EP 52: Becoming Spiritually Mature
http://daughterofdelight.com/dodepisode08/
In this episode, we will explore the importance of spiritual maturation through the lens of Hebrews 5-6. We will also take a look at 4 signs we see in scripture that indicate a milk-only diet and consider why a milk-only diet is so dangerous to our spiritual health.
EP 08: The Threat of False Teachers & How to Identify Them
Selah
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What this week’s episode is about
Hebrews is to be read as a sermon. The author of this letter has been in question for a long time, but for the most part the church has ascribed this letter to Paul.
The group of people this letter is specifically addressed to began to believe that life before Jesus was better than life after Jesus, because they were getting tired of waiting. Have you ever been in this place? I know I have! There have been many times where my life before Christ appealed to me.
These people felt this way because Jesus did not look as “good” as He once did. The appeal had been lost. It’s kind of like when we get something nice and new--like the latest iPhone, per say--and then we get used to having it and it’s not so great anymore..the appeal just isn’t there.
Because they perceived Christ through a similar lens--you know, because He was not living up to their expectations and performing on their timeline--this community of believers was on the verge of falling away from Him completely. They were losing hope.
Which is exactly why the author of Hebrews wrote this letter: to urge the Hebrews to endure in their trust of Christ Jesus rather than straying from it; to not repeat the sad story we all know of Israel’s unbelief.
This is a great point to transition into our topic of spiritual maturation. If you have your Bible, go ahead and open it to Hebrews 5:11-6:20. I’ll also be referring to other scriptures along the way. And just FYI, I will be reading from the ESV translation!
Take a look at Hebrews 5 with my, starting in verse 11:
11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For 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, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
OOF. Paul does not hold back! He basically just called this community of believers infants in Christ because they were spiritually immature. And there’s reason for that, which is exactly what we are about to get into.
Paul’s main concern for this group of believers is apostasy. If you are unfamiliar with this word, no worries. But it’s a good one to know. It refers to the abandonment of a religious or political belief. In this case, apostasy means the abandonment of one’s faith. Paul is very concerned this group of believers is headed toward apostasy if they continue down the path they are on.
There is so much to glean from this passage alone, so let’s go ahead and walk through signs of spiritual immaturity.
DULL OF HEARING
The first indicator comes to us from Hebrews 5:11, where Paul tells the people he is addressing that they are “dull of hearing.” He goes to say in verse 13, “You need milk, not solid food,” which is NOT a good thing.
Milk is okay for babies, there’s no doubt about it. But a milk-only diet for adults? Yeah, no thanks. There’s no sustenance in that, and this is what Paul is trying to get across here.
These people were okay being, as Paul says, “unskilled in the Word of righteousness” because they were spiritually immature. They were way too comfortable with a milk-only diet and things needed to change if they were going to grow in their faith and not stray from it.
This “dull of hearing” issue is still an issue today. If we get comfortable simply showing up on Sunday and allowing the pulpit, or allowing the accounts we keep up with on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to feed us the meat of God’s Word rather than consuming it ourselves on a daily basis, we will not fully grow and thrive in our relationship with God and in our understanding of His Word. Our relationship with Him will be so-so. It won’t be “that” important. Instead of living our lives with Him at the forefront of it all, and thus enjoying the life of abundance Christ came to give because of our desire and efforts to prioritize Him in all things, we will live our lives not caring that we have set Him on the sidelines in order to choose our self over our great God.
Let me ask you, sister. Are you on a milk-only diet? Or are you enjoying the nurturing and sustaining gift of God’s Word--the very meat our souls truly need?
SUSCEPTIBLE TO STRANGE DOCTRINE
Paul goes on to say in Hebrews 13:9, “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings” (ESV).
If we care only about drinking milk, sound doctrine simply is not a priority to us. As a result, we will be unstable in our theological views and so easily swayed by each new book, blog, or podcast we read or listen to. Our spiritual immaturity will not yield the wisdom and discernment we need in order to identify theological red flags. If we are not careful, our view of who God is will be crafted by man and not molded by the holy, infallible Word of God- the only source of truth we have in this life. And I don’t know you, but that’s a very scary thought. I want to be able to identity false gospel teachings. I want to be able to stand on guard against wolves in sheep’s clothing. I don’t want to know the heart of God based on who others say He is. I want to know His heart and character based on what He has revealed to me through His Word. And I pray this is something you want, too.
If you would like to learn more about how to identify false gospel teachings and wolves in sheeps’ clothing, check out episode 08 of the podcast. I will be sure to link it in today’s show notes!
