I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

 John 16:25-33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 16:25-33, where Jesus continues to help the disciples prepare themselves for the crucifixion and how they will be persecuted just as He was.   Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God loves the disciples and by extension all believers and wants us to know and love Him.  He knows they will have sorrow when He goes to the cross, and how they will be scattered (going into hiding for a period to avoid persecution).  As Jesus prepares the disciples, He recognizes their growing spiritual maturity and understanding of Him and He addresses them according to this maturity ("no longer speaking in figures of speech" per v25) - this is similar to text in Luke 12:48 where Jesus shares how much more will be expected from those to whom He has given more in terms of leadership, responsibility, etc.  God also wants us to grow and make full use of the spiritual gifts He gives us so we should recognize what God is doing in our lives to make more use of our spiritual gifts - see also Hebrews 5:11-6:2. We should all know that God the Father sent Jesus, that He loves us, that Jesus and the Father are One, and that we have access to the Father through Jesus (John 14:6).  In v31, Jesus assures the disciples that even though He is going away, He is not alone but will be with the Father - just as He loves us, the disciples love Him and can take comfort in His Word.  In vv32-33, Jesus provides both a warning and an additional encouragement that persecution and tribulation are part of the Christian life but that with and through Jesus we have assurance that either in this life or in Heaven we will overcome.         
• What do we learn from the text about people?: The disciples not only have faith but growing faith and spiritual maturity.The disciples in v29 appreciate that God equips and trains them up - driving spiritual maturity.  As one grows, we seek to be treated based on who we are (and as who Jesus expects us to be) not as who we were (spiritually dead).   
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid not growing in Christ and not worrying.  Claim the promise that with and through Him we will overcome the world just as He did.  Follow Jesus' example to do the will of God.  Take heart and trust in Him and rest in His promises.  

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  You give me assurance that the victory over sin and death is already won!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 1 Corinthians 12:11

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Every believer has spiritual gifts that are to be exercised, not for personal gratification, but for corporate edification in the church."

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• "Anyone preparing commentary on this passage must do so with care and humility."
• "there is neither a guarantee nor an expectation that there will be unanimity of agreement on the interpretation given on some of the gifts that are listed and their relevance and application today. But the truth remains: we are to give ourselves not only to studying these gifts and trying to understand them but just as importantly to using them for the glory of God and the good of the church." 
• "One of the reasons Paul wrote to the Corinthians in such detail, in fact, was because of their ignorance of spiritual gifts."
• "Unfortunately, when it comes to the church there are many spiritual agnostics. They know very little about spiritual gifts, and those who do are not even sure what their spiritual gifts might be. I have learned by personal experience there is a great cost involved in being educated, but there is a greater cost if you are not."
• "Exercising a spiritual gift is no guarantee of spiritual maturity, nor is it a guarantee that one belongs to a great church."
• "Spiritual gifts, unfortunately, were not uniting the church in Corinth; they were dividing the church. It was obvious that some of the Corinthians were placing such an inordinate emphasis on showy displays of spirituality, particularly speaking in tongues, that it was disrupting the church’s worship, dividing the church’s fellowship, and demeaning the witness of the gospel[.]"
  

Divisions from the commentary:

