My son Silas, 1.45 years old, navigated a difficult transition this morning over his eggs and dry Life cereal. I wanted to eat my eggs while they were still hot so I figured he could at least stab eggs with a fork and get them into his mouth....after all, how hard can it be? Apparently, the skills I have acquired in scrambled egg eating over the past 35 years are more of an accomplishment than I realized. It was not a pretty thing, but Silas did manage to get a good bit of the eggs into his mouth. A fairly good portion, however, ended up where breakfast eggs go to die (once a baby is officially sitting on his food, I consider it dead).
The highlight of this morning moment was watching my son lay into his eggs with his fork like a coffeed-up construction worker with a jackhammer. Silas figured out that where his skill and finesse in egg stabbing failed him, his power and speed could make up for it. So he stabbed at his little innocent eggs like my wife plays Whac-A-Mole with the kids at Chuck E Cheese's. And it worked. After about ten rhythmic stabs he would come up with a little wad of egg.
I have termed this interesting way of eating eggs - egg fishing, since, like fishing, there is a measure of sport involved. You cast out your line in hopes of landing the hook as Silas casts down his fork in hopes of landing an egg. Even when the eggs are not biting, he comes back for more. It's not just about catching something. It's the anticipation of the next big egg mass that makes egg fishing so exhilarating!
As I watch my son making many transitions from baby to little boy I am thankful that he is transitioning at all. As much as I love his cute little baby-ishness now, I would not be happy about it at 16, or 11, or even at 3. As time passes he must continue to mature in all things. I will help him because I don't think an 11-year-old boy should still be egg fishing, or a 16-year-old eating only scrambled eggs and dry Life cereal for breakfast. At some point he needs to transition and join me for a gravy-soaked country fried steak at Cracker Barrel.
I think something like this idea was in the writer of Hebrew's mind when said, "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food..." (Hebrews 5:12).
Apparently he was frustrated with the lack of doctrinal progress these believers were experiencing in their Christian lives. Jonathan Edwards comments on this text in his masterful sermon on Hebrews 5:12 entitled Christian Knowledge, "We may observe that the fault of this defect appears, in that they had not made proficiency according to their time...to whatever business any one is devoted, it may be expected that his perfection in it shall be answerable to the time he has had to learn and perfect himself. Christians should not always remain babes, but should grow in christian knowledge; and leaving the food of babes, they should learn to digest strong meat."
This seems like it would be somewhat obvious. But lets be honest. How much doctrinal, spiritual progress have you made in say, the past year?
Has your understanding of Scripture increased? Have you had bits of lingering Biblical confusion unwound and woven into your heart as you study God's Word? Have you learned how to apply specific Biblical truths to your everyday life in new or refreshing ways? Have you grown in your understanding of the will, work and ways of God? Have you wrestled with the righteous-revealing gospel of Jesus Christ so that you comprehend, embrace and are being transformed by its power more today than a year ago? You get the point.
All Christians should make it their aim to grow up in the knowledge of God and His Word. Not just smart Christians, or Pastors, or those who have a seminary degree...no, all followers of Christ must grow up theologically! We are all little theologians. There is no such thing as a non-theological Christian. There are bad theologians, lazy theologians, or adolescent theologians in plenty. But every believe is engaged in the study of God and his Word.
Peter tells us to add seven things to our faith in 2 Peter 1:5. The second quality in his list is knowledge, and for good reason, "For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" 2 Peter 1:8-11. We must grow in knowledge, within the knowledge of Christ, so that we are fruitful, effective and even affirmed as legitimate children of God. Now that's a lot to chew on but, please, do chew. And in so doing, you will be doing exactly what Peter is talking about.
For those with the time & gospel guts to press on, well, check out tomorrow's part 2 post for some practical suggestions on growing up in the truth...
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