Practicing for the Varsity Team

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain
because you are slow to learn. 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 5:11-14).

Among Christians there seem to be many differences on how
they view good and evil, including: 1) legalistic rules taught by men and 2) licentious
violation of God’s rules.

Both of these are wrong. There is another difference: that
is the difference between infancy and maturity. There are many Christians who
need to be taught elementary truths all over again. Much of my time is spent in
this occupation.

However, it is not the amount or depth of teaching that
makes a Christian mature. It is he who has his “faculties trained by
practice” (RSV) or by “constant use” (NIV) to “distinguish
good from evil.”

If we spend our time in practice, we will be able to
eat with the varsity at the training table of solid food.

Written April 1991.

This post coordinates with tomorrow’s reading in the Same
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