Hebrews 5:11-14

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  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, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.  But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

There are believers who are immature in the spiritual walk and there are those who are mature in Christ. Unfortunately, time alone is not the determining factor between maturity and immaturity.  Certainly, it is understandable that a new believer will demonstrate signs of immaturity.  However, too often, those who have been believers for a long time continue to demonstrate immaturity.  This passage contrasts these two distinctive groups and gives us a roadmap for avoiding immaturity and developing spiritual maturity.

THE MARKS OF IMMATURITY: There are three basic marks of the immature believer who needs to continue drinking milk instead of being fed solid food.  The first is that immature believers are dull of hearing.  Jesus described this as hearing without hearing.  It is a blessing to be exposed to the Word of God, but it takes effort to focus, concentrate, and truly understand what the Word of God is communicating to us.  When we simply listen to sermons or study Scripture but there is a disconnect between the truth and how it applies to our lives; we are dull of hearing.  The second mark is that immature believers are slow to learn.  The author believes that his readers ought to be teaching others by this time in their development.  Instead, they are still having to be taught (again) the basic principles of God’s Word.  One of the most effective ways to learn is to teach.  We learn more by teaching than we do by being taught.  However, is we are slow learners, it is impossible to teach what we do not grasp ourselves.  The third mark of spiritual immaturity is being unskilled in the word of righteousness.  The Word of God is not meant to simply inform us but should transform us.  Understanding the meaning of God’s Word is one thing but knowing how to put it into practice requires a skill that immature believers simply don’t demonstrate.  Christ came to make us righteous in our standing before God.  Only by the power of His Spirit will our spiritual standing become our daily stance.  Righteousness can never come by keeping the Law or through human effort.  Righteousness is basic to our salvation and understanding of who we are in Christ.  If we don’t understand the basics of the Gospel and righteousness, there is little hope for spiritual maturity.

THE MARKS OF MATURITY:  There are also three marks of the spiritually mature.  Obviously, the mature would be the opposite of immaturity or: sharp hearing, quick learning, and skill in the word of righteousness.  However, the author has a little different way of describing the mature.  The first mark of spiritual maturity is having powers of discernment trained.  It takes training to be able to discern the truth of God’s Word and how to apply it to our lives.  Too often, we remain unaware of our own sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions due to a lack of discernment.  Mature believers are able to compare their lives with the truths discerned from Scripture and make the necessary corrections.  The second mark of spiritual maturity is being trained by constant practice.  Maturity takes practice, effort, and time.  There are no short cuts to maturity.  It takes dedication and consistency over a long period of time.  The final mark of spiritual maturity is the ability to distinguish between good and evil.  That may sound pretty basic, but in this fallen world with our fallen bodies and minds, it is very easy for us to be slow to recognize evil in our own habits or ways of thinking.  Knowing the right thing to do at the right time is what maturity in Christ is all about. 

APPLICATION: Listen closely to the Word of God whenever we have the opportunity to hear it, read it, or study it.  Be quick to learn God’s Word and be willing to share what we learn with others.  Know that our righteousness comes from Christ as a result of believing the Gospel.  Be discerning about the condition of our own hearts.  Prepare to work hard at identifying and abandoning sin as well as virtues that need to be developed.