The apostle Paul: “My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:4
What did Paul mean by “a demonstration?” Merely repeating what the Scripture says about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, isn’t enough to see people getting saved and growing up in the Lord. One must have God’s power “demonstrated” in one’s life in order to preach or teach the Word of God, or else that one is merely a hypocrite, like that man who wanted the power he saw with some of the Lord’s disciples who were casting out demons. He thought he could buy that power somehow, and then just say the words the apostles said and VWALLA! “Look at how POWERFUL I am!”
When God’s power is demonstrated in our lives – the WORD of GOD LIVES. I listen to some of our politicians using the Word of God to make their political points. They give over the impression that they are Christians, but then you see what they ‘actually’ stand for and what they are ‘actually’ doing to our country “under God” – and it’s obvious they are using the Word of God for their own self-serving benefit of remaining in power. Wicked!
Do you have a testimony of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ – changed your life? Do you continue to have testimonies (plural) of how reading, meditating, studying the whole Word of God – continues to mature you in the Lord?
Hebrews teaches us in chapter 6: “Let us MOVE BEYOND the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to MATURITY….” (vs. 1) What are the “elementary” teachings? Paul gives: 1. Laying the FOUNDATION of repentance from acts that lead to death. (We continue to confess our sins, but we must let the power of the HOLY Spirit free us so we can move on to maturity in the Lord.) 2. The laying on of hands (to be filled with the Holy Spirit to fulfill your calling from God, which is near impossible for you to do in your own power). 3. Instructions about cleansing rites. (Remaining clean in the sight of the Lord, now that you’ve been forgiven past/present/future; quickly admitting sin and asking for the Lord’s help to overcome. “If we confess our sins, He is able and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”) 4. The teaching about the resurrection of the dead (in Christ – forever with Him). 5. The teaching of Eternal Judgment. (We will all be judged, one way or another.)
Then Paul goes on to say that when a person does NOT move on to maturity but remains a nursing infant on the milk (elementary teaching) of the Word, not growing to maturity with the Lord on the solid meat of God’s Word – that infant becomes USELESS to God. What is a baby able to do for anyone? Imagine an adult person still nursing on his/her mother’s breasts. ICK! Right?
Paul even states: “It is IMPOSSIBLE for those who have once (first saved) been enlightened (foundation of elementary teachings), who have TASTED the heavenly gift (God’s wonderful grace in his/her life), who have shared in the Holy Spirit (His love/joy/peace), who have TASTED the goodness of the word of God (early evidence of His goodness) and the powers of the coming age (now looking forward to the return of the Lord) AND YET HAVE FALLEN AWAY, TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO REPENTANCE.” What did Paul actually mean here that “It is impossible to be brought back to repentance?” He then explains what he means: “To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace.” (vs. 4-7)
What? “Crucifying Jesus again?” What comes to me is how those who put Jesus up on that cross over 2K years ago mocked Him for being on that cross, IF HE WAS WHO HE SAID HE WAS. Where’s the evidence? WE ARE! Those who are in Him all the way.
“Subjecting Him to public disgrace?” What comes to me is how people of the world look at most Christians today (especially in America) and laugh at us when we talk about God and Jesus Christ. Why? Because we don’t seem to be living any differently than the people of the world!
As an “infant” we remain in a place of self-deception, living pretty much as we please. What stops us from maturity? Maybe we are fearful of sharing the Gospel of Christ, not willing to be persecuted in any way. We don’t know how to go without things we’re used to having. Waiting on the Lord is too hard. Learning new things isn’t always fun! Maybe we love our sin more than we love the Lord’s will in our life. Maybe we are afraid of what our friends will say, and afraid of being rejected by those we grew up with. Maybe we are afraid of what the Lord would call us to do that we don’t want to do, or what the Lord would require from us that we are not willing to give up.
People have all kinds of reasons for remaining “infants” but an ‘infant in the Lord’ won’t realize what the ‘mature in the Lord’ experience ‘with the Lord’ and are then rewarded in glory for being faithful to the Lord all the way TO THE END.
I love knowing that what my Lord began in me, He will complete in me – with my cooperation of course! For, I need Him to live the life He has called me to; the life that is TRULY LIFE! Lord, demonstrate YOUR POWER in my life! Give me wisdom in how to use it!