Hebrews 5:11-6:3

• What is the ultimate goal of the Christian faith?
• What is the end of it all?
• What is the ultimate goal of the church?

Evangelical and liberal Christians might have differences of opinion regarding these questions. The "evangelical" might think the evangelizing of the world is the ultimate goal of the church. But the supreme purpose of the church is not the winning of the lost. The Great Commission of Jesus to preach the gospel to every creature is very important, but it is not the final goal. There is a higher priority. We are not left on this planet just to win the lost.

The "liberal Christian" might believe world peace and universal justice is the ultimate goal. But Scripture does not make world peace and universal justice its top priority. Oh, we may well believe in the great vision of the prophets that there is coming a day when peace shall reign on earth; men shall melt their spears into pruning hooks; their swords into plowshares and make war no more. We should certainly work toward the day when righteousness shall prevail over all the earth, and all the stories of injustice, heartache, tragedy, and hate—with which we are so familiar—will be righted. But this is not the great and final purpose for the existence of the church. It includes all this, but there is a higher priority.

What is God after? What is the ultimate goal? It is summarized in two passages—Ephesians 4:13-16 and Romans 8:29.

...attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ...—Eph. 4:13
...growing up into Him who is the head, that is, Christ—Eph. 4:15.
...to be conformed to the likeness of His Son...—Rom. 8:29.

God desires men and women who are like Jesus; who will bring Him glory and have fellowship with Him, as Jesus did while He was on earth. The ultimate goal is to be like Jesus in word, thought, and deed. This is so helpful, because it enables us to prioritize our goals a little differently than we might have thought. Therefore, in order to help us arrive at this ultimate goal, we will look at the various ways we might grow in Christ and, consequently, into maturity. Our focus passage in this session is Hebrews 5:11-6:3.

Let's begin by reading chapter 5, verses 11-14:

11] We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12] 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! 13] Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14] But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

This passage answers the question

What is immaturity?

The author here makes three very important observations about this problem of spiritual immaturity.

1. First, immaturity is not reduced by age alone.
2. Second, immaturity is self-identifying; it has clear marks.
3. Third, immaturity is a costly and frustrating thing.

Let's look at these points one at a time.

Immaturity is not reduced by age alone.

It is amazing how often we think that age will make a difference in maturity. Oh, we all love the thought of inevitable growth. We say, "Ah, he'll grow up some day." "Hey, just give him time. He'll grow up. He'll mellow out." Immaturity is not reduced by age alone; nor is maturity automatic with the passing of time.

A high school principal had an administrative post to fill. He looked at all the possible candidates and decided to give the position to a teacher with 10 years of experience. When the announcement was made, a teacher with 25 years of experience was very upset because he was not chosen. So he went to the principal and asked why he had been overlooked. The teacher complained, "Why not me? I've had 25 years of experience." The principal replied, "No, you've had one year of experience 25 times."

This is exactly the situation among these Hebrews. They needed to hear the basic teachings of Scripture again, because they had never grown beyond the initial experience and teaching. They were not using the time they had, to grow into maturity. Time had no impact on their spiritual growth. It's like a statement I once heard: "I'm suffering from prolonged adolescence that is merging into premature senility."

The question is, are we any different? I hope so. Tragically, this is the frequent experience of so many Christians today. Spiritual maturity is not inevitable, nor automatic; it is the consequence of conditions met. Age and time are necessary, but alone they produce nothing. (See 1 Timothy 4:12-16 for a solution.) Conversely, maturity doesn't necessarily require a lot of years!

Immaturity is self-identifying; it has clear marks.

1. The first mark is the inability to learn and retain spiritual ABCs. The Scripture says of these people, "You are slow to learn"—v. 11, and "You need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's Word all over again"—v. 12b. What does that say to the folks to whom this letter was written? They were not only not progressing; they were moving backward. They forgot what they had been taught, having neither learned or retained.

   This passage doesn't imply that there is something wrong with having to learn the ABCs of faith. They are foundational and necessary. The problem occurs when, by our own neglect, we become "regressive," and can't retain even the basic teachings. What a tragedy when we think of the millions of people who haven't even heard once.

   Is it right when millions of people are drowning in a river and only a few hundred boats are sent to save them, when further up the same river there are hundreds of people drowning and thousands of boats are sent to save them? In the stream of humanity, millions are dying without Christ, and we send only a few thousand missionaries to save them. We in the West represent a much smaller number of people, yet we have thousands and thousands of boatloads of ministers and Christian workers coming to rescue and support us, time after time after time.

2. The second mark is the inability to instruct others or themselves. The Scripture says, "You ought to be teachers"—v. 12. "You need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's Word"—v. 12. What does that say to us? Stating the obvious, if we don't know the ABCs, we will be unable to teach and disciple others. We will have nothing to say and will not be able to learn without help.

