So, if we shouldn’t give up on God, how do we grow to understand Him better? How do we go from milk babies to steak adults? This devotion explore guidance from the Scriptures on how to do that.
Nuggets
- Part of the reason we give up on God is because we stay rooted in this world.
- Being rooted and grounded in God talks about wanting to imitate his character.
- When we are all caught up in the hurt and drama of the trials, the last thing we are thinking is that we are moving forward, but we should be.
- The goal of working out our salvation — increased faith in God – is what shows we are growing from milk babies to steak adults.
- Satan is going to throw everything he can at you to get you to give up on God.
To read devotions in the When We Give Up on God series, click the appropriate button below.
For the past two devotions, we been taking about how the writer of Hebrews accused his readers of giving up on God instead of growing in faith. The writer wanted them to grow from beginning knowledge to a deeper understanding of the character of God and His will for our lives.
Let’s Recap
- God expects us to grow in grace and knowledge of Him (II Pet. 3: 18).
- We have to keep growing to have that knowledge and a mature faith.
- God wants us to teach His message, not our own.
- When the Scriptures use the term milk, they are equating our spiritual life with that of a baby.
- Disciples are unskilled babes when we have given up reading God’s Word.
- The Bible tells us what our character should be like to grow us into a steak adult.
- There is no magical number to move to solid food.
So, what do we have to do to not give up on God and to grow?
Making the Connections
Goodbye World
“I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, because you are still worldly …” (1 Cor. 3: 2-3 CSB).
Part of the reason we give up on God is because we stay rooted in this world. We allow Satan to entice us with the bright, shiny stuff instead of looking to God and His world.
Rooted and Planted/Grounded
“You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their conscience” (Jer. 12: 2 CSB)
We talked about being routed and grounded when we stepped through Ephesians. Being rooted and grounded in God talks about wanting to imitate His character. We want to be like Him because we value our relationship with Him.
“For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God,” (Col. 1: 9-10 CSB).
We cannot be rooted and grounded in God unless we pray to Him. The communication has to be there.
The only way we are going to become holy, become righteous, is through God changing us. We can’t change ourselves — as much as we want to believe in self-improvement programs. True change only comes through “… bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1: 10 CSB). It only comes from Him.
“So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude” (Col. 2: 6-7 CSB)
Being rooted and grounded only comes as our faith is strengthened. Our faith is strengthened as we grow in knowledge of God.
But look at that last part. “… overflowing with gratitude” (Col. 2: 7 CSB). We have to be thankful that we are being rooted and grounded or we could become resentful. It has to be our choice. We have to submit to God, or we will kick and scream as he works in us.
“The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Cor. 9: 6-7 CSB)
We’ve got to be all in. We can’t be reluctant. I know or seven is used a lot and talking about tithing, but I think it is more than that. It goes back to the “… overflowing with gratitude” (Col. 2: 7 CSB) but shows the consequence of not going all in. “… The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously” (II Cor. 9: 6 CSB).
Keep Forward Movement
“Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,” (Heb. 6: 1 CSB)
Growing from being a milk baby to a steak adult indicates forward movement. We want to keep moving forward.
But we have to watch. When do we grow the most? We grow the most during trials.
Whoa! When we are all caught up in the hurt and drama of the trials, the last thing we are thinking is that we are moving forward.
If we approach it with the mindset that God is growing us in the hard times, it is less likely that we will give up on God. We will see the presence of God — even if we do not feel it.
“Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (I Pet. 2: 2-3 CSB)
Milk isn’t bad. I mean, babies have to drink milk because there is nothing else. It promotes growth — if it is the right formula.
That is just like there is nothing wrong with starting out with a basic understanding of and faith in the gospel.
The thing is, there comes a time when milk just isn’t enough to keep sustaining growth. Steak is good, but it is more filling.
We have to understand the concepts more fully. We have to find the nuances and the connections.
But the milk has to be pure. It has to be the Lord’s laws and commandments, not a compromise with the worldview.
What else does the verse say? “… grow up in your salvation …” (I Pet. 2: 2 CSB). We have been calling it work out our salvation (Phil. 2: 12). Either way, we need to keep working our job description.
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #2
Work Out Our Salvation (Philippians 2: 12)
Keep Upping the Faith
“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’” (Lk. 17: 5 CSB)
That is the goal of working out our salvation — increased faith in God. That is what shows we are growing from milk babies to steak adults.
“The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive in the courts of our God” (Ps. 92: 12-13 CSB)
That is what it is all about — becoming holy, becoming righteous — becoming like God. When we do that, we will flourish because He will bless us.
“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” (II Pet. 1: 5-7 CSB)
Let’s chase a rabbit for a second. We’ve talked several times about the fruits of the Spirit and how those show we have a pure heart.
What are the fruits of the spirit? “… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5: 22-23 CSB).
What did Peter say? “… faith … goodness … self-control … love …” (II Pet. 1: 5-7 CSB). That is about half of them.
What do these fruits in a pure heart bring us? “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (II Pet. 1: 5-8 CSB). It makes us more effective witnesses.
“Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. Until I come, give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. Don’t neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all.” (I Tim. 4: 11-15 CSB)
Yes, Paul told these things to his preacher son, Timothy. Yes, they do apply to us. Remember, it is in our job description to proclaim the gospel and make disciples.
The Disciple’s Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
If we are growing in our faith as we should be, this will be easier. Remember, the writer of Hebrews stated our knowledge should be efficient enough to make us teachers.
Get Ready for Ups and Downs
“The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 5: 20-21 CSB)
Get ready for a wild ride. It is not going to be easy. Satan is going to throw everything he can at you to get you to give up on God.
Don’t do it.
We’ve got to remain true to the one sovereign God. We half to grow from milk babies to steak adults. We have to work out our salvation. We have to witness. We have to teach.
Our eternal lives depend on it.
How Do We Apply This?
What are we not to give up?
- Our search for knowledge of the Scriptures.
- Our discernment of what sin is.
- Our desire to be obedient to God.
- Our willingness to trust Him in all things.
- Our willingness to share our experiences and knowledge to bring the lost to God.
Our profession of faith in the Sovereign God has to be genuine. We have to obey Him. That means seeking Him so that we grow in grace and knowledge of Him. That way we go from being a milk baby to a steak adult.
Father. Grow us so that we become like You. Amen.
What do you think?
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