1. "How the Gifts Are Described (12:1,4,7): Gifts are actually Trinitarian in nature. God the Father has given us the gift of God the Son for our salvation. God the Son has given us God the Holy Spirit for our sanctification, but God the Holy Spirit has given us spiritual gifts for our service. The point is, these are not material gifts. These are spiritual gifts. They are gifts of and from the Holy Spirit.....Spiritual gifts are supernatural gifts granted by the grace of God. They are not just glorified natural abilities. They are not something you gain by going to school or practicing or inheriting. They are literally charismatic gifts, which means if you are a Christian in the truest sense of the term, you are a charismatic Christian by default. Spiritual gifts, simply put, are supernatural endowments that enable us to carry out God’s work in God’s way....These gifts are not to be stored; they are to be shared for the “good” of others....35). Spiritual gifts are given to every believer to bless the church, build up the body of Christ, and edify believers. But if a spiritual gift does not in some way edify the church, it is no longer a used gift; it is an abused gift.....To be sure, this does not mean there would not be any private benefit to the one exercising the gift. But this verse would certainly rule out using any gift strictly or merely for personal gain or self-satisfaction. It certainly does not rule out any and all benefits for an individual[.]"
2. "How the Gifts Are Distributed (12:5-7,11): Every Christian has received at least one spiritual gift. Unfortunately, I have pastored some people who assumed they had the spiritual gift of criticism, which is not a thing! No one Christian has every gift, but every Christian has at least one....You may not have graduated first in your class. You may not be very athletic. You may not be one of the world’s most talented people, but if you are a follower of Jesus, you are a gifted child! You have a gift that God wants you to use in his church in service and ministry that might not get done unless you do it....Every Christian is a minister, and every Christian has a ministry. The ministries of the church are to be carried out as followers of Jesus exercise their spiritual gifts in ministering to one another. Again, they are distributed independently....This should remind us that no believer should ever be jealous of another believer who may have a different gift. All of us have been gifted differently, but all of us have been gifted perfectly. The Holy Spirit, in his divine wisdom and sovereignty, has given to each of us precisely the gift, or gifts, that will enable us to function most effectively in the body of Christ....When we exercise our gifts within a local context, we find that we fit together perfectly and create a beautiful representation of God’s greater family. Although what we perceive God to be doing sometimes doesn’t make sense to us, there is always a method to his seeming madness, and he knows what he is about and what he is doing. As we think about spiritual gifts, we should rejoice knowing that we are each gifted, that we can be used, that God has a purpose and a plan for us and a work for us to do, and that with his gifts and by his power we can do things in a way that brings glory and honor to him and serves to bless others."  
   
3. "How the Gifts Are Distinguished (12:4-6): Gifts show up in different ways in different ministries. Even though two Christians may have the same basic gift, that gift may be manifested and applied in different ways....We exercise these gifts not only by the grace of God but through the power of God. It is his power that fires engines and leads us to exercise these gifts effectively.  the first category represents the essence of the gifts (they are grace gifts). The second category represents the expression of the gifts (they are to be used for service). The third category represents the effects of the gifts. They result is a display of the power of God through his people."
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer:

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.

1 Thessalonians 4

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. v1

Paul is pleased with the church in Thessalonica but just as God seeks spiritual growth in all of us, Paul is pushing the church to grow.  Before I get into the specifics of where Paul seeks this growth, I am pausing today to focus on the general topic of spiritual growth.  I have previously posted how growth is not an option (per John Piper).  We are called to grow closer to God and become more like Him.  This starts by assessing where we are and surrounding ourselves with others that can push us and support us in our areas of growth.

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rite, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. Hebrews 6:1-3

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16

See also

And he 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 mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ[.]

Ephesians 4:8-16 

And he 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 mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ[.] Ephesians 4:11-13

I return to my study of Paul's prison epistles - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.  Today I focus on Ephesians 4:9-16 where Paul shares how God equips believers with church leaders that are able to discern and teach the gospel as it is intended - nothing more and nothing less.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Vv9-10: Christ both descended to the grave, then rose and then "ascended far above all the heavens" so that He would "fill all things."  I am reminded of Colossians 1:15-17 where Paul writes how all things are created through Him, for Him, and He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."  Christ reigns and is in all things and per Romans 8:28 "all things work together for good."  Vv11-13: Christ then gave us "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," so that we can attain "the stature of the fullness of Christ."  This is a stunning measure and an incredible thing that God would help us achieve such "stature" and "fullness."   
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Vv14-16: We are given such resources - "the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers" - so that we can experience spiritual maturity and move from being a disciple to being a disciple maker.  We also are to mature to discern false teaching, and to endure through suffering, trials, etc. We are to build our house on the rock of Christ.  See also Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:47-49.  We are also part of the broader church where each of us has vital function in the Great Commission to bring the gospel to all nations.   
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid spiritual stagnation where you are tossed about by "every wind of doctrine, human cunning, and craftiness in deceitful schemes."  Claim the promise that God equips us to attain unity of faith in the church, and spiritual maturity and the stature and fullness of Christ.  Follow the example of those in your church who were once disciples but are now disciple makers.  Grow in your knowledge and love of Him.  

