Steak and Potatoes

The writer of Hebrews tells his readers that they still need milk, not solid food. He calls them infants because they still need the elementary teachings about Christ. He says its time to get acquainted with the teachings about righteousness, the solid food of the mature, those trained to distinguish good from evil, right from wrong, and to live accordingly.

What's the state of the church today? Mature Christians or babies? Let's examine this passage from Hebrews and weigh ourselves in the balance. What are the teachings about righteousness. Righteousness can be thought of as right living, living in accordance with the commands and principles of God. The teachings he gave us because he loves us.

A mature Christian is one who is saved and cooperating with God in the process of sanctification whereby he learns the commands and principles of God and knows how to specifically apply them to every area of his life. What commands and principles of God apply to politics, education, economics, religion and societal issues?

For example, say you have a son who is growing up and is ready to select a career to pursue. What commands and principles apply to his choice of career? To the type of business? Whether he should be employed or self-employed? How he should interact with his employer or his employees? How the business is financed? Whether he should go to college? How he deals with customers or vendors? How his career choice will affect his future wife or even the timing of when he gets married? How his career choice will be affected by his desire to fulfill the biblical mandate to be fruitful and multiply? What is the dominion mandate and how does it drive these choices?

Can you give a biblical basis for each of those basic thoughts your son will need to address? If we cannot answer these questions clearly from the Bible then I would argue we aren't all that mature of a Christian. The church is called by God to train up righteousness in the men who will then train it up in their own families (yes, it is the man's responsibility). When is the last time you heard a sermon or Bible study in any of those areas? I know I haven't, over the years, heard many. So why is it a surprise to learn that most Christians are still spiritual babies.

The writer of Hebrews says the baby Christian needs to learn over and over the foundations of Christ, repentance, faith in God, baptism, death and resurrection, and eternal judgment. The mature Christian is to learn how to apply God's commands and principles to his life. Think about what you are learning. Think about what you learned over the last year. Are you striving toward solid food or are you content with the milk? If you are a leader in the church, are you bringing solid food to the table, or just the bottles? There is a time for milk ... and a time for solid food. Men, let's step up and have a full meal, a meal for men.