MILK VERSES SOLID FOOD

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers … you have come to need milk and not solid food … For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness … But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

The unrenewed mind in conformance to the world’s ways evaluates “Good” and “Bad” using the world’s yardstick. But God is sovereign in all things, allowing in His wisdom what He could easily prevent in His power, engaging our will through adversity and affliction – the pot holes and detours of life -- ever moving us Godward down the narrow-gated difficult Way into Christlikeness. With God’s Kingdom yardstick all earthly “Bad” endured by His children is worked together into God’s purposeful “Good”, as the Holy Spirit wills and works in us in accordance with God’s good pleasure.  The truth of the matter: We are a stubborn and stiff necked pleasure seeking people who must willfully crucify our Self-Nature in submission to the Lordship of Christ if we are ever to walk in Christlikeness in this life. Becoming like Jesus, displaying His nature and attributes, is the mystery of Godliness: His life flowing forth from our life as our life, until we no longer live but Christ lives in and through us. “For we have become partakers of Christ … partakers of the divine nature”, having predestined us as His “sons” He must make us fit for “Sonship.”

God knows what it takes... individually, to move each of His chosen ones toward the cross of death, and He allows it for our own Good, that in our death to Self the implanted DNA of Christ’s nature might be resurrected in us... might sprout roots and blossom forth. It takes death of Self: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me … God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” This is the rich and glorious mystery God willed to make known to us, “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Said literally: Christ in me, is my only hope of eternal glory (ditto everyone). Saints, we should “pray always that our God would count us worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power.” There’s a lot of solid food here for those who are “full of age” and weaned of milk.

“FOR EVERYONE WHO PARTAKES ONLY OF MILK

IS UNSKILLED IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”

(Heb. 5:12-14; Rom. 8:28; Phil. 2:13; Eph. 1:5; 2 Thess. 1:11; Col. 1:27; Gal. 2:20, 6:14; Heb. 3:14; 2 Peter 1:4; Heb. 5:13)