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who equips us in our journey with Christ so that we don't experience spiritual stagnation - thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such blessings nor how You love and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

1 Corinthians 2-3

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:12

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - aided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 2:10-3:4.  The commentary* indicates the main idea of this text as "[h]ow a person thinks and lives will reveal whether he or she has the Spirit and is growing in maturity in Christ."  The introduction from the commentary* for this text opens a deep dive into the text by sharing how authors scripture often use categories of people to draw contrasts for illustrative purposes.  In the case of the text today, Paul compares natural/carnal people with spiritual people - not as a judgement but as a matter of "spiritual reality."  The commentary* lays out and describes three divisions for the text: 

1. The Natural Person Does What Comes Naturally (2:14): Here, the commentary* explains how a natural person (someone who is not a mature enough believer to see how the Holy Spirit is active in their life, "enslaved by their fallen nature") "does not accept spiritual things" nor "appreciate" them. The natural person cannot understand nor appreciate these things because by definition they need the Holy Spirit to discern them. This is not an "intellectual inability."  The commentary* summarizes the problem here as "[natural people] will never see [the Word] as beautiful, precious, and valuable. They are blind to its beauty, deaf to its melody, and insensitive to its fragrant aroma." 
   
2. The Spiritual Person Does What Comes Supernaturally (2:10-13, 15-16): Here Paul now describes spiritual people as those who "are captive to the Spirit of God who has taken up residence in them as his temple[.]"  The commentary refers us to 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19-20 for scriptural support with this interpretation. The division provided by the commentary* is further unpacked and broken down as the spiritual person (a) is informed by the Spirit, (b) instructed by the Spirit, and (c) is given insight by the Spirit. The commentary* quotes Leon Morris who shares: "When the Spirit enters the life everything is changed and one new thing that appears is the ability to make a right judgment. This does not mean that the man has acquired greatness; it means that the Spirit of God is guiding him. He has the point of reference within himself and is thus able to make judgments about all things."  Similarly, the commentary quotes Morris regarding the inability of natural people to understand spiritual people: "the spiritual man cannot be judged by the natural man for precisely the same reason that he himself can judge all things. He has the Spirit of God within him and the natural man has not. This makes him an enigma to the natural man."  We are referred here to Isaiah 40:13.
   
3. The Carnal Person Does What Comes Unnaturally (3:1-4): The commentary* describes how these verses are often misunderstood so it provides clarification about what is meant by them and how 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 are provided to address these issues:

• Christians can be slow to mature in their faith without proper nourishment. 
• Christians can sometimes act like spiritual babies when they should act like spiritual adults. 
• Christians need to be reminded of the basics of the gospel even as they grow in their depth of understanding the gospel. The gospel is both milk and meat! 
• Nominal Christianity is inauthentic Christianity.
• Spiritual backsliding is possible, but it should not be permanent (see also 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:16-21).
  

The commentary* further unpacks the third division by describing how the church in Corinth (and us by extension can be) (a) are weak spiritually, and (b) are willful in sin.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God - I am grateful for how the Holy Spirit entered my heart and continues to sanctify me - making me more like You.  Thank You.  Yet I know I am both undeserving and there is work to do - my sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

*Akin, Dr. Daniel L.; Merritt, James. Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

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

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 5:14

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which is entitled The Key to Spiritual Maturity.  Here John Piper unpacks an essential realization all believers must have, and it is important, according to Piper, so that we might "save...years of wasted living."  He points to "[g]etting ready to feast on all God’s word" as primarily (and first) a "moral challenge" vs an intellectual one.  He then challenges believers who spend time on worldly (and sinful) pursuits vs leaning into God, exhorting believers to pursue God instead and allowing Him to work the sanctification process through renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2). Piper then lays out how we achieve spiritual maturity.  We must taste God, know that He is Truth and Light, and that He is Our Savior.  We then seek to please God in response to His grace - our desire to become obedient and to glorify Him is key.  The devotion is summed up nicely in this key statement from Piper: "[t]he pathway to maturity and to solid biblical food is not first becoming an intelligent person, but becoming an obedient person."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and You are SO good for how You made me one of Your elect and You then drove sanctification in my life - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

