Today I am going to look at what maybe call the negative side our spiritual development and growth, our immaturity. But before I do I want to look at Pastor Hoekstra's writing on Faith and Grace and then using the ESV translation do my chosen subject.
"More on Faith and Grace"
"The just shall live by Faith . . . So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of GOD . . . I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him." (Romans 1:17, 10:17, and 2Timothy 1:12)
"The entire Christian walk is designed to be lived by Faith. "The just shall live by faith." Every step of every day, every issue that we face is to be addressed in reliance upon the LORD and His Faith. This path of trust accesses the Grace that GOD desires to shower upon us. Remember, Faith is what corresponds with Grace. "Therefore it is of Faith that it might be according to Grace" (Romans 4:16). Trying our hardest does not ensure GOD's Grace working in and though us. Attempting to be passive does not bring forth a display of His Grace. However, humbly trusting in the LORD, whether taking action or patiently waiting, will always result in His Grace undertaking for us.
Yet, how does one specifically learn to live by Faith? Romans 10:17 is very helpful here. "So then Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of GOD." As we by ourselves get into the scriptures, desiring to hear from the LORD, Faith has opportunity to Grow. Through the word, GOD speaks to us about Himself and His ways. He tells us His plans and purposes. He provides insights into reality. He drives away illusions and misconceptions. He offers Promises and Assurances. As we are thereby getting to know who the LORD is and what He wants to do, we are stirred to trust Him to work these matters into our lives. We face trials or opportunities,and yes afflictions and we trust Him to be faithful. We learn of our own inadequacy and are driven to His Sufficiency. We look to the LORD in daily personal issues, and He proves faithful. Through it all, our trusting His Faith continues to Grow in response to what the LORD is revealing to us and is doing for us. This is GOD's Grace at work, because His word is "the word of His Grace" (Acts 20:32). The old testament does not speak openly of Grace in the same fashion of the New it is a coded message within its context none the less. When the LORD removes the speck of sand or plank from our spiritual vision our perception is cleared, the veil is removed. And we begin the see and hear because what had been programmed by others no longer determines what we hear and see, we have been given the LORDS liberty we are free no long a slave under mental oppression.
This process illustrates the relational reality of Faith. Faith is not something we can produce. It results from getting to know the LORD more and more. Paul spoke of this pattern in part of his testimony. "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him" (2Timothy 1:12). As the years passed, Paul was getting acquainted with the LORD in Whom he had first believed. Then, as this Relationship with Christ developed, Paul was increasingly convinced of his Master's Ability to handle any matter that he would entrust into His hands. All the while, this faith that was developing in Paul was drawing upon the resources of GOD's Grace."
Spiritual Immaturity:
Inability to Receive Strong Teaching or Doctrine:
1Corinthians 3:1-4, 14:20 "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 ready for it. And even now you are 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?.......Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to Me, says the LORD." Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship GOD and declare that GOD is really among you." (Concerning the word "prophesy" here is its meaning and use: the gifts and utterances of these prophets, especially of the predictions of the works of which Faith and Grace do in harmony with each other, set apart to teach the gospel, will accomplish for the kingdom of Christ.)
Necessary for Tutelage:
Galatians 4:1-7 "I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, GOD sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law (the Hebrew children first and the Gentiles as a pagan people without GOD's influence), so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are (become) sons, GOD has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through GOD."
Instability of Faith:
Ephesians 4:7-16 "But Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's Gift. Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high He led a host of captives, and He gave Gifts to men." (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that He had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He Who descended is the one Who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill [having completed the old and introduced the New of the] all things.) And H gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the Unity of the faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of GOD, to a mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the Truth in Love, we are to Grow up in every way into Him Who is the Head, into Christ, from Whom the Whole Body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the Body Grow so that it builds itself up in Love."
Continuance in the Primary Department:
Hebrews 5: 9-10, 11-14, 1Peter 2:2 "Being made perfect, He became the source of Eternal Salvation to all who obey Him, being designated by GOD a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of GOD. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."
1Peter 2:1-3 "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."
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