   I have said it often, but I strongly believe every Christian ought to be able to teach at least on a limited scale—1 Pet. 3:15; Matt. 28:16-20; 2 Tim. 2:1-2. We can teach by our lifestyle, and by our discipling at least one person at a time. If someone is new in the faith, it's okay that he not be able to teach yet. At that time it is appropriate to "be a child" and rely on others, but this must not continue. Everyone must grow up, to be quick to learn and eventually be able to share what he knows.

   Immaturity is not always spotted easily. If we are immature for a long time, we may develop some very sophisticated cover-ups.

   • Stock answers. We bluff our way through situations with generic responses: "Have you really sought the Lord on this matter" "It will all work out if you trust God. You know what Romans 8:28 says..."
   • Referrals. "Hey, I can't help you because I'm busy, but I know someone who can." Or, "I know a great book you should read."

   If you're in over your head, don't fake it; get some help. But remember, learn your lessons well so you can help when the next opportunity comes. If, on the other hand, all you're doing is referring and faking it, ask yourself: Why am I this way? Is it because I am slow to learn, or not eager to learn? Am I lazy? Am I scared? What can I do to change?

   Whatever the answer, we can do something about our condition. Our inability to teach or disciple others may mean we need a kick in our spiritual backside. We may need a recognition of the source of fear and the need for love—2 Tim. 1:7; 1 John 4:18. Certainly we need to hear the admonition of the author of Heb. 6:1—"Therefore let us go on to maturity."

3. The third mark is the inability to discern good from evil. Heb. 5:14—"But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Here are the results in people's lives if they are unable to discern good from evil.

   They are doctrinally undiscerning. In other words, they don't know good doctrine from bad. Ephesians 4:14 sums it up and illustrates the immature: "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming." Spiritual infants are unstable, and they are gullible. If we don't learn to go beyond the ABCs, every wind of teaching will blow us here and there. We'll find ourselves given over to the "theological fads" that blow in and out of the church.

   Examples of Theological Fads
   Many today think Christians can be possessed by demons, and are caught up in rebuking demons every time there's a problem. Now, there is a need in many Christians' lives for greater victory. Some are caught in a trap of Satan—2 Tim. 3. Some have not put on their armor—Eph. 6, so they are vulnerable. We can be used by Satan as Peter was—Matt. 16:21-23. Many are not living victorious Christian lives, but what is the proper response? Put off the old and put on the new—Eph. 4:22. Spiritual warfare—Eph. 6:10-18. Careful instruction—2 Tim. 2:22-26. Confession and prayer—James 5:13-16.	The prosperity doctrine is another that is based on incorrect doctrinal foundations. It has some truth, but more often than not is a reflection of the American culture, not Scripture. The advocates of this doctrine believe it is God's will that every Christian be financially rich and live a prosperous lifestyle. They say that one gives to God in order to become rich. The problem with this approach is that they are not giving, but trading. It is true that the Lord wants to give to us, but so we'll have a greater capacity to give, not to get rich. The end result is not for our consumption. We have been given ministering capital to invest in others. (See 2 Cor. 8:13-16; 9:10-11.) The Scripture also makes it very clear that people who think godliness is a means of financial gain are robbed of the truth—1 Tim. 6:5-10,17-19.	Positive confession is also a doctrine that is unstable. It has a measure of truth, but often the application is far from God's intention. Those who push this approach believe that whatever you confess, you possess. They believe that since God spoke into existence things that were not, we can do the same, because we are little gods. The problem comes when people begin to demand that God fulfill their wants and commands because of their confession. But this is taking the place of God. The confession must be based on the whole counsel of God; emit from a pure heart; and be in God's timing. Above all, we must let God be God.
   What do all these theological fads ("winds of teaching") say to us? Each of the doctrines has a point of truth.
   We do have an enemy who seeks to destroy us, and we do need to resist Him.	We know God wants our soul to prosper, and for us to be giving and generous people.	We know that what a man says is very important, because it reveals what is in his heart.

    

   Now, how do we respond to or process these "winds of teaching?" Ask yourself:

   Do I need a seminar with special teachers in order to understand a particular doctrine?

   Are those advocating these doctrines more experience-oriented than biblically-oriented?

   Do the teachers say, "Well, I don't know how it works out theologically; I just know it works?"

   Is the doctrine coming from a thorough study of Scripture, or isolated and random passages where the context is ignored?

   Would we easily come to these theological positions by reading all of Scripture, i.e., the whole counsel of God?

   Unless we are mature and know the Word, we'll get caught up in an extreme position and violate other Scriptures without realizing it. The doctrinally undiscerning are very susceptible to the crowd's call for a new high or gimmick—a new way to unlock blessing. So be careful! Be a Berean—check it out!