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

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 5:14

Today I pause both my study of 1 Corinthians and my study that accompanies participation in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  Instead, I lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today provides a highly convicting message from John Piper on how to achieve spiritual maturity and a deeper understanding of God's Word. Piper starts by referring us to Hebrews 5:14 and then he says "if you want to become mature and understand and appreciate the more solid teachings of the word, then the rich, nutritional, precious milk of God’s gospel promises must transform your moral senses — your spiritual mind — so that you can discern between good and evil."  He then states that this is not an "intellectual challenge" but a "moral" one.  We must value God above all other things and value God such that it directs everything we do and how we spend our time - avoiding influences of this world that God detests (and are sinful) and not finding it burdensome but instead joyous to love what God loves - which is delight in Him...or in John Piper's words Christian Hedonism. THIS is the path towards spiritual maturity. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me discernment and wisdom to help with all matters of life - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You do this - I know that apart from You I have nothing - certainly no good things - and can do nothing - certainly no good things. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of Your heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

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! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5

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! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. v12-14

Hebrews' author continues (see also post yesterday) to describe Jesus as high priest in the order of Melchizedek - however, we are to understand that, according to John Piper, " Jesus Christ, God's Son, has not just come to fit into the earthly system of priestly ministry as the best and final human priest, but he has come to fulfill and put an end to that system and to orient all our attention on himself ministering for us in heaven".  This description of Christ's priesthood continues into chapter 10 and here in chapter 5 the author pauses to describe spiritual maturity (which extends into Hebrews 6:1-3).

I am reminded from previous posts that John Piper, a pastor I respect and follow, writes how spiritual maturity for believers is not optional. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has done away with animal sacrifices and similar ceremonial laws - giving me access to a personal Lord and Savior that I can approach with confidence without such ceremonial laws. I am grateful Jesus that You are my PERSONAL Lord and Savior and that You reign forever and throughout the heavens and the universe.  You are Lord of Lords and Kings.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God that You died for me and that You continue to love me.  I worry and I have other sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Hebrews 5:12-6:12

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Hebrews 6:1-2

I continue my study of Hebrews, and in the text today - Hebrews 5:12-6:12 - the author of Hebrews builds on the author's frustration with his audience (as they have become dull or hardened), to share his expectations that the audience be more mature in its relationship with God.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God works through the process (sanctification) of the spiritual disciplines (reading/study of Word, prayer, corporate worship, service, etc.) to drive spiritual maturity and growth such that we move from new believers to disciples who are more mature in our walk with God such that we become disciple makers - for example, older believers should mentor younger believers (see Titus 2:1-8).  Vv5:12-14 and 6:1-3 focus on an exhortation to submit to this process.    
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Less mature believers are warned of falling away and suffering the fate of the church of Laodicea who was "lukewarm" in its faith (see also Revelation 3:16).  We are expected to abide in Him and bear fruit - see John 15:6, lest we fail to produce a useful crop (6:7) and instead produce "thorns and thistles" (6:8).  When we do abide in Him and produce fruit, God will notice (6:10) as you demonstrate an "earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end" (6:11) so that you "inherit the promises" of God (6:12).  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We should avoid laziness and sluggishness in our faith (6:12).  We should claim the inheritance of God's promises - including salvation, etc. Follow the example of the many saints - such as Paul - who remained steadfast in their faith.  Grow in Christ.    

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

[T]here may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

 1 Corinthians 12:8-31

[T]here may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 1 Corinthians 12:25-26

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 12:8-31 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Different gifts are given to different believers, and all gifts are for the glory of God and the good of the church."

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• Every believer has a primary spiritual gift
• Everyone typically has more than one spiritual gift
• Teaching, exhortation, service, mercy, prophecy, leadership provide a list while not exhaustive, that capture "most areas of service and ministry"
• "every gift is to be used for the glory of God and the good of the church."
  

