The Diet of the Mature
“Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity….” (Heb.6:1)
Isn’t it amazing how fast children grow up? How exciting it is for parents to see their children develop along the way, to transition from crawling to walking or from babbling to speaking. The writer of Hebrews references one such transition: that of moving from drinking milk to eating solid food. Can you imagine how strange it would be to see a teenager drinking milk from a bottle? Or an adult at a movie theatre or an art gallery with a bottle of milk in hand. Surely, this would scream, “immaturity”!
The writer of Hebrews addresses the topic of spiritual maturity. As he writes, “though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food.” (Hebrews 6:12) But why all this fuss about spiritual maturity? The answer, summarized in one word, is “righteousness”. As Hebrews 6:13 puts it, “everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.” Just as a child who eats soft foods in the high chair is unskilled in the use of cutlery, so too the Christian who only absorbs the elementary teachings of Scripture is unskilled in handling the Bible’s harder truths and warnings.
But the key question is whether we are hungry for more – ready for more? Or do we only ever handle foundational teachings and basic truths? It is possible to completely stagnate in terms of our spiritual development because we simply cannot or will not digest substantial teaching. To grow, we need to go deep in our understanding of the Word of God so that we develop a deep theology, a rich biblical knowledge, and a robust Christian worldview. Over time, Christians who feast upon the solid teachings of Scripture develop sound judgment and discernment. And right thinking, in turn, produces godly living. As the writer of Hebrews explains, “solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 6:14).
Today, if you are feeling covered with the detritus from your latest “feast of ungodly choices”, take heart. If you humble yourself, and admit that you need to grow up spiritually, there is hope! As you taste “the goodness of the word of God” (Hebrews 6:5) and allow its life-transforming truth to refine you, Christ’s righteousness will take hold of you. We trust that today’s “Moment of Truth” has been an encouragement to you. Be sure to listen to this week’s broadcast at “Encounter the Truth” to learn more about the diet of the mature.