Tag: grow up
Infants in Christ
Scripture reading for July 9: 1 Corinthians 3
“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. And even now you ae not yet ready, 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? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:1-6
For teaching purposes, Paul divided up people into three groups. First, there were those who were worldly or carnal people. These people were in darkness spiritually and lived by their carnal nature and appetites and senses. Next there were the ‘infants in Christ’ who had received salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. They became believers but still lived by their senses and the appetites of their flesh. They would be considered ‘carnal’ Christians, saved but still in the baby state. The third group were the spiritually mature believers. They had learned God’s Word and through the Holy Spirit had received understanding of all that was theirs in Christ Jesus. They walked in faith and love.
The Corinthian believers had come to Christ, but still held on to their fleshly ways. They began to boast about following certain leaders, some following Paul and some Apollos. This caused jealousy and strife among the believers. Paul wrote this letter to instruct them in the basics of growing up to maturity. Although there were different leaders, each one was given by God to aid the church in their spiritual development. God was the only One worthy of worship and following. We learn from this letter that spiritual development takes time and is often a process of trial and error and correcting course. This is very similar to training a child to become a responsible adult.
Have you ever fallen into the trap of exalting a leader and focusing on that leader above Christ? How does this passage enlarge your spiritual understanding and growth concerning leaders? If you were to evaluate your own spiritual growth and development, in what stage of growth would you place yourself?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for providing spiritually mature leaders who brought correction and discipline into my life. Thank you for those who provided examples that were not so good that I might grow up. May I provide a good example and sound doctrine lived out for younger disciples. Amen.
Living Stones!
Scripture reading for October 13th: Jeremiah 38, 39, 52, 1st Peter 2
Key Scriptures: 1st Peter 2:1-5 “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation–if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to Him, a Living Stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Peter encouraged the new believers to put away their old lives of deceit and malice and envy. Through the nourishment of the pure “milk of the Word” they would grow up in their salvation. Healthy humans don’t stay babies forever, but progress through growing by eating, sleeping, and learning through interactions. Healthy Christ-followers eat the Word of God, rest in Christ Jesus and stay connected to Jesus, the “Living Stone”. In fact, Peter called them “living stones” as well, in the spiritual house Christ was building. Pure “Milk” makes a healthy life!
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You that You are the living Cornerstone of my spiritual house and I am a living stone in that spiritual structure. Fill me with the milk and meat of Your Word that I might grow and mature.
Jeremiah 39:18 “For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in Me, declares the Lord.'”
Order in using the gifts!
Scripture reading for August 22nd: 1st Corinthians 14:18-40
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for building up the church. There are some rules for their proper use and it is better when all in the church are on the same page. In the church at Corinth, there was confusion that Paul sought to straighten out.
Paul had a great concern that people in the church have understanding. Paul himself spoke in tongues more than the rest of the church and he was not advocating that they would be silenced. But when all were speaking in tongues, there was confusion among the unlearned. He wanted the church to grow up in their understanding.
The purpose of tongues was to be a sign to unbelievers that God was in the church. Tongues for public use are inspired by the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of those who are not saved and get their attention. But if everyone spoke in tongues then no one could understand what was being said. But prophesy was the speaking of God’s word in a known tongue under the influence of the Holy Spirit. This gift brought conviction on the sinner and drew him to Christ. (1st Corinthians 14:22-25)
“What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the Church. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two–or at the most three–should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in church and speak to himself and God.” (1st Corinthians 14:25-28) Paul encouraged the church to use their gifts in an orderly fashion. Tongues should be limited to two or three speakers and they must be interpreted! If there is no one to interpret, the speaker should withhold their public gift of tongues. He may still speak in tongues quietly for his own edification and to God.
Prophets had the same limit of two or three speaking. Others should weigh or evaluate what was said. Each should speak in turn to maintain order and show love and respect to each other and the body. (1st Corinthians 14:29-33) God was a God of peace and order. These instructions were given to help the church grow!