CHRISTIANS GROW UP!

By Curtis Pugh

Imagine the concern of parents for a child of theirs that never got beyond nursing: that never progressed to eating solid food. Something is wrong with such a child! No doubt they would take the child to doctors and to specialists to try to remedy its serious problem. How can a child properly develop if he or she never learns to eat nutritious food? It cannot and eventually will wither away with ruined health.

The Holy Ghost through the writer to the Hebrews says “Grow up!”: not in those words but in these: “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14).

Baby Christians! Undeveloped believers! Milk-sucking saints! Children of God lacking the ability to accept strong doctrinal teaching! Immature church members! Followers of the Lamb who are unable to discern good from evil! Is it any wonder that today's saints are not saintly? Is it any wonder that they are given over to the observance of every idolatrous pagan practice and holiday that is celebrated most anywhere in the world? Most professing Christians cannot discern good from evil and so compromise with everything pleasant that comes down the pike! Not knowing the truth they cannot stand for it and so fall for most everything! And sadly, the case is often “like pastor like people!”

Those addressed in this passage ought to be grown up: mature in the faith. They ought to be able to teach others as the text clearly says, but they are useless. Instead of being a help to their fellows they are spiritual babies and require constant care by others. These folk do not even know the “first principles of the oracles of God.” They do not know how God saves sinners! They think the new birth is a result of their actions! They regurgitate (vomit) whenever anyone tries to get them to eat a little solid food. You doubt that? Send them a preacher who mentions such things as election, reprobation, predestination, particular redemption, total depravity and total inability of sinners to please God. Read to them these words: “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth,” (Romans 9:18) and see if the average professing Christian does not vomit all over you: i.e. spiritually speaking. Shame! Shame! Shame! Baby Christians indeed! Grow up! Get on a spiritually healthful diet of solid Bible teaching! Forget the baby stuff and find out what the Bible really says! Read Romans chapter nine for instance and believe what it says! Grow up and become useful!