Divisions per the commentary:

1. The Gifts of Wisdom (12:8,10): "God supernaturally imparts insight about the Scriptures or reveals how the Word of God may be applied to certain situations, how the will of God may be preserved, and how the work of God may be continued....Wisdom is supernatural in origin (James 1:5). You can get knowledge from a book and education in a school, but true wisdom comes only from God....It is the ability to see things as God sees them....Now there is some debate among scholars as to whether or not there is to be a distinction made between wisdom and knowledge....there must be some distinction or it would not be distinguished as a separate gift in Paul’s delineation....A word of knowledge, then, is perhaps when God reveals something to someone that he or she would not know or could not know about a particular situation unless it was revealed supernaturally. It is a special message of insight into a particular situation that may reveal a hidden motive or even a future action."  Possible examples identified by the commentary include Acts 5 and 27 when respectively "Peter uncovered the fact that Ananias had kept back some of the money he claimed to have given to the church," and when Paul "warned the entire crew of the ship they had to stay together or else they would all perish....Both wisdom and knowledge reflect the God-given ability to bring spiritual insight beyond human understanding to bear in a situation....The work of distinguishing between spirits refers to the ability to see through false teaching, false prophets, and false doctrine. I like to think of it as spiritual x-ray vision.  In the spirit of what’s said in 1 John 4:1-3, I believe the gift is also the ability to discern not just by what is being said but sometimes by the person who is saying it. I have found by personal experience that some of the finest, most eloquent speakers can also be the best at deception. More than ever before, the exercise of this gift is desperately needed both in the church and in the academy." 
   
2. The Gifts of Worship (12:9-10): "I place two gifts, faith and prophecy, under this category because I believe these two are linked very closely. Most worship will involve some prophecy because God always speaks in and through worship, but no worship can take place apart from faith because “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). The work of God is expanded through faith. The Word of God is expounded through prophecy." The gift of faith is described is no ordinary faith but that which 'moves mountains.' "There are just certain people who have the ability not only to see what no one else can see, go where no one else will go, risk what no one else will risk, but do it with a quiet confidence and unshakable assurance that God is going to come through. Theirs is in effect an unshakable faith in God’s unequaled faithfulness that is far more abundant than all that we ask or think." The gift of the word of prophecy is defined as "[t]he spiritual ability to proclaim God’s truth in such an authoritative and powerful fashion that lives are changed, the lost are saved, and believers are motivated for greater service and maturity."    
   
3. The Gifts of Wonders (12:9-10): "These gifts, though normative to Paul, are nevertheless exceptional. In the Bible, they are neither more prominent nor more prominently displayed than other gifts. In fact, church history would suggest they are rarely used except in special situations. With that caveat, I accept all these gifts as legitimate for today....First, there are different kinds of healings.  Surely a doctor can be used by God to bring physical healing, a counselor may be used to bring about emotional healing, and a pastor may be used to bring about spiritual healing....[T]here is no one gift of healing. There are “gifts” of healings. That is, at certain times, in certain situations, and through certain people God brings healing to those who are sick....[A]ll healing is divine....Of all the gifts, this one most consistently proves itself a topical land mine. Unfortunately, the gift of tongues has become one of the most controversial and divisive issues among God’s people....[T]he gift of tongues is the supernatural ability to speak in a foreign language previously unknown by the speaker so that the gospel and biblical truth might be communicated to people that need to hear it....[T]he gift of tongues is a missionary gift. Indeed, there are reports it has been heard on mission fields before." 
   
4. Unity in Diversity (12:11-31): "No person should be jealous of another person’s spiritual gifts or God-given abilities. Rather, as we come to understand the whole dynamic of spiritual gifts, we celebrate the differences and the point that we are all unique. But we are also to be dependent on one another (vv. 14-17). It takes every part of the body working together to have a healthy, properly functioning church body. Each part of the body is dependent on other parts of the body to do its work....every member of the body is equally needed, but every member of the body is equally important. We all have different gifts, different passions, and different interests. Yet every gift should be unwrapped and put into the service of the body. Everybody is somebody in Christ’s body.  Then, we are to be devoted to one another (vv. 23-26). No matter what functions, gifts, or ministries other people have, we each honor and respect all others, and we empathize with one another."  
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gave me a church body that supports me when I am weak and a role to play to give me significance - thank You Jesus for these blessings.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

