COMMIT TO GROW BEYOND THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL OF FAITH

SCRIPTURE:

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In 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! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”  (Hebrews 5:11—14 NIV)

OBSERVATION:

            The writer of Hebrew was trying to speak to the Hebrew believers of the difference between the human priest and Jesus who became a priest for all.  However, the writer ran into a problem.  What the author seek to make clear on the subject matter, they Hebrew believers were NO longer try to understand.  Whenever a person stop trying to understand, that person stops growing in whatever manner of learning they involved themselves in.  The believers and the audience in this text becomes NO LONGER want to understand.  I know that I am guilty of this as well.  There are times that I just don’t want to learn.  I pride myself that I’ve already know this or that. 

            The author said, 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.  There are different level of understanding of the word of God.  The truth is the level we are determines our growth levels.  Some people are in the elementary level of understanding of the word of God.  They should’ve been already pass the elementary level and on the way to maturity, but they rather continue to repeat that level over and over again.

            Elementary level needs milk of the word.  But we are not to keep repeating over and over again in that level.  We are call to SOLID FOOD level.  We are not to stay in the MILK LEVEL.  The author pointed out the difference.  The ones who are at the elementary or the Milk level is not AQUIANTED with teaching about righteousness.  It means they have not grown by now.  They are stuck around the comfortable lessons of the Bible.  They get easily offended when the teaching of righteousness challenges their comfortability by hanging around the elementary level of the Bible. 

            But those who are in the SOLID FOOD level or the GROWING level, are mature, WHO BY CONSTANT USE HAVE TRAINED THEMSELVES TO DISTINGUISH GOOD FROM EVIL.”   This is the challenge that the author of Hebrew wants every believer to experience.  They are not to keep repeating the elementary understanding to the word of God, but to be make progress into maturity in the word of God.  It makes a big difference, when we choose to hang around the elementary level, we keep on tripping over sins that easily beset us.  But when we are eager to grow and progress forward maturity, BY CONSTANT USE OF THE WORD OF GOD FOR GROWTH, we have TRAINED OURSLEVES TO DISTINGUISH GOOD FROM EVIL. 

APPLICATION:

            I am reminded today that Christ must increase in me and I must be decrease.  The word of Jesus must continue to grow in me and daily.  I desire to be led by his word more and more this yearend and to the new year.  I want to grow daily in maturity and have my mind be trained to distinguish good from evil. 

PRAYER:

            Jesus, your word is the lamb unto my feet and a light unto my path.  I pray that you will continue to increase in me and help trained me to mature and grow in you daily.  Please lead me and help me to grow.  I commit myself to your word to grow and mature in righteousness.  Amen!