1 Corinthians 3:2–4: 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; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
It is important that we preach the Gospel to the lost; but it is also important that we interpret the Gospel to the saved. The entire New Testament is an interpretation and application of the Gospel. Paul did not write Romans, for example, to tell the Romans how to be saved—for they were already saints. He wrote to explain to them what was really involved in their salvation. It was an explanation of the “deep things of God” and how they applied to daily life. There is another way to determine maturity: the mature Christian practices love and seeks to get along with others. Children like to disagree and fuss. When immature Christians, without spiritual discernment, get into places of leadership in the church, the results will be disastrous. 1
Application
- What grade would you get today for the way you practice love in your church?
- Are you responsible for building up the body, or for creating contentions with others, by your comments, about the leaders that God has placed over you?
Thought to Share
Are you more excited about meeting a Christian celebrity than worshipping Jesus at a Sunday service? – TWEET IT
Prayer
Lord, teach me how to go from milk to meat in my Christian life.
1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.