[B]e renewed in the spirit of your minds, and...put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:17-24 

[B]e renewed in the spirit of your minds, and...put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:23

I return to my study of Paul's prison epistles - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.  Today I focus on Ephesians 4:17-24 where Paul pivots from discussing how church leaders equip us to both understand His Word but also grow in spiritual maturity.  In the text today, Paul sets and expectation that this maturity bears fruit that old ways of life are gone, replaced by more Godly ways.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: V24: God is true righteousness and He is holy.  We are to be holy because He is holy - see also Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Vv17-19: Unbelievers minds suffer from futile thinking - believing in and worshiping false gods.  They are darkened (with hardened hearts) in their understanding because they don't have the light of God in them and do not see Him when He reveals Himself (although they have no excuse in Creation - Romans 1:20-23).  As a result, they have "given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity."  Vv20-23: Believers on the other hand, do have right thinking (assuming growing maturity in Christ).  They have already seen heart and life change in their own lives and continue to pursue Him as He sanctifies us and helps us shed our old ways of living - we are "renewed in the spirit of [our] minds."  See also Romans 12:2.        
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid hardness of heart and callousness.  Claim the promise that Christ renews our hearts and minds and creates a new self through heart and life change.  Acknowledge and confess sin and accept Christ is Your Savior.  

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that renews minds and regenerates new life through heart and life change.  I have seen Your hand in my life - thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such blessings nor how You love and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

Hebrews 6

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. Hebrews 6:4-6

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is Hebrews 6:1-8, and my initial unaided observations of this text.  Hebrews 6 picks up from Hebrews 5:11-14 where the author exhorts the audience of Jewish believers to shake themselves from spiritual and moral sluggishness - they are urged to grow in their spiritual maturity.  This call is of course meant for all believers.  Do not allow yourself to be stuck in a spiritual rut where you are not growing in your relationship with God.  The remedy provided is "discernment trained by constant practice," and this is principally accomplished through daily time with God in study and prayer, but also through other spiritual disciplines such as corporate worship, service to God and others, etc.  Hebrews 6:1 continues with this exhortation, and it includes a stern warning to those who do not grow in their faith. This stern warning is described in v4-6.  Note the word "impossible" in v4.  If believers allow themselves to be taken off course from their faith journey, and they then allow themselves to be taken away from their faith (apostasy) by the Great Deceiver (Satan), then there is no turning back. An ominous warning indeed!  Believers stay on course!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who keeps me on track - thank You God!  I am not deserving of Your grace, compassion, and patience.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me, and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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.

Hebrews 5

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. Hebrews 5:12-13

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. This morning, I maintain my focus on Hebrews 5:11-14, as I lean on my commentary and explore what the commentary describes as the second division "The Symptom: Childish Understanding," which looks at Hebrews 5:12-13. Building on my post yesterday, where I focused on Hebrews 5:11 and how the author admonished the Jewish believers at the time of what my commentary refers to as sluggishness of heart towards God and indifferent to scripture. The commentary for this text starts by sharing where mature believers ought to be: "All Christians, however, are expected to be teachers in the sense that they should be prepared to train new believers in the fundamentals of the faith. The congregation should consist of willing and maturing disciples who are training up newer and less developed disciples."  Instead, the audience originally reading Hebrews had "laps[ed] spiritually, and need[ed] others to teach them the basics of the faith again." We are referred to 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 where Paul uses very similar language to urge believers to grow in their faith.  The commentary then warns us that spiritual immaturity leads to "moral immaturity. Spiritual immaturity leads to believers who live according to the flesh rather than the spirit." The commentary wraps for this text by offering not just words of admonishment but words of hope, by pointing out that the admonishment made in the text implies that "spiritual maturity is quite possible [emphasis added] in the life of a believer. We cannot persist on a diet of milk when God offers us solid food." 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace, compassion, and patience for me as I have grown in my faith.  Thank You Jesus for Your grace, compassion, and patience for me!  I am not deserving of such love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

