The Danger of Spiritual Digression

THE DANGER OF SPIRITUAL DIGRESSION Spring Valley Mennonite; November 17, 2019; Hebrews 5:11-6:3 Almost every week I receive an important looking letter in a plain white business envelope. It has a street address and perhaps an individual’s name on the return, but little else. I can’t seem to resist opening this personal looking letter, but invariably it is an invitation for a free hearing test. Somehow, they have learned that I am of the demographic that listens to the TV a bit louder and complains about people mumbling and of young people talking entirely too fast. Many people my age do suffer from a hearing loss, but I still think my problem is that people talk too softly, especially in crowded restaurants! While hearing loss may be inevitable as we grow older, there is a much more serious type of hearing loss which has little to do with our physical ears: I speak of the great danger of becoming spiritually “dull of hearing.” It might be described as “hearing without listening.” What we find in the fifth chapter of Hebrews is a description of the problem of spiritual deafness which results in immaturity or stagnation in the Christian life. Such immaturity has two devastating results: it both steals the joy and satisfaction of the Christian life, but more seriously, it also robs the kingdom of an effective servant. Find your way to the eleventh verse of Hebrews chapter 5 where we’ll begin our study. Follow along as I read. Read v. 11. I. MISSING THE “GOOD STUFF” I had a Christian friend in my University days who came from a primitive Baptist background. He often told me how his daddy had warned him against studying the Bible because you are not responsible for what you don’t know! To him, ignorance was protection! He had no desire to learn more than the very basics of salvation. God has an incredible plan for every believer’s life, but unfortunately many Christians, like my friend, settle for much less than God’s best. It is frustrating for a teacher to have life-changing truths, truths that will make life so much more rewarding and satisfying—and have people ignore or lack the desire to explore and apply those truths. This was the danger found among those described in this passage. They had just begun finding out about how Jesus is our Great High Priest, our once-for-all mediator, of which there is much more to communicate, but it is feared that many will be unable to understand: they have become “dull of hearing.” The implications of these truths, including how there exists a higher order of Priesthood than that of Levi would be staggering to those from a Jewish background and of profound importance for all others. Yet those who had begun well in their Christian journey had stopped moving forward; some of them had become complacent and self-satisfied, while others were thinking about returning to the comfortable confines of Judaism. As a Pastor, I can identify with the author. How often have I encountered believers who have become stagnated and uninterested in moving forward or growing in their faith. This may be reflected by their priorities in life, how they spend their time, their relationships, and often the constant turmoil of their personal lives. Often they are involved in questionable activities, the so-called “grey areas.” Serving God is seen as optional, if nothing better comes along. They suffer “arrested development” in their Christian lives. Read vv. 12-14. II. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, BABY CHRISTIANS Our grandchildren are a source of great joy. Recently we received a video of our grandson in South Carolina taking his first steps. He had taken his time in learning to walk and we were reminded that comparing one child’s development to another only causes needless anxiety. But if Max had reached the age of 3 or 4 and still was not walking, something was wrong. The situation among these believers was like this: by this point in time they should have progressed to where they were actively involved in teaching others the basics of the faith. Instead, their spiritual digestive systems could only handle milk! Most of you know that I grew up on a small dairy farm. Raw Milk was a staple in our diet, with bottles of milk with the cream being fully one-third of the volume (we milked Jersey cows). Milk provides the calcium needed for the building of bones for infants, with few suitable substitutes. My mom made sure we drank lots of milk, even when the cows began eating wild onions in the spring! She did let us add chocolate syrup to the onion flavored milk! But the exclusive milk diet of an infant soon needs to be supplemented with solid foods. The same principle exists for the fuel for our spiritual development. We need to move forward from the simple and elementary doctrines about salvation to more “meaty” doctrines—such as this one about Jesus as High Priest. Perhaps you have on occasion attended evangelical churches where the message every Sunday is much the same: a message of salvation. Now, don’t get me wrong, we need to be reminded of the glories of the simple gospel message! But I have observed that only hearing the same gospel message week after week produces gross immaturity in believers. The logical conclusion for them is that since they have been saved that there is no further responsibility left. They are getting a steady diet of milk, and their development is arrested. Of course, the opposite problem is in preaching that never speaks of the need for conversion of each individual. The hearers remain moral pagans, never coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. That is not the issue being addressed here. These believers seem to have digressed, gone backwards to spiritual infancy. They needed to be re-educated about the elementary principles revealed by God’s revelation. Note in verse 13 that these spiritual infants are “not accustomed to the word of righteousness” or “not acquainted with the teachings about righteousness” or “unskilled”. This speaks of the divine message which results in right conduct and in holy character. Having raised five children and now enjoying 9 grandchildren, we are familiar with the more unpleasant aspects of infants and toddlers. It was a day for rejoicing when our youngest son was potty trained! I remember one horrible day when our second daughter, who was supposedly