The Wise Are Mature

 

 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, 
not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God."
(Hebrews 6:1)

  

Still Life With Bible
(1885)
Vincent van Gogh
 (1853-1890)
Dutch Post-Impressionist Painter
Image courtesy/Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth

 

 

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews was frustrated.

 He had many wonderful truths he wanted to impart, but his audience
 did not want to expend much energy on spiritual growth.

 They had been Christians for some time, but they knew little more
 than when they first believed. Those who feed on and digest the 
meat of God's Word  attain maturity in their Christian lives.

 They gain the wisdom in speech and action 
that is the mark of the mature. 

If we are not mature, the reason is obvious: we have not been workmen 
but idlers in Bible study.We have not made constant use of the Scriptures
 to distinguish good from evil.

We are still dependent on others for our knowledge, as children are, in danger of
being misguided by those who sound knowledgeable but may be as ignorant as we.

This is why there are so few wise people.

Those who get all their knowledge of God's Word from an hour or two on Sunday
will never have a personal grasp of its content. Paul said that of we want to be wise,
if we want to "correctly handle the word of truth" we must be workmen (2 Timothy 2:15).
 

We must do the job ourselves instead of expecting a pastor or teacher to do it all for us.
We must read the Bible. We must digest it, meditate on it, memorize it, understand it. 

God does not want us to remain spiritually immature. He wants us to:

"...become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here
and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their
  deceitful scheming.  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up."
(Ephesians 4:13-15)

 

"The Wise Are Mature"
 A Devotional by Barbara Bush*
 NIV Women's Devotional New Testament
With Psalms And Proverbs
(1990)
Zondervan 

*This Barbara Bush is not the former First Lady or her granddaughter.