Are you a betweener?

Words of correction are hard to receive by most of us. It is a spiritual blessing when those with true concern share with us what we don’t see or refuse to see in ourselves. The writer of Hebrews has important things to teach the readers but he stops to warn them that they are not ready for meat. They need to realize their spiritual condition requires immediate attention.

The writer addresses four marks of spiritual immaturity in Hebrews 5:11-14. It was an appropriate warning for those who read it 2,000 years ago and for us today. The writer declared that they had become dull of hearing. It speaks of the complexity of an issue not caused by lack of ability to teach on the part of the writer but lack of hearing on the part of the readers. They had become comfortable with what they knew. Yet, the readers were being faced with difficult choices concerning faith in Christ. Was He worth the pain of persecution or would it be better to turn back to Judaism? The writer warns them to examine their faith in light of four tests of spiritual immaturity. The truth can hurt but it can lead one to mature faith in the One who is worthy to be served.

The first mark of spiritual immaturity is dullness toward the Word of God. R. Kent Hughes,. . . their problem was an acquired condition characterized by an inability to listen to spiritual truth. They were not naturally “slow,” they were not intellectually deficient, but they had become spiritually lazy. It is a frightening thing when a Christian is no longer excited about spiritual truth. Warren Wiersbe, One of the first symptoms of spiritual regression, or backsliding, is a dullness toward the Bible. Sunday School class is dull, the preaching is dull, anything spiritual is dull. The problem is usually not with the Sunday School teacher or the pastor, but with the believer himself.

The next mark is the inability to teach the Word of God. It is a privilege and responsibility to teach the Word of God, 1 Peter 3:15, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. R. Kent Hughes, Some in the tiny storm-tossed church should have become teachers (not necessarily preachers as such, but able to instruct others in the faith due to the progress of their own faith), but they had tragically failed. And they were losing their own grip on the truth to boot. Raymond Brown, Turning their backs on strenuous study and diligent application to spiritual teaching, they remain like babies when they ought to be adults, pupils when they might be instructors, Christians in need of help when they could be offering it to others.

The writer’s third mark of spiritual immaturity is the need to be continually taught basic principles. Thomas Constable, . . . when we fail to pass on what we know we begin to lose what we know. Eventually we may need to relearn the most basic teachings of Scripture. When we stop growing, we start shrinking. We do not just stay the same. The writer gives the cause of their immaturity in verse 13, they are unskilled in the word of righteousness. The writer may be referring to positional righteousness - salvation which comes through faith in Christ alone. He may be referring to practical righteousness, or sanctification - the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. I believe the passage refers to both. Consider how immature many Christians are because they don’t have assurance of salvation. One’s positional righteousness is through Christ alone. Consider those who choose not to tie position to practice. There is no spiritual maturity for those who never properly apply doctrine to personal responsibility.

His fourth mark is difficulty in applying the Word of God. Thomas Constable, The readers were in danger of not comprehending what the writer had to tell them because they had not put what they did understand into practice in their lives. Instead, they were thinking of departing from the truth. Raymond Brown clearly identifies the danger of not personally applying the Word of God to one’s life, . . . what is most serious about their spiritual ignorance is that, being unfamiliar with God’s word, they do not know his mind on important doctrinal, ethical and spiritual issues. His truth is a word of righteousness and those who master its message learn how to distinguish good from evil. This does not come to anybody without effort.

These four marks of spiritual immaturity should be convicting to all of us. The importance of self-examination is not that it should bring condemnation but motivation to do be what God has called us to be, empowered by Him. Consider the words of Warren Wiersbe, I once heard a preacher say, “Most Christians are ‘betweeners.’” “What do you mean by that?” I asked. “They are between Egypt and Canaan—out of the place of danger, but not yet into the place of rest and rich inheritance,” he replied. “They are between Good Friday and Easter Sunday—saved by the blood but not yet enjoying newness of resurrection life.” Are you a “betweener”?

It is beneficial to examine ourselves in light of God’s Word. Join the study of Hebrews 5:11-14 which may be found under the Books of the Bible tab. There is no reason to be a betweener!