napping, woke up and smeared the contents of her diaper all over the walls and crib! Alice was gone, and the clean-up was all mine! The point is that diaper babies make messes. So it is with baby Christians—that is to be expected from babies, but not those who should have moved past this stage. These believers were still making unholy decisions and their actions were reflective of their old life. By contrast, verse 14 speaks of those who have moved past spiritual infancy and are feasting on solid food. They are “practicing Christians”, making godly choices, living in full dependence on the Holy Spirit, being able to discern between “good and evil”. This discerning ability of the mature believer relates to knowing whether religious teaching is Biblical or not. Immature believers are very vulnerable to false teaching. The cults prey upon such ignorance, introducing heresy to those unable to discern the error. We identify such pseudo-Christian groups as the Mormons, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, but the more subtle errors of Prosperity Theology, Faith Healing, or Spiritualism snare many of the immature. Poor or shallow teaching or preaching which isn’t based on Holy Scripture keeps believers in spiritual diapers. Having stated the problem of arrested development, Chapter 6:1-3 proposes a solution. Read 6:1-3 III. LET US PRESS ON TO MATURITY “Let us press on to maturity”. The solution lies with our will: there is a choice involved. First, an immature believer must recognize his situation. He must realize that there is much more that is involved in the Christian life than simply being saved. The process of our salvation begins when we realize we are sinners without any escape on our own from this condition. We acknowledge Jesus was the required sacrifice that paid for my sin. Then we reach out and claim His forgiveness, committing our lives as followers of Christ to the best of our understanding. We then are born again, born from above and become a new creation. We begin to feed on the sincere milk of the Word, desiring to grow in the faith. But at some point we must come to the realization that we must move on past the milk, the elementary teachings, to solid food, to the Meat of the Mature. What are some of these elementary principles and teachings of verses 12 and verse 1? Several are listed, probably representative and not a complete list. This list particularly would apply to those from a Jewish background, but also apply today. The first deals with works salvation, of which we must turn from. This was a misunderstanding of the Jewish Law, that keeping it made one righteous. There was no group better at keeping the Law than the Pharisees, but Jesus continually condemned them because their heart was wicked while they trusted that their actions made them righteous according to the Law. This is a pillar of liberal theology, personified in the “social gospel.” So many today believe that if their good deeds outweigh their evil deeds, they will make it into heaven. Turning from such belief is necessary for salvation and is the first of these elementary principles. The second listed in verse 2 is about washings, or baptisms. How many arguments have happened over the various modes of baptism? Baptism is a means of publicly testifying of our faith, but the particular way baptism is done is a matter of tradition and even convenience. To overemphasize the mode of baptism is an example “majoring on minors.” Mature believers have moved on past such discussions. Baptism is probably an example of the ordinances of the church, while important, are not to take up much energy of the church or believers. The third elementary teaching deals with the laying on of hands, the way blessing or ordination to a particular task or mission is conveyed. Again, this is a minor issue which should not be blown out of proportion. The fourth fundamental deals with the resurrection of the dead. This might be surprising being classified as elementary, but we are to accept the truth that all die but await resurrection of the body. While a crucial truth, we should not get overly concerned about the “when and how.” Eternal judgment is another fundamental, that we have either trusted Christ to have escaped the wrath of God toward sin, or that unbelievers face eternal punishment. I got into a discussion recently with a brother about “those who have never heard” and the apparent unfairness of condemning someone to hell who never had the chance to hear about Jesus. The answer I gave was that God writes the book on fairness, and we are to trust in God’s sovereignty. Whatever God does is right. It is the height of arrogance for us to judge God! Verse 3 concludes the thought about pressing on to maturity with the words, “And this we shall do, if God permits.” This is a word of realism acknowledging that it takes more than the words of a letter or of a sermon to motivate someone to commit themselves to moving forward, to forsake their spiritual lethargy to a point of full commitment. God’s Spirit must move that person. So, if God permits, we will see people begin to grow out of spiritual diapers, to move beyond their milk diet and begin to long for righteousness. The application to us is clear. Are we content with only the basic understanding of scripture and the spiritual life, or are sensing the Holy Spirit speaking to us about getting serious about the Lord? I know many of you are truly seeking the Lord’s face and are eager to study the scriptures. But for all of us, this is a warning against complacency. Our fleshly nature is lazy and self-indulgent. Studying God’s Word takes effort, but the rewards in contentment and satisfaction are worth the effort. And more importantly, applying the principles of the Word, loving and forgiving and serving builds the Kingdom of our Lord. What this all means for you personally will vary. It may take adjusting priorities. It may mean recommitting yourself to a personal devotional time. Do not expect to grow spiritually if the only spiritual food you get is a 30- minute sermon on Sunday morning! We all need to be daily in the Word of God, open to what the Holy Spirit would say to us. Heeding this warning against complacency and taking the challenge to “press on to maturity” is an opportunity to move forward and grow. I can say with all confidence, this is God’s will for you.