拒絕成長
希伯來書五章11至14節
11論到麥基洗德，我們有好些話，並且難以解明，因為你們聽不進去。
12看你們學習的工夫，本該作師傅，誰知還得有人將神聖言小學的開端另教導你們，並且成了那必須吃奶，不能吃乾糧的人。
13凡只能吃奶的都不熟練仁義的道理，因為他是嬰孩；
14惟獨長大成人的才能吃乾糧；他們的心竅習練得通達，就能分辨好歹了。
信息分享
希伯來書有幾段嚴詞警告讀者的經文，今天我們將讀到其中一段。它不單警告昔日的收信者，對我們今天也同樣有提醒作用。
我們成了基督徒之後，很容易會疏懶下來，停留在最初的階段，不再花時間去讀經、祈禱，以致靈命停滯不前。但如此一來，我們便無法成長，無法明白神的話語。
經文提到兩種食物：奶和肉。奶是代表簡單的福音真理，是我們最初認識基督時所明白的。當我們決志信靠祂，我們就在基督裡經歷重生；一個初生的信徒便需要不斷成長，以致能明白神對我們的旨意。隨著信徒逐漸成長，他便進到「吃肉」的階段。來到這個階段，並不表示我們要追問難解的問題，或沒完沒了的討論。我們還是相信同一個福音，並沒有改變。信徒只是在這個階段更多認識神在基督裡所賜給我們的真理，直至我們懂得自行探求真理。
這段經文對所有信徒發出提醒和挑戰。我們今天需要反省的問題包括：我的基督徒生命是否停滯不前？對比於我最初認識基督的那一刻，我現是否更深的認識祂？我用了多少時間來研讀神的話語，以致在信仰上成長？
只有基督才能滿足我們的需要。神的旨意是要我們不斷在靈裡成長。我們怎樣才能進入神為我們預備的完全境地呢？
經文反思：腓立比書三章10至12節
REFUSING TO GROW UP
Hebrews 5:11-14
11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first 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 unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
14 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.
Message
This is one of several passages in the book of Hebrews which were strong warnings to the readers of that day and still have a great deal to say to us.
It is so easy not to go on as a Christian. It is so easy to stand still. It is so easy not to spend time in prayer and study. But if we stand still, then obviously we are not growing so we cannot begin to understand what God is saying to us in his Book.
There are two kinds of food mentioned here. One is milk, the other is meat. Milk stands for the simple truths of the gospel which we learned when we first came to Christ. As we put our faith in them and in Christ we are born again and we begin to grow. But we need to learn more of what God has planned for us. This is called 'eating meat'. It is still the same gospel. It is not difficult questions and endless discussions. It is not negative teaching. It is the further knowledge of all that God has provided in Christ, then entering into those truths for ourselves.
That is the challenge of these verses. The questions for us today are these: How far have I come in my Christian life? How much more of Christ do I know today than I did when I was first converted? How much time do I give to the study of God's Word?
No-one else but Christ can meet our needs. Spiritual growth is God's plan for us all. What can we do to enter more fully into that plan?
SOME VERSES FOR TODAY:
Philippians 3:10-12