Milk Drinkers

I love milk.  Actually, I love all dairy products.  They do not "love me", however.  Unfortunately, the lactose in dairy reacts badly with my digestive processes and produces vile odors, better left unmentioned.  As a result, I generally avoid consuming it.

Breast milk, however, is to a baby "perfect food".  In God's amazing design, the milk from the mother is designed especially for her baby.  And, get this - - - the milk changes as the baby grows and changes!  It does not remain constant over time.  Isn't that miraculous? The mother's body reacts to the baby's needs and without any conscious thought on the mother's part, adapts its "formula", if you'll pardon the pun, to the baby's needs.  Amazing!

The Holy Spirit longs to work in believers the same way, and godly preachers/Bible teachers do the same with their flocks.
We are, today, in Hebrews 5.  There are two main themes which deserve our meditation.

The first to consider comes in the latter part of the chapter.  The author of Hebrews is doing what I just described above.  In the first part of the chapter, he has been expounding upon Jesus' role as our high priest in Heaven today, as well as how He got to that position.  Then, after a bit, the author stops and declares that he needs to stop with that line of teaching because of the spiritual immaturity of the hearers.  (I sort of wonder what he would have said if he had gone on....)

11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:11-14 ESV

What characterizes the Christian who feeds him or herself solely or mostly on milk?  The writer states that such a person, although certainly "saved" (having a relationship with Jesus Christ) cannot consistently distinguish good from evil.  Once a person receives Jesus as Savior, Satan immediately begins to hinder the Holy Spirit's attempts to train him or her in righteousness. In other words, Satan begins to frustrate the sanctification process.  Part of that involves misleading, deluding, confusing and deceiving the young Christian about what is right and what is wrong, good or evil.

Studying the Bible on one's own and under the teaching of godly teachers is foundational to moving from "milk to solid food".  The world, under Satan's control, presents a whole lot of error disguised as "truth", when it is nothing of the kind.  The Bible is the standard, God's Word.  Anything presented in conflict with the Bible is error and must be rejected.

The author of Hebrews makes it plain here that it is each believer's responsibility to "feed on truth", in order to "train" in the Christian faith under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  The elementary, foundational truths must be embraced first, because they underlie and support the more "meaty" truths.  Christians who fail to do this will become weak and ineffective, susceptible to all kinds of distracting and dangerous error.

Make healthy (spiritual) food choices.  Don't be a Christian who requires swaddling and coddling. God can only use you in ministry to the extent that you let him.  That requires "growing up" in the faith!

Heavenly Father, at this season of thanksgiving, I am thankful for your Holy Word, your revelation to us, the Bible.  For by it, we learn about You.  May we feed on it regularly, "eating a healthy diet".  In Jesus' name, amen.

Walk Worthy

It is crucial that you understand this truth:  the salvation that Jesus Christ offers cannot be earned.  It can only be given, not from human descendants to human heirs, but from the heart of God to heirs of His grace.

Regardless of how straight a path you walk, how you "tow the line", you can never "measure up" by your own efforts.  Only God's grace, extended only through the finished work and cleansing blood of His Son, can demolish your sins and purchase your salvation.

This is the message Paul preached: grace and only grace.

Then, though, Paul urges us to "walk worthy" of the grace we have received.

 27  Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that – whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent – I should hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28  and by not being intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of their destruction, but of your salvation – a sign which is from God. 29  For it has been granted to you not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him, 30  since you are encountering the same conflict that you saw me face and now hear that I am facing.

Philippians 1:27-30 NET

I had a mature Christian tell me once that godly character is not your public persona.  You can appear in public to be the greatest Christian ever.  You can do missions.  You can even teach Bible classes.  You can be a deacon.  You can speak sweetly.  But, the truth of your godliness, your relationship with Jesus, is how you act when no one is watching.  Evil loves the darkness, but hates the light, you know...

Paul is saying that, whether he is there to watch over the Philippians or not, he should hear that they are living in a way worthy of the great salvation gift each of them has received.  Walking worthy sometimes requires that we make sacrifices, that we even suffer, as we fight for the faith.

Walking worthy does not mean merely following a list of rules.  It begins with the start of our relationship with God, and it continues as that relationship is grown and nurtured.  Walking worthy means moving deeper into Jesus Christ, choosing Him and His ways, even when it costs us.  As C.S. Lewis said repeatedly in his last book in the "Narnia" chronicles: "further up and further in".1

The more we grow into Jesus, the more our lives will change.  This is how we come to "walk worthy".  A brand new Christian should be easily distinguishable from a seasoned Christian, because the latter should have grown in wisdom, in grace, in truth.  Sadly, that is not always the case, since some people remain "baby Christians", immature and living carnally, selfishly.  Saddest of all, this hurts the cause of Jesus Christ, the spread of the gospel, greatly.

So, let's live like the redeemed, blood-bought Bride of Christ which we are, walking worthy, hand-in-hand with Him!