Of whom we have many things to say,
and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are
dull of hearing. For when for the time
ye ought to be teachers, ye have
need that one teach you again which
be the first principles of the oracles
of God; and are become such as have
need of milk, and not strong meat.
For every one that useth milk is
unskilful in the word of righteousness:
for he is a babe. But strong meat
belongeth to them that are full age,
ven those who be reason of use
have their senses exercised to
discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 5:11-14
Dull hearing; a problem most people have had at one time or another. This dull hearing spoken here is to have difficulty in interpretation, to speak that interpretation and this comes about by the sluggishness in hearing. It isn't that the ears with their various elements for hearing do not hear sound, they do, but they will not, or do not, hear with their minds, so they cannot utter correct interpretation. It is not that they do not at least some element of the truth, they do, but they will not or cannot understand complete truth. This comes about when a person will not take the time to examine all things (1Thessalonians 5:21), and then be able to hold fast to the truth. We know that the truth had been taught to those whom the writer to the Hebrews was writing, they should have been teachers but were not, they were either teaching falsely, or not at all. They needed teaching again for the only slurped up milk, and avoided the toughness of meat. They took in what they liked, that which tickled their ears, that which fit their presuppositions, and would not listen to any other teaching. The result was and is: they were unskilled in the word of God. They are and were babes in God, not mature in God. There is not excuse for this for a person comes of age whereby they can take time to examine, to test, to learn of the truth, and then to avoid the false. They who are growing in the truth come to a place where they can discern the good and the bad. The starting point is the first principles of the Gospel and that is that Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Wisdom of God in the flesh, came to die to pay this debt we owe to God, and this by dying on the cross. This sacrifice, vicarious, propitiation sacrifice, makes it possible for our sins to be forgiven and by our faith in Jesus Christ we have the promise of God for eternal life. Apathy, laziness, dullness, or any other possibility that takes a person from the truth is abhorrent to God and God will not bless that person, and this may show that that person is not an Authentic Christian and the promise of everlasting life may not apply to them, at least at this time. Man can change and this change come by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). This free gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8) is by our reading and hearing the word of God and then that faith being applied and exercised in our life.
Inspect what you expect: a rule that should be a guide for a person' life. Do not just believe, do not just agree, do not just follow a person, take time to inspect, to examine. Is their anything else that is more important than the truth? No! I had the privilege to speak to and witness to two Jehovah Witnesses and notice a fault that occurs in many religious organization, they follow only that organization, and they take what, or whoever, teachers as truth without taking time to examine. They can quote Scriptures, but without context, and apply their beliefs to those Scripture and this without knowledge of the grammar or language, and this is they are taking for granted what they are hearing. This is sluggishness, laziness, it is easy, it sounds good, but is it truth, not necessarily. How would a person know if it was if they do not exam and test and inspect what is being taught. Why sit in a chair, pew, and hear the sermon and do not test what the preacher is saying, you might find that he is teaching truth, or not, and then you can take proper action, to stay, or not to stay in that organization. God will bless those who actually with a desire to know the truth to come to the truth and this by means of the Holy Spirit who guides you into truth, that is if we listen for and to the Holy Spirit. Not some man, or some doctrine, but the Holy Spirit, God, will teach you and lead you and make clear by your study, your examination to find and know the truth. The question is: Will you test, will you examine, will you become mature, or will you ever need milk. Only you, or I, can answer that question.
Awake, awake; put on thy strength,
O Zion; put on the beautiful gaments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth
there shall no more come into thee the
uncircumcised and the unclean.
Isaiah 52:1
You are the city of God, the holy city
Richard L. Crumb
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