the basic message #E36
1 Corinthians 3:5-9
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe- as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
God uses many servants to accomplish his goals, and I pray that I am following his will in a responsible way. I got an email from a reader this week who went to great trouble to write a two-page letter of "constructive criticism". Among other things, she suggested that I often use the “two by four” approach with my readers. I must plead guilty. I am, by nature, a very impatient person with little time for people who don’t take their Christianity seriously. She made some good points about how some Christians are not ready for “meat and potatoes”. I agree 100%, but how will I know who is ready for solid food?
1 Corinthians 3:1-2
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly- mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
The Apostle Paul faced similar challenges in the early days of the Christian church, but here we are, 2000 years later, with milk as the primary diet for most Christians. Why? I’ll answer that question with a question. If the parent of a baby continues to give the child a bottle until he’s 16, what will his food of choice be? Milk. But a good parent knows that a child’s nutritional health requires more than milk. Our religious leaders know we need “solid food” in our spiritual diet, but instead of pulling the bottle away and beginning a solid diet, milk continues to be served. Thank God we have some pastors with the guts to call a spade a spade. I honestly believe that many pastors could become politicians quite easily- both rely on popular opinion to conduct their job.
Matthew 12:30
“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
And so, what shall I do? The reader was absolutely correct in her assessment of my style. She is also correct in her thoughts about how many people are infants in Christ, and how I should be more patient. I have considered modifying my style to be more “welcoming” of all levels of Christians, but I believe my role is clear. I don’t think anyone will have any problem finding plenty of sources of teaching and preaching that appeals to those who need milk instead of solid food. I’m not the milk man. There’s a lot of fiber in the material I write, and I realize that it gets pretty strong. Committed readers of this devotional are an unusual breed. They, like I, need to be “beat-up” with the requirements of our Christianity. We need to be regularly reminded of our awesome responsibility as Christians. This material isn’t for people who get offended easy or for the faint of heart. It isn’t for those who profess, but don’t possess Christ.
To the readers who are new in Christ and need spiritual milk, please forgive my lack of sensitivity. Do yourself and me a favor. Look around at Christians who have been saved for 30 years who still require the milk diet. I challenge you to continue reading and make the transition to solid food.