   Some take an application from Scripture and call it inerrant. Others build application upon application until the text is not in focus. Sometimes those who initiate the teaching of a particular doctrine are sincere and biblical, but their disciples/followers may not have the same character, or be committed to Scripture. Thus they take an appropriate emphasis and carry it to an extreme position, adding their twist to it!

    

   They are emotionally gullible, emotionally immature. Eph. 4:14a—"Then we will no longer be infants..." An infant can't discern right from wrong because of his immaturity, consequently he is swayed by emotions rather than content. Here are some of the statements people who are emotionally gullible make:

   "Oh, he's so convincing."

   "They can't be that wrong if they're that sincere."

   "It is more important that you sincerely believe."

   "I don't know if what I'm doing is right or wrong; I know I feel better, so I guess it can't be wrong."

   "Oh, it was such a wonderful service; everyone was praising God. We had this experience and that experience; I just feel it's right."

   "God must be upset with me because I don't feel His presence."

   "I couldn't go to church today; I just felt God was calling me to sleep."

   The point is obvious: emotional experiences and feelings cannot be the basis for making decisions about anything. It's okay to get emotional, but make sure the emotions spring from the solid meat of God's Word. It's appropriate, for example, if you get excited that "we are seated together with Him." It's appropriate to get excited that "sin need no longer reign because we have passed from death to life." But it is imperative that feelings and emotions continue to follow the facts, the teachings from God's Word.

    

   They will be vulnerable to false prophets and sin. The examples of the impact of false prophets on the immature are manifold in Scripture. Look at:

   Eph. 4:14—"The cunning and craftiness of men"
   2 Tim. 3:6
   Jude 3 and 4
   Gal. 1:6
   Gal. 3:1

   The spiritually immature are just like children. Have you ever noticed how children are unaware of danger? Likewise, the spiritually immature are vulnerable to those who have evil intentions for their lives.

    

   They are totally dependent on their teacher—Heb. 5:12; 1 Cor. 3:1-4. Look back at our text in Hebrews 5:12. "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!" 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 reads,

   Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2] I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3] You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4] For when one says, 'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos,' are you not mere men?

   These passages show us that immaturity causes us to be dependent on others for our spiritual food, which creates a number of problems.

   First, it's easy to become a personality follower. There is nothing wrong with having a favorite teacher or a model, but when that means you exclude input and study, you will only perpetuate immaturity. Here's our goal—Acts 17:11. "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

   Second, dependence on a specific teacher sponsors divisiveness in the Body. If one teacher has a different slant than our favorite, we become divided (see 1 Cor. 3:1-4).

   Third, it takes our attention off Christ—1 Cor. 3:21-23. So it's easy to see, if we are unable to discern good from evil, a lot of potential problems exist.

1. The fourth mark is the inability to control childish reactions, e.g., outbursts, quarrels, and jealousies. The references say: "...being still an infant"—Heb. 5:13, and "...there is jealousy and quarreling among you..."—1 Cor. 3:3. Again, this is a mark of immaturity we don't often acknowledge. We need to ask ourselves: Am I governed by childish reactions and outbursts at my church, my job, or at home? If things don't go my way, do I throw fits, tantrums, or get miffed?

   My problem is that I often don't see my actions as spiritually immature. It's much like an infant crying over a wet diaper doesn't think, "Oh, I'm so childish." So ask yourself, am I faithful, dependable, and emotionally mature? Quite often a new Christian will undertake a ministry with eagerness,and then run out of the energy to keep it going. As a leader, I have learned not to give big jobs to spiritual children, only small jobs. I let them learn to be faithful first.

   What's your reaction so far to immaturity? Do you see why it is a state we don't want to perpetually stay in?

2. The fifth mark is the inability to take solid food. Spiritual infants are still on milk. Heb. 6:1a—"Let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ..." 5:12—"You need milk, not solid food!" This is a very revealing mark. Some will quickly acknowledge the need for maturity, but interestingly, won't see themselves as immature. So let's evaluate ourselves again by the fifth mark. If you are mature, you will understand the following teachings and be able to teach them to others. They are the elementary teachings about Christ, the first principles of God's Word.

   Heb. 6:1-3—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, 2] instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3] And God permitting, we will do so.

   These elementary teachings fall into three interesting groups:

   1. The foundation of repentance and faith in God.
   2. The foundation of instruction about baptism and the laying on of hands.
   3. The foundation of resurrection and eternal judgment.

   If we say we don't understand these elementary teachings, let alone teach them, we are saying we are immature, because they are "milk," according to the author of Hebrews. It is a proper state for babies, but very inadequate for anyone wishing to go on to maturity, to full growth in the Christian life—v. 12b. This passage doesn't mean that these areas are to be forgotten, denied, or neglected. They are, however, no longer to be the chief center of attention; that's the point.

