Maturing
(S) Scripture
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,
Hebrews 6:1 (NIV)
(O) Observation
Here the writer is not saying to abandon the basics but rather to build on to them with the deeper things of God. The believer is not to be content with only an elementary understanding of the things of God.
(A) Application
This is a call to maturing in Christ. It is unnatural not to grow and yet I know many Christians who are at the same maturity level years after their conversion. In my undergraduate degree I had a field education assignment at the local state hospital. My degree was in Rehabilitation Counseling and this was at a mental hospital. One particular patient at the hospital was in her mid-thirties, lay curled up in a fetal position, and had never grown from her early childhood size. She was a pitiful sight because she had never grown. I think of her and how unnatural her state was when I encounter Christians that have never grown in their relationship with Jesus. Being a baby Christian is fine in the beginning but it is not natural to stay in that condition. I want to grow in my understanding and commitment to the Lord. I want to become more and more mature as each day passes. I do not want to be content where I am today. I want to grow each day. In this passage I am reminded that maturing in my relationship with Jesus is the natural thing and it is also what God desires.
(P) Prayer
Lord, don't let me be complacent in my relationship with you. Let me move each day toward more maturity in you. Help me to help others mature in you. Amen
2 comments:
i believe that this passage has been greatly misunderstood by members in the C.ian community. For years, we have evaluated "maturity" by "what a person knows." Thus, we look at this text and assume that being mature means moving beyond an intellectual understanding of the items listed in vs. 2 and moving on by "understanding" what some call "the deeper doctrines of the faith." However, after concluding the sidebar comments in the next few paragraphs, the writer seems to return to his earlier focus, when in vs. 11 he speaks about loving. Thus, maturity should never be measured by moving beyond the simple doctrines listed in vs. 2. But maturity should instead be evaluted by the action listed in vs. 11. Or to put it another way, we can study, investigate and analyze theological truth until the Mountaineers win a national championship; but it won't make a bit of difference if love isn't present. The real measure of maturity isn't "what you know" but "how you live." Such a crazy thought from "The Bud".
YOu may be studying for a long time if we are waiting on the Mountaineers. What you know is important but without application into our daily lives it is fairly useless. Earl Radmacher once told me, "knowledge without enthusiasm leads to stagnation but enthusiasm without knowledge leads to fanaticism. We need both knowledge and enthusuasm that leads to a balanced faithful life. It seems that James was right, "Faith without works is dead."
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