It’s easy to fool those without any brains.”
–Joseph Powell (Justice Comes Home)
“The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.”
–Proverbs 29:27 (NIV)
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One of the peeves towards the top of my list are those with the Peter Pan Syndrome. Play, play, play, never grow up. These are people so often written about in Proverbs as the fool or simpleton. They don’t want to accept responsibility but want to sit on the couch with their phones or playstations. Let the world drift by, and then clamor that they are not being treated right. If something happens to them, they come unglued, cry and whine, then don’t know what to do saying that life is so unfair–boo hoo hoo hoo.
The writer of Hebrews has some direct words for these types.
“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 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 (NIV)
When asked, “why do you go to church?” at the top of the list is either fellowship or the “worship” service. While both are important and needed, there is little hunger for the doctrinal teaching of Scripture. “Theology divides” they clamor, yet what is “theology” but the study of God. Shouldn’t we long for more knowledge of the Almighty? If discussion is brought up about righteousness or sanctification almost immediately is the chant–“legalism”. Listen! Righteousness is not legalism! Sanctification is not legalism! “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after what? Righteousness! You cannot discern proper worship without a righteous hunger in the heart. Ray Stedman made an interesting yet vital statement, “There is a cloud of threat hanging over people due to their immaturity.”
Woe unto us if there is not growth in the church and in the individual. Woe unto the family if proper spiritual nourishment and food is not provided. Woe unto the individual if they do not partake of what is offered, taste, digest, and grow. We are told to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Hold on–that is legalism! Read again, Philippians 2:12. Three things I have come to see within those who are immature, childish, babies in the church. I borrowed some from Ray Stedman though I have already seen these in action.
For a fact–age alone does not produce maturity! I had a student one time ask if I thought he was an adult, a mature person. My response was, “do you accept responsibility?” He put his head down and walked away. I might add that he is doing quite well now, and is approaching thirty. Look around you at all the childish behavior that we see in so-called adults. They are adults only in age, not in doing what is required of them, of fulfilling their obligations of life and before God. I completely understand Paul’s frustration with Mark and not wanting him along on the second journey. Time, age, never brings maturity unless one understands that maturity is accepting responsibility and fulfilling one’s purpose in life.
Another characteristic that we see is that immaturity is self-identifying. Fool! Look at what the Bible says about fools and what happens to them. We read the above verses from Hebrews and we see that these people have been Christians long enough that they should be teaching others. Instead, they still suck at the bottle. “They do not understand the divine program which results in right conduct, because they are themselves children and want only milk.” (Stedman) They do not have the ability to discern good from evil. There is a dangerous cloud looming over their heads. They are, what Dr. Stedman refers to as “consecrated blunderers.” These are the church-hoppers, ones who go from church to church, looking for a ministry that will make them feel good and satisfy their itching ears (2 Timothy 4:3).
Finally, we see as we continue to watch them that their arrested development is a very costly thing. You can call it spiritual atrophy. Their parts have not developed properly, they cannot handle the weapons of our warfare, they do not wear the armor properly and thus are not able to stand their ground. They run from hither to that doctrine, not knowing that it is false. Jude warns us what happens, they “follow natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.” (vs 19) In fact the Book of Jude is a good book to look at if you want to see what happens to those who pamper themselves and stay as children. Listen, “the immature lose so much, and they risk even more.” (Stedman) Candy-bars for breakfast, ice cream for lunch, and cake for supper do not cut it in the real world, and even less in the spiritual fight that we are involved in on our journey.
How frustrated Paul must have been when he wrote the church at Corinth. “I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.” (1 Corinthians 3:2, NKJV) “Even now”…what an indictment! Look again at Hebrews 5:24 this time from the NKJV: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” In other words–act your age!