   When a person first comes to know the Lord, it is appropriate to crave pure spiritual milk. (Read 1 Pet. 2:2-3.) When a person matures, however, it is important that he hunger and thirst after righteousness—Matt. 5:6; Heb. 5:13b. It is interesting to me that these are often the sole topics many pastors dwell on in their preaching. Unfortunately, it is all many people can take, because of their immaturity. If this milk is preached continuously, the congregation will stay weak, childish, and become even more immature.

   Let's look a little closer at each one. They are easily categorized into three groups.

   1. The introductory items include the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and faith in God—Heb. 6:1; Acts 2:8; 20:21. These are absolutely essential to the Christian life. Repentance means turning your back on sin and going the opposite direction. Faith is the ability to trust in God's promises. Heb. 11:6—"He who comes to God must first believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." This is very necessary milk for babies.

   2. The instructions about baptisms and the laying on of hands. Notice these are just figures (pictures) of reality, not reality itself. They are forms that without content are empty. Water baptism is commanded and is an outward sign of an inward reality—Rom. 6:1-7. (Note: "Baptism" is plural and may refer to the baptism of the Spirit too.) Laying on of hands implies
      1. an identification and relationship with spiritual leaders—Acts 6:6; 1 Tim. 5:22
      2. a means to communicate and confirm by the Spirit, God's intention for a person—1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6; Acts 8:17-19
      3. initiating the filling of the Spirit
      4. the releasing of God's healing power in ministry.

      These symbols should be understood by new believers. They are to be baptized in water as soon as possible—Acts 2:38. They are to be in relationship to their spiritual leaders, and are initially to solicit prayers and insight from their leaders regarding their walk with the Lord and the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit might have for them.

   3. The last two items, resurrection and eternal judgment, obviously have to do with teachings on death, heaven, the second return of Christ, and hell. They would include questions like: What will be the condition of the world when Christ returns? How will we be judged, and what will be our rewards or judgment?—Matt. 24-25. When and where will the judgment occur? It also includes the significance of Christ's and our resurrection.

   These are the elementary teachings that infants in Christ should know. Do you understand these teachings? If not, you are classified as an infant who isn't even taking in and retaining milk.

Immaturity is frustrating and costly to others.

The immature also need constant care and supervision because of their instability and gullibility. Valuable time and opportunities are always lost when people are immature, so it becomes costly to the body.

How Do I Grow Into Maturity?

• Understand and apply the elementary teachings about Christ—Heb. 6:1-3. Study each of these areas thoroughly, in such a way that you retain and rejoice in these truths. Then, begin to hunger and thirst for the meat of the Word—the teachings about righteousness (right living). Heb. 5:13—"Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness."

• Train yourself to distinguish good from evil by constantly using and applying solid food (the teachings about righteousness). Heb. 5:14—"But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." The mature person continually and intently looks into the Word and does not forget it (James 1:22-25) because he puts into practice what he hears. This is the only way to retain, to grow, to maintain stability—Matt. 7:24-27. It is the only way we can eliminate gullibility.

  The secret to maturity is to hear and obey! Constant use of the Word is the training that leads to maturity and eliminates instability and gullibility. What we don't use, we lose. Therefore, review (read and apply) the Word often. Attach your spiritual discoveries and victories to a specific passage of Scripture, not a teacher. Then whenever you re-read the Scripture, you will remember the applications you've made.

Conclusion

1. My spiritual age:
   • Have I been a Christian long enough to have grown up in my faith?
   • Do I know others who came to Christ at the same time I did, or even later, who seem more mature in Christ than I?
   • From our lesson, why is this the case?

2. My identifying marks:
   • Have I been slow to learn? Why?
   • Am I able to instruct others in the basics of the faith? Why?
   • Am I able to spot a good doctrine from a bad one and tell why?
   • Am I swayed by my emotions more than the content of God's Word?
   • Do I need an exciting, challenging, emotional message in order to enjoy the church service and get through the week?
   • Am I aware of the spiritual dangers of those caught in false religions? What are some of the dangers?
   • Am I able to study the Bible and get something out of it for my own strengthening? Do I do it on a regular basis?
   • Am I sometimes governed by childish reactions and outbursts?
   • How do I respond when I don't get what I want and things don't go my way?
   • Do I know the basics of the faith?
   • Is there a lot of the Bible that seems dry and hard to understand? Why?
   • Can I point to teachers, pastors, and friends who are frustrated and/or unable to teach deeper truths to me because of my lack of growth in the Lord?

3. What do you plan to do to remedy your spiritual situation in the following areas or circumstances?
• In your devotional life, where do you need to grow?
• In your response to the teaching of others, how will you apply what you hear?
• In your understanding and retention of the elementary teaching about Christ, what is your plan?
• What is your prayer regarding your spiritual condition? Write it out.