to see if any of these betraying signs of babyhood are evident among us. And if they are we must take immediate corrective action.
Thank the Lord that we may be young or we may be old, but we don’t have to be babies. Maturity is not a matter of age, but of development. We have within us the ability to choose to humble ourselves before our Commander-in-Chief and let Him restore us to being sanctified soldiers of the Cross and holy warriors in God’s Army. And it is only through the love of Christ that unity and brotherly love will abound and help the Church to avoid falling into this trap: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” (Matthew 12: 25)
And this is what this study in Hebrews is telling us. If we are unable or refuse to listen to the Lord and consistently apply the simple, basic principles He has taught us from the beginning, we begin a reversion process and instead of growing up to be consecrated combatants for Christ, we fall back down to being mere carnal men or spiritual babies. It is a loss for the Kingdom.
Returning to verse 13 of Hebrews 5, we learn an uncomfortable truth. “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.” When we are stuck on milk, that proves we are unskillful in the word of righteousness because we’re babies. That’s not such a big deal, right? Well, Hebrews 4: 12 says that “the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than a twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” So what do you call an immature, unqualified person who tries to handle something that is quick and powerful? You call them dangerous. You call them an accident waiting to happen. Kind of like a cat driving a racecar or a baboon with a bazooka. It’s just a matter of time before they hurt themselves, hurt somebody else or tear up something.
A perfect example is given in Acts 19: 11-16. “Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” As you can see from this story, these individuals were not qualified to handle God’s Word (the name of Jesus) in the manner they were attempting and as a result they took a terrible beating. Once again, because of their spiritual immaturity they lacked the ability and the authority to wield the powerful instrument (God’s Word) they were trying to use. They were, as the scripture says, unskillful in the word of righteousness. Warning to all, be careful about messin’ around with stuff you don’t understand.
Now please don’t think I’m launching an attack on childhood because I believe as you do the gospel of Matthew (18: 3) where Jesus says unless we become as little children we shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. But let us examine what Jesus truly meant by this. First let’s look at what carnal children really are. No offense intended but they are unruly, undisciplined, irresponsible, selfish, rude, impatient, have the tendency to bully others and think they know everything. Kind of like the Corinthian church Paul was admonishing. Do you really think that this is how the Lord would have us to behave? Of course not. This is why children have to be taught. Proverbs 22: 15 says that “foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him.”
The “child” Jesus is referring to in Matthew is not the one just described, but rather the child-like spirit of meekness, humility, innocence and contriteness. His Spirit. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57: 15) Jesus said “Come unto Me…and learn of Me…” And what is it that we should learn of Jesus? That He is "meek and lowly in heart: and” it is with Him that “ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 29: 28-29)
The Apostle Paul knew what Jesus was talking about and he said so in 1 Corinthians 14: 20 where he wrote, “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.” And there is agreement in 1 Peter 2: 1-2 which says, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.” We need the milk and it will always be a part of our spiritual diet, but we can’t stay on the milk exclusively. We have to grow because we have work to do for the Kingdom.
1 Corinthians 13: 11 says “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” So as you can see, the Lord wants us to grow up but still humble down. The only place He wants us to be children is in the pureness and innocence of our love. These are the hallmarks of maturity no matter what your age. Jesus said, “I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10: 16) And this is the glorious duality of our spiritual childhood/adulthood. The divine merging of humility and wisdom.
Recognize that we all are at different stages or levels of growth, and for sure we all certainly need more growth. You see, for us who are fully dependent upon God for everything, growth is a never-ending process. Growth is not a destination, it is a condition, a state of being. And because of that, no matter what stage of development you’re in, God can use you. Just make good use of what you already know and the gifts you already have, always having the desire and eagerness to know more and receive more of Him. Always hunger and thirst after righteousness, and remember that if you are connected to Jesus the True Vine, growth is inevitable. It can’t be stopped as God will give you everything you need as you need it. “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1: 25) That’s right, blessed. In the city and in the field. Going out and coming in. The head and not the tail. The Creator of the Universe and Sustainer of All Life is more than capable and so very willing to provide the spiritual nutrients required for you to increase in Him. As Jabez asked of God, “Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me…” (1 Chronicles 4: 10) Yes, dear ones, His presence is powerful, His timing is terrific, His deliverance is divine and His results are remarkable.
Moving back to Hebrews 5: 14 we see that a meat eater is just a milk drinker who stayed on liquid nourishment but at some point added solid sustenance to the menu. “Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” We have to use what the Lord has given us. And He’s given us ears to hear, eyes to see and hearts to understand. We are all enrolled in a “continuing education and spiritual fitness program” and when we use these things in the manner they were intended, then we can receive more of what the Lord wants us to have. And that is, among other things, a greater depth of the understanding of His nature and His will. He doesn’t want us to stay babies that don’t know anything, but wants us to joyfully get past the elementary stage of our understanding of His doctrine and be about the business of moving forward toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4: 14-16)
And finally dear brethren, above all, in our quest for the wisdom, understanding and knowledge of Jesus, we can never forget the most important part of His theology and that is we must never leave the place that we first received Him. No matter what we do or what we say, the “basic principles of God” must remain steadfast and genuinely evident in our lives. The love of God which is Christ in us, emits a spiritually-pleasing aroma that hovers in the King's Throne Room. “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” (Ephesians 5: 1-2) That same love must continually rest, rule and abide with us and in us because at the end of the day, without it we are bankrupt. As it is written, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13: 1-3)
If we take heed to what we’ve learned here, we can trust that the Lord will abundantly bless us in all areas of need because His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. We want to live the more abundant life that God wants for us and has provided to us. Undoubtedly, He will grow us up if we will humble ourselves down. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5: 6)
May the Lord bless you to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3: 18)
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