James 2

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. v26

Building on what he wrote in James 1 (see post here) faith and action work hand in hand.  The examples provided such as Abraham and Rahab are illustrative and clearly reinforce the key message - be in action, not only to reinforce understanding of scripture but also to demonstrate faith.  Spiritual disciplines work together and if we lack one our drive towards spiritual maturity and greater faith is incomplete.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God full of love (indescribably so!) and mercy for me...all of this knowing everything about me, including my brokenness and sin!  Thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of such love and mercy because of my sin...I know the wages of sin is death and that is what I deserve yet You have mercy.  Thank You again Jesus!  I need You desperately in my life - I often fail to be content.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me more fully and completely practice spiritual disciplines.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa comfort, strength, and freedom from pain.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Thank You Jesus for a good appointment with the surgeon-praise You for the great news and progress driving out this cancer!  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to a unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 13. Paul builds on his discussion of spiritual gifts in chapter 12 by zeroing in on the importance of love as a motive to exercise these gifts.  We know from Matthew 22:34-40 that the greatest commands God gives us are to love Him and then to love others as "[o]n these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." 

• Vv1-3: none of the gifts described in chapter twelve have any value if not used in love of God or others.
• Vv4-7: Paul describes attributes of love so we know it when we see it.
• Vv8-10, 12: An attribute of love that is emphasized with its own three lines of scripture is how it is forever vs the spiritual gifts that are temporary during believers' lives in this life (vs in Heaven)
• V11 seems a bit out of place as a description of how we are called to spiritual maturity
• V13 underscores the importance of love in our relationship with Jesus and others - above faith and hope - as we don't have faith and hope in something we don't love.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who I know loves me and never stops loving me and will never leave or forsake me.  Thank You Jesus for how You love me and while I was hostile to You.  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. v16

As Paul pivots from discussing our identity in Christ, he encourages us to be both united and mature in our faith.  In chapter 4, he starts by encouraging us to "live a life worthy of the calling you have received" (v4).  He then writes how Christ gave us "the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people" for us to have unity and to become mature (v11-13).  The call for maturity is then echoed again in v14 (that we no longer be infants in our faith), v15 (we grow and mature), and v16 (how growth and maturity supports a healthy vibrant church). 

We find this call for growth and maturity elsewhere in scripture.

I am reminded of John Piper's statement that we should not "ever think that growing through the word of God is optional or marginal in the Christian life. Spiritual growth is absolutely necessary for every believer."

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2-3

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God - You have fed me every day of my life and helped me grow in my faith - I am deeply grateful for the work You have done in my heart and life.  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  I am often harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my faith towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.

1 Corinthians 8

[F]or us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 1 Corinthians 8:6

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - aided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 8.  The main idea offered by the commentary*: "[t]he spiritual good of others should always govern what we Christians do." The introduction* shares how Paul writes in this chapter how believers are to be "keepers of our brothers and sisters in Christ specifically. We are to always seek their good and avoid any action or word that defiles their consciences (v. 7), destroys their faith (v. 11), or that might prove a stumbling block to their walks with the Lord Jesus (v. 13)."  The following divisions are provided to unpack the text:

1. All My Actions Are Regulated by the Principle of Christian Love (8:1-3): Paul responds to another inquiry to the church in Corinth about food offered to idols - a common practice at the time.  Conflict and uncertainty within the church arose about whether to purchase or consume such food. While this specific conundrum is not prevalent today, it does have parallels for today's church that struggles with how to respond to worldly influences that emphasize paganism. In his response, Paul sees the inquiry for what it is and it is not particularly about food offered to idols. Its about how to meet non-believers who may be immersed in sin, including idolatry, but need to be loved and encouraged in their faith although such faith may be immature and prone to "error" due to lack of strong doctrinal understanding that comes from spiritual maturity.  Paul first starts by admonishing the proud and arrogant within the church at Corinth who "flaunt" their knowledge of God and in so doing, fail to reach non-believers as their arrogant posture prevents them from seeing them and loving them exactly where they are.  These arrogant believers need to demonstrate love not knowledge. The commentary* then emphasizes that [Paul] tells us it is not what we know that is of utmost importance—though it is important; cf. 5:6; 6:2,3,9,15, 16,19—but who knows us! The ultimate issue in all of life is this: “Does God know you?” Verse 3 ties together loving God and being known by God."   
2. All My Actions Are Regulated by the Truth of Christian Worship (8:4-6): Here, the commentary* makes it clear that we must understand that although believers know the One True God, we cannot deny "the existence of the many gods and lords falsely worshiped in this world."  At the same time we MUST live by and worship the One True God "from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist (v6)."
   
