What should we do when spiritual growth grinds to a halt?
Sep 9, 2010
The Base of Grace - part twelve in a study of the book of Hebrews
Mike Gaudet
“Progress not perfection.” Good to remember when we think about spiritual growth.
What if we don’t seem to be making any progress?
What should we do when spiritual growth grinds to a halt?
“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 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 Jews addressed in this letter had converted to Christianity. They had learned enough to enable them to “walk through the door” into the Christian faith. The problem is that they were still standing, bags still packed, just inside the door. They had not “moved in.” Enough time had elapsed for them to grow in faith, but they needed someone to teach them “the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.”
Because they were stuck at the level of spiritual infancy, they still needed “milk, not solid food.”
There are many ideas concerning what “spiritual milk” is and what “spiritual solid food” is. Some identify spiritual “meat and potatoes” with elaborate end times scenarios or hard-to-understand theological arguments.
In the context, “solid food” is identified with “the teaching about righteousness.”
When we think about “righteousness” we think about doing what God tells us to do. We associate righteousness with “behaving.” Although righteousness does lead to behaving it doesn’t begin there.
Righteousness begins when God declares us to be acceptable in His eyes. This is the foundation for all spiritual growth that follows. God does not confer this status on us because we behave. He declares us to be righteous because we believe. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:22
The righteousness that securely connects us to God comes only “through faith in Jesus Christ.” Jesus alone enables us to become eternally accepted sons and daughters of God. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Seems straightforward enough! There’s a problem though.
Paul wrote, “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4
You’d think that Paul would have had the hardest time dealing with people who didn’t believe in Jesus. The surprising truth is that his greatest challenge came from people who did believe in Jesus. The Jesus they believed in, however, was “another” Jesus. They talked about “a Jesus other than the Jesus” Paul preached. As a result, people were placing their faith in the “wrong” Jesus!
How can we tell the difference between the “real” Jesus and “another” Jesus?
The Jesus who makes the burden heavier is “another” Jesus.
The real Jesus makes the burden lighter. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30
The Jesus who uses fear to fuel obedience is “another” Jesus.
The real Jesus increases our love for others by increasing our awareness of His love for us. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18-20
To foster spiritual growth Jesus develops our love for Him by assuring us of His love for us.