BE SKILLFUL IN THE WORD.

_{Image source}

---

---

Growth is a secret of skillfulness in the Word of life! God expects you to grow in the knowledge of the Word. When you are not growing on any issue of life you will start dying. God does not expect you to be a baby when you should be an adult.

"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 of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe." - Hebrews 5:12, 13 KJV.

Many believers are very complacent in their attitude to the Word of God. Hence, they lack the evidence of God's power. The Word of God in the passage above uses the phrase "Unskilled in the Word"

“For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.”

---

---

From the scripture, milk refers to the elementary truths of the Christian faith. These elementary truths start our growth into Christian maturity because they are the foundation for many other doctrines. Like milk, it is easily digestible and provide a basic diet for new believers just as milk is the basic diet for newborns. But the basics of our faith should not have to be laid again and again. Just as children outgrow their primary dependence on milk, so should maturing Christians move on to more solid food. It is very clear that the solid food of the Christian faith includes the doctrine of the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ and its attendant details. The audience referred to in that scripture are unskilled in these details because they still require milk; learning the basics of the christian faith is important.

---

---

One key question remains. Since this epistle bemoans the fact that some of its original audience were still children in the faith, does this cast doubt on Jesus’ teaching that we must become like little children in order to enter the kingdom of God?

"When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." - Mark 10:14 NIV.

The answer is no. When Jesus speaks of us becoming like children in order to enter the kingdom, He is not speaking of a height of doctrinal knowledge but rather an attitude of childlike trust and wonder. This attitude is something we can and must be maintained no matter how much we know about the Christian faith. What Jesus want for us is to progress in our understanding of doctrine.

---

---

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." - 2 Peter 3:18.

But as we progress, we must never lose the trust and wonder that characterise a child’s submission to his or her parents.

---

---

TODAY'S PRAYER

Father I make up my mind to study and grow in your word in Jesus Name.

_Amen.

---

---

---

---

---

---