3. All My Actions Are Regulated by the Guideline of Christian Deference (8:7-13): Here, the commentary* first refers us to Philippians 2:3-4 where "Paul explains to us what it means to have the mind of Christ: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, interests, but rather to the interests of others.” Paul will apply this principle to the controversy that was raging in Corinth." The commentary continues by describing Christian deference, which would have - instead of being arrogant - led those in the church in Corinth to see how those worshiping idols is an influence that is sinful and that we all have sin so in an effort to gain believers to save them, don't pretend their sin (i.e. idols) doesn't exist.  Instead come beside them and love them as worthy of salvation by sharing the Good News - allowing the Holy Spirit to work within them to call them to Himself (election).  This is a convicting message for believers - we must be prepared to go INTO the world full of sinners and sin in an effort to love and save them (and to encourage and love those who may believe but are spiritually immature).  We should not throw a stumbling block into the journey of a "weaker" believer.  These "weaker" believers need encouragement and love!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - even when I am sinful and arrogant!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

*Akin, Dr. Daniel L.; Merritt, James. Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

Matthew 9

Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. v30-31

As Jesus continues His ministry, He raises a dead girl (whose father is a synagogue leader), heals a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, restores the sight of two men, and drove out the demon from a man.

Jesus gave a stern warning to the blind men not to speak of what they experienced (v30) but they spread news of Jesus all over the region.

Jesus of course knows what is to happen to Him and knows that regardless of what the blind men do, He will still go to the cross.  Yet this warning to the blind men makes me think of how Jesus provides these men an opportunity to be obedient - a test if you will. They fail, but Jesus does provide a "way out" (see 1 Corinthians 10:13).

John Piper addresses such tests in the following posts.
Will God Ever Give Us More Than We Can Handle?
Suffering That Strengthens Faith

In the latter post, Piper refers us to James 1:2, where we are warned of how we will face "trials of many kinds".  The definition of trial includes that of a "test" where we are intended to grow in our abilities, to perform to a higher level.  

Jesus does want us to grow.  See also

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

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

I continue my study of Hebrews, assisted by the commentary Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Hebrews. My focus this morning is Hebrews 5:11-14, and my initial unaided observations of this text. Here, the author of Hebrews pivots from a discussion of how Jesus is a great High Priest to a clear  admonishment and warning to the readers (who at the time were Jewish believers well versed in the Old Testament), to, with urgency, grow their faith into maturity. The desired end state is to - as v14 says - "have [our] powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."  Key spiritual disciplines include daily time with God in study and prayer, fellowship with other believers who can support and encourage us in our faith journey, corporate worship, service, etc.  Hebrews 3:12-14 reinforces how fellowship is key.  Today's text is also reinforced by Romans 12:2 where it is expected that our spiritual disciplines (with daily time in study in prayer being key) enable transformation of the mind to "discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  Today, I am also reminded of Paul's exhortation from 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 that we think of ourselves as running a race or as a boxer training with focus and an aim.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who provides Your Word for me to know You, become more like You, etc. as Your Word feeds me and sustains me...and it moves me to maturity.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You speak to me through Your Word.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly.

1 Corinthians 3

I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. v2-3

Paul continues to admonish the church in Corinth for their overemphasis on which of the church leaders to follow (Paul, Peter, Apollos, etc.) and on worldly wisdom.  He expects this of new believers whose faith is perhaps weaker and still developing. The implication of course is that we must grow and mature as believers. Peter also references spiritual milk and encourages us to grow:

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2-3

The author of Hebrews also encourages growth:

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! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:12-14

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rite, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. Hebrews 6:1-3

This post also provides a decent summary of what spiritual growth looks like.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who feeds me...daily.  You help me grow daily and You strengthen me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  I worry and I have other sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.