Baby Christians Try To Live On Milk

Yesterday I wrote about Christ's suffering for all mankind, a very difficult topic. It is easy to say. Even little children can say, "Jesus died on the cross," but to grasp the implications and even begin to understand the meaning—that is another thing. So the Hebrews letter writer says,

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. - Hebrews 5:11-14 ESV

In fact, the writer goes into much detail in the next chapters, trying to explain. So let me try to explain the difference between the basic principles of the oracles of God—what he calls milk—and solid food. 
Lets start with milk. We'll be coming back to this again and again in the future.

Paul writes to the Corinthians about milk:

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? - 1Cor 3:2-4 ESV 

I've served congregations dealing with these issues. People line up behind one pastor and start mocking the other for what they consider his failures or weaknesses. The same thing happens between members of church staffs or church committees. Criticism, accusations, lies, complaints. Some examples.

"She made a pass at my husband."  

"He's been stealing from church funds for his own purposes."  

"We worked so hard at this project and she gets all the credit."

And on and on. Soon come notes and emails flying back and forth or phone calls, secret gatherings and special secret meetings! And then an all-out war of jealousy and strife.  This is what Paul means when he says, ". . . are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?"

Do you see the connection between what Paul is saying and the Hebrews writer? What are the basic principles of the oracles of God? Again, the baby or the baby-Christian can say, "Christ died for me," but what follows? What follows is what the Apostle John points to in his letter. Strife, jealousy, hate—this is of the devil. This is not how the new born child of God acts. The child of God rejoices in the fact that Christ died for sinners—and he seeks to follow in that path. He / she forgives as we all are forgiven in Christ. John writes,

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 

We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. - 1John 3:9-16 ESV

 Are you there yet? Look at your own heart. Do you still harbor jealousy, mockery, anger? Are you spreading stories, busily telling tales? Stop this instant. Stop and take a long, careful look at your own heart. How dare you pray our Lord's prayer, "Forgive us our debts," and then not follow up on your promise to forgive others their debts? You are still living on milk. And if you don't know how to deal with your feelings of hate and anger, here is another bit of counsel for you. Jealousy and strife are evidence of sickness in the body of Christ, of immaturity and childishness. If you are struggling with these issues it may well be time for you to visit with your pastor or elder.

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. - James 5:14-16 ESV

We'll go on to pursue maturity as we work our way deeper into this great letter to the Hebrews.

 

The March Into Darkness And Death

In a couple weeks I will join a congregation I helped to found in Minnesota as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. All this has caused me to look back on how much things have changed since I served that congregation in the early 1960's. I will focus particularly on how we Americans, in the name of freedom, are radically altering our views on sex, marriage, family and home. In the USA several states have changed the very definition of marriage . Since 2004 six have legalized same-sex marriages. Nine still prohibit same-sex marriage in statute and thirty prohibit it in their constitution. But prominent politicians insist that gay marriage must become legal everywhere, because "marriage equality is the next big step in America's long march of freedom."

Is this "long march of freedom" truly a march toward the Light or rather a headlong plunge into the bondage of darkness?

Yesterday I called attention to Jesus' claim to be the Light of the world and his promise that those who follow him will not walk in darkness (John 8:12). What does he mean by darkness and how is he even now freeing us who follow him from it? Listen to what He says to us in his Word:

"The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. - Jhn 12:35 ESV

John comments about this further in his letter.

Whoever says "I know him" (Jesus) but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. - 1Jo 2:4-11 ESV

And where are we going when we throw away the Biblical definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman for life (Gen. 2:23; Eph. 5:21-30)? Jesus says that those who adopt this position do not indeed know where they are going. Israel's clash with Midian is a case in point—given for our learning. Isaiah's prophecy about the Messiah bringing light points back to it.

For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. - Isa 9:4 ESV

Listen to John in the Bible's final book as he also looks back on that part of Israel's history. Of the church in Pergamum he writes:

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. ... But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. - Rev 2:12, 14 ESV

Balaam was a false prophet commissioned by Balak, the king of Moab, and the elders of Midian (countries east of the Jordan river) to call down a curse from God upon Israel as they approached the Land of Promise. But Balaam was unable to do so when the Spirit of God came upon him, forcing him to speak a blessing instead (Num. 22:1-24:25). The story seems to end as Balaam and Balak go their separate ways in frustration. They could not prevent Israel from conquering the land, nor could they call God's curse down upon them. But was there another way to destroy the nation? Yes, said Balaam. Tempt them with sex! Tempt them to worship Baal and his goddess (Num. 31:16).

A few chapters further into Numbers we read about how Israel fell into that temptation and forced God's curse to come down them.

While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." And Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor." - Num 25:1-5 ESV

The whoring Moses writes about was committed with cult prostitutes. The worship of their supreme god Baal and his consort, the fertility sex-goddess Asherah, was celebrated by having sex with such cultic prostitutes. Everything about loving only the LORD and being faithful in marriage was out the window. The very foundation of their faith in the LORD and of home and family was being destroyed by such acts. This is why Moses commanded drastic measures by the judges of Israel, "Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor."

But this darkness did not go away. The temptations persisted. Finally, before Moses died, the LORD gave this command:

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people." So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD's vengeance on Midian." - cf. all of Num 31:1-3 ESV

Thus Midian was wiped out. The men, boys and mature women were slaughtered. Only virgins and little girls were spared. And so, for a time the darkness was dispelled.

America is well on the road back to Midian. So much of our life is a worship of false gods. The worship of the same sex goddess and her cultic prostitutes not only persists but is promoted in all of the media. Samples:

• Music continues to be a major source of sexual suggestiveness. In one study, 40% of lyric lines contained sexual material, and only 6% contained healthy sexual messages.14 An analysis of the 279 most popular songs in 2005 revealed that 37% contained sexual references and that degrading sexual references were common.15

• Virtually every R-rated teen movie since the 1980s has contained at least one nude scene and, often, several instances of sexual intercourse (e.g. the American Pie movie series).16 Teen movies also contain distorted views of romance and normal adolescent sexuality.16,–,18

To walk in such darkness is hate your brother, your sister, your children, your family and your community. This is not the road to freedom. It is the road to slavery and death. The warnings from God's Word are clear. The road to sexual freedom leads to chaos, confusion and death on all levels of community and family life. We must pray for and encourage those who make our laws—and those of us who vote for or against them—to realize this.

Many of us have a story to tell about such darkness and how it has brought pain and suffering into our marriages and families.