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Monday, March 31,
2008
First Grade
Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time ye
ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the
first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of
milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that useth milk is
unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong
meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of
use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (KJV)
Thayer’s definition for
principles:
4747
stoicheion- any first thing, from which the others belonging to some
series or composite whole take their rise, an element, first principal
Could you imagine going back to first
grade and starting over again? How about if you were to read first grade
books and think you would learn something new? How long does a child last
on milk before they will no longer grow, but rather regress as well as
become weak and sickly? Spiritually this is what the writer is making
reference to; those that continue in a first grade mindset when they
actually should be teaching instead of having to be re-educated.
Strong’s definition for babe:
3516
nepios (nay'-pee-os); from an obsolete particle ne- (implying
negation) and 2031; not speaking, i.e. an infant (minor); figuratively, a
simple-minded person, an immature Christian: KJV-- babe, child (+-ish).
So how can one tell when a person or an
organization is not progressing past the first grade? Here are some
warnings that will raise some red flags.
1 Corinthians 3:1-5 And I, brethren,
could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as
unto babes in Christ. (2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for
hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. (3) For
ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and
divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (4) For while one saith, I
am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (5) Who then
is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the
Lord gave to every man? (KJV)
One of the first signs is when you see
strife or contentions; those that hold others in high esteem sometimes to
the point of letting them dictate their salvation or what the leaders
perceive as salvation. Some will hold to a denomination which is basically
nothing more than putting God in a box, wrapping His gift in colorful
packages which look good to the outward man but do nothing for the inward
one. Then of course they put people on pedestals, similar to when I was
young and told people that my dad could beat up their dad. Now the Lord
does say in His word that we need to come to Him as a child in order to
inherit His kingdom, but that doesn’t mean we act like children, rather
learn to mature and grow up into Christ in all things who is the head of
the Church and our perfect example of how to operate in it. When you see
people defending denominations or people rather than taking a stand for the
doctrine of Christ and holding fast to that, these are basically people
that have never gotten past a first grade level; and then to add insult to
injury one engages in strife and contentions, silly arguments over things
that have nothing to do with salvation. What should be a fellowship of
believers who are mature in Christ resembles more the area where they let
the children play during the services, silly petty bickering and nonsense.
Colossians 2:6-8 As ye have therefore
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: (7) Rooted and built up
in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding
therein with thanksgiving. (8) Beware lest any man spoil you through
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments
of the world, and not after Christ. (KJV)
As you allow the Lord to manifest Himself
to you, being open to the things of the Spirit, it is just as important to
be like the Bereans, a group of people mentioned in the book of Acts
chapter 17, who chose to check out the things they were hearing with what
the word of God said and not just take mans word for it. When I was in
first grade I could be told many things that sounded interesting and would
get my attention but had nothing to do with truth, like Easter bunnies and
Santa Clauses. Although these things would excite me it was only as I grew
older that I was able to see that it was nothing more than a cheap hoax.
Today many man-made doctrines are doing the same thing and having the same
effect, though they may excite the emotions and get the people stirred up
it does nothing for the spiritual growth and development of the believer.
Is your salvation based and rooted in Christ and the things of His realm or
are you still being swayed with things of this realm? Back a couple of
months ago many were moved to celebrate a tradition they call Christmas,
which if you truly go back to its real origins you will find that it is
nothing more than a man made one and not a Christ like one. The same holds
true with the one that just occurred in the form of Easter, though many
swear up and down it is a special time of year; those that have matured in
Christ will find that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and
neither does He or His people find or observe one day to be more important
than another.
Galatians 4:9-11 But now, after that ye
have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak
and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? (10) Ye
observe days, and months, and times, and years. (11) I am afraid of you,
lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. (KJV)
You will find that the words element,
rudiments and principles all have the same meaning. So what the Lord was
saying to the people then as well as to us now is that when you are still
holding to these traditions and doctrines of man you are basically being
held back in the first grade and are no longer moving forward in your walk.
How qualified would you be to in today’s field of work if on your
application you could only list a first grade education? The only way you
will receive the things of God, which by the way is readily available to
all that are willing to hear His word, is by spending time in His word on a
daily basis. Do you take the things you hear and see if they line up with
the word of God or do you take the things of God and try and make them fit
into the realm of man? In everything you do does it really have a
scriptural basis and foundation or have you done it because so many others
do and it is something you have done since you were a child? Do you truly
wish to move on past the first grade rather then hold onto childish things?
Then you will need to put them away as well as anything or anyone else that
would try to keep you in that realm. When you were a child or in the first
grade you spoke like one and thought like one and acted like one. In order
to mature in Christ you will need to put aside these childish things.
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