Alright, the third indicator of a spiritually immature Christian is found in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. Let’s take a look at it together:
3 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
Did you catch that? A key indicator of spiritual immaturity is jealousy and strife...being disrespectful to other brothers and sisters in Christ.
Rather than seeking reconciliation as a result of offense, a spiritually immature Christian seeks retaliation. Rather than forgiving someone who was in the wrong, a spiritually immature Christian holds grudges. Instead of celebrating a brother or sister in Christ when something happens in their life that is worth rejoicing, a spiritually immature Christian wallows in jealousy and comparison. Because of doing these very things, relationships are faltered and ultimately lost.
Alright, I’ve got one more spiritual immaturity indicator for us today and then we are going to transition to a time of encouragement -- because I’m sure we are all feeling the heat from Paul’s words today!
The fourth sign of a spiritually immature Christian is that they are continually driven by the flesh and care more about their need for satisfying the pleasures of the flesh than they do surrendering them in exchange for God’s strength and self-control to keep their eyes fixed on Him. Galatians 5:19-21 provides us with examples of works of the flesh. We read,
“19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Now, we all struggle with sin. Literally no one is exempt from that. But whether or not we continually give in to our impulses as believers--whether or not we choose happiness over holiness--is key here.
If we are choosing deeds of the flesh over our sovereign God, it is a sign we are what Paul labels as, “people of the flesh, infants in Christ.” That’s a 1 Corinthians 3:1 reference for ya.
I want to spend the rest of our time together today in Hebrews 6:4-20. Take a look at Hebrews 6:4-8 with me:
“4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned” (ESV).
Here’s what we just read:
Either we will progress in Christ or regress from Christ.
Progressing in Christ means that we acknowledge it is only by consuming the meat of God’s Word we are able to grow in spiritual maturation. When our ears are tuned to His Word, our eyes then become more fixed on Him- as they very well should be. When we consume the solid food of God’s Word, our faith and practice of the things that enable us to become spiritually mature--like prayer, studying the Word, and investing time in a community of fellow believers-- come together.
Unfortunately, many people will turn away from the faith because the Jesus they confessed is not the Jesus of the Gospel.
Spiritual immaturity will surely result in apostasy if we do not progress in Christ.
Let’s wrap our time up together and be encouraged by the words of Hebrews 6:9-20:
9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
The Certainty of God's Promise
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham,[a] having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Alright, go back to verse 10 with me:
For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
My dear sister, take heart! Part of God’s unchangeable, eternal purpose is to bless and grow those who truly trust in Him. God knows we will struggle and fail but Hebrews 6:10 tells us He does not overlook the good work we are doing for the Kingdom, even in the face of said struggles and failures. God is faithful. He is going to fulfill His eternal purpose in the life of the believer. He always finishes what He begins.
Praise be for that, amen?
Now take a look at verses 13-14 with me:
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”
God’s promises are sure. He has fulfilled every promise He has ever made. He always keeps His Word. Paul shares the life of Abraham as a testament to this great truth. God did what He promised to do in the life of Abraham. And there is even a greater fulfillment in that all who believe in Christ are the true children of Abraham.
And last but not least, let’s take a look at verses 17-20:
17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
This, right here, beautifully sums up the integrity of our great God. It is impossible for Him to lie! His Word is unalterable. His promises are unchangeable. He will not change His mind. What God says will be, will be.
Jesus is our great High Priest, our perfect eternal priest, because He is eternal. Because He is in heaven, forever. Nothing and no one compares! And as Hebrews 7:25 says, “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (ESV).
Because of theses things, we can sing with all of our heart the assuring, truth-filled words of Fanny Crosby:
"Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood."
My dear sister, this is the work of God in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives us this assurance based upon the promises of His Word. We are either saved or lost. We either have life or you are dead spiritually.
Spiritual maturation takes time and practice. But the more we make it a priority to lean in through things like prayer, Bible study and fellowship in a theologically sound church, the stronger God’s voice and influence will be in and over our lives, and the less the voice and influence of the world will be as well.
Purposefully ponder these things! Make them constant practice, firmly plant your heart in truth, and press on to spiritual maturity.
May our hope be built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. May our hope be anchored in the finished work of Christ, who made perfect atonement for all the sins of His people. May our lives be tethered to the sure and steadfast anchor and hope we have in Christ and Christ alone. Amen, amen, amen.
Thank you so much for taking the time to tune in to today’s conversation on spiritual maturation. I hope it challenged, encouraged and blessed you. I can’t wait to be back with you on August 25, aka my 28th birthday! What a fun way to celebrate by spending time marinating on the truths of God’s Word alongside you.
Be blessed, sweet sister, and I will talk with you again soon!