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

A person can have gone to church all their life and be an infantile disciple.

A person can have important sounding titles – pastor, reverend, elder, deacon, teacher – and be an infantile disciple.

Being a maturing follower of Jesus has little to do with how long someone has been attending church or even titles.

Let’s take a look at how God defines immature, infantile Christians and how God defines mature Christians.

Immature/infantile Christians

• Needs milk, not solid food
• Anyone living on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness

There are a couple of descriptions that mark a baby Christian.

Even though they have been going to church for most of their lives, even though they have some important sounding titles in the life of the church, they are still drinking milk, not solid food. In fact, being an infant, they are still being fed milk, not taking on solid food on their own.

This is one of the primary marks of a baby Christian. They haven’t learned how to wean off milk and start learning how to feed themselves. They look like full-grown adults, but still need someone to feed them milk. The key characteristic is that even though they look like full-grown adults, they are still “unacquainted with the teaching about righteousness.” They are still babies when it comes to knowing God’s word.

And just like all babies, all they know is, “Love me, feed me, change me, hold me…” Me, me, me. When you have a church full of babies and not enough adults to care for them, it is exhausting.

There are a couple of descriptions that mark a maturing Christian.

• Solid food is for the mature
• Who by constant use have trained themselves
• They distinguish between good from evil

The first mark of a mature Christian is they have learned how to feed themselves. They don’t need constant feeding. They take the responsibility of feeding on their own.

They have been training themselves in God’s word by constant use. They put to practice what they read in God’s word. This is not a one time practice. This is an ongoing training. Going to the gym for one day will accomplish nothing except to make you sore. It takes constant training to get stronger.

Finally, because they have familiarized themselves with kingdom principles, they are able to discern between good from evil. They can smell out fishy faith in an instant because they know what the real deal looks like. Mature Christians are wise because of their familiarity with God’s word.

The cries of babies in a church are a healthy sign. That means that the church is growing. But it needs mature people who will tend to babies. That makes for a fantastic church.

I thank God that so many of you have taken the initiative to grow in God’s word. It’s still not too late to get into a small group. Get in the word and let the word change you!

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

The author of Hebrews tells the readers that he has much to say but is running into some frustrations and roadblocks.

“We have much to say about this…”

What is “this”? What is the author talking about? He’s talking about the kingdom of God. The writer of Hebrews is saying, “We have much to say about the kingdom of God, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.”

You see, learning and discovering the truths regarding the kingdom of God doesn’t just happen. It takes effort. It takes intentionality. In order to study about the kingdom of God, you have to study. That takes time. That takes effort. That takes intentionality.

The key to understanding this passage is the phrase, “By this time.”

You see, the writer of Hebrews is writing to folks who have been at this church thing for a while. And the writer of Hebrews is saying, “By now, you ought to be teachers regarding the kingdom of God!”

Here lies the heart of the problem. “By this time you ought to be teachers, but instead you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.”

It’s like this. God wants the church to learn about the Algebra and the Calculus of God’s kingdom, God wants to explain about the incredible truths of God’s kingdom principles. But instead every year, we’re stuck at 1, 2, 3’s, and A, B, C’s. We can’t even string a few letters together to write words, let alone sentences and complex ideas.

Instead of moving on to the depths of the kingdom of God, we’re stuck at, “If you don’t read God’s word every day, you won’t grow.” “If you don’t set aside time to pray every day, you won’t hear God’s guidance and direction.” “If you don’t serve and make a difference, your faith muscles will atrophy.”

We’re stuck at the absolute basics of the Christian faith.

BY THIS TIME!!! How long have you been doing this Christianity thing?

BY THIS TIME!!! How many more years are we going to be stuck learning the A, B, C’s and 1, 2, 3’s of Christian faith?

When will we grow up?

Growing up and maturing in the faith doesn’t just happen. It takes effort. It takes intentionality.

You’re off to a good start with these daily readings. Keep at it. Before you end, spend some quiet time with God. Let him know what you’re up to. Let him know how you want to see him at work in your life. Let him know you want to know how God wants you to live today.

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

For the past couple of weeks we have been looking at the role and the place God’s word has in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ.

Today, we look at one of the keys to spiritual growth.

Our verse says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in salvation.”

The source of growing up in salvation is God’s pure spiritual milk, God’s word. Simply put, a disciple cannot ever grow in faith apart from reading and digesting God’s word. Just because one reads and studies God’s word doesn’t mean that a person is growing in the faith. But, when a disciple is not reading and studying God’s word, spiritual growth is impossible.

There are two things we can learn about the relationship God’s word has with the follower of Jesus Christ: first, it tells us the posture disciples are to have toward God’s word, and secondly it tells us the attitude disciples are to have toward God’s word.

First, the posture disciples are to have toward God’s word is that of an infant. When babies enter our world, they have one objective: grow. In order to grow, babies need momma’s milk. Babies enter the world with an innate desire to suck. Just a mere touch of the finger to their cheek, babies instinctively turn toward the finger to suck. Babies think that the finger might be the source of momma’s milk. Babies are born to suck. Because without milk, babies don’t grow. Babies die.

When we first become a follower of Jesus Christ, we are to have the same posture and mindset regarding God’s word as that of newborn babies to milk. It is our greatest source of spiritual nourishment.

Secondly, the attitude followers of Jesus are to have toward God’s word is to crave and long for God’s spiritual milk.

• We don’t read and study God’s word just because it’s good for us. And it is good for us.
• We don’t read and study God’s word just because it will help us to grow. And it will help us to grow.
• We crave and long for God’s word because it is good. In fact verse three tells us that we have already tasted the pure spiritual milk and it is good.
• Just as we crave for a good juicy burger, a nice piece of steak, we are to crave and long for God’s word.

We are to have a sense of expectation and longing to hear the very voice of God when we read and study God’s word.

Imagine if I were to say to my wife, “I guess I will spend time with you since I have to. After all I am married to you. I guess we’ll go out. Not too excited about it, but I guess I have to do it. You are my wife.”

How would that fly?

Such a marriage would never last.

Yet, some do this to God all the time. The simple reality is that every time we read God’s word, we enter into God’s presence. There ought to be a sense of excitement and anticipation to see what God might have to say to us.

God’s word is indispensable to the follower of Jesus Christ. The surest way to grow up in our salvation is to drink God’s pure spiritual milk, the word of God.

The next time you open up God’s word, know that God is verily present with you.