Hebrews 5:11-14
11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Three other parts of scripture come to mind when I read this one:
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. (1 Corinthians 13:11)
So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. (Revelation 3:16)
The author is teaching us not to be lazy in our faith. It’s easy for us to “just get saved” and after but a little while the effect seems to wear off and we wind up back where we started. This happened to me. I accepted and believed in Christ as my savior at the ripe age of 10, but quickly became lukewarm until about 28 when I started hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied has really stuck with me because there is danger in not doing so. In the end of Jesus’ sermon on the mount, He warns us: 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” This is the danger of being lukewarm, lazy, and not striving to increase in our relationship with God and mature in the calling He has put upon us.
Read what Paul asks the Corinthians above in 1 Cor 3:3; why are we walking like mere men? This seems like a ridiculous question, yet we forget that we have the Spirit of God living inside us! Why aren’t we living as such? If we aren’t it’s because we have become lackadaisical in our faith. We have taken the prize, said thanks, and then continue on living as if nothing happened. Friends, if this is how you are living you are not only robbing yourself of some of the greatest opportunities on this earth, but you are thumbing your own nose at the Creator!
Our laziness is a result of fear. We are afraid of what might happen; we are afraid of the possibilities. We have become comfortable with the fear of the unknown instead of challenging what lies ahead and looking for the adventure. I know not everyone is “adventurous,” but if there weren’t any fear involved, there wouldn’t be any room for faith! If we prohibit ourselves from moving forward then we rob ourselves of knowing who God really is and how much He really loves you. We are afraid our world perspective will be rocked and flipped upside down; we don’t have to be afraid of this because we know this will happen, and that’s the point! You will never experience the Kingdom of God by living in fear.
Abraham, Noah, David, Peter, and even Jesus Himself did not know based on physical evidence of the world around them what was to come, but they knew that God was with them and that’s all that mattered. What if Abraham never went to Canaan? What if Noah never built the ark? What if David never volunteered to challenge the giant? What if Peter never dared to stand up and preach on the day of Pentecost? What if Jesus never hung on the cross? We need to get over ourselves, surrender our fear, and follow God wherever He leads you. It isn’t about us and our security, it’s about Him and His glory.
How are you being lukewarm?
