Hermeneutics Lesson 10
Requirements for God to call you a spiritual adult.
God uses the church to teach basic doctrine but He expects us to spiritually mature enough for Him to start teaching us personally.
Let's stop for a review before going on. In Isaiah 28:9 we read Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
Until a Jewish boy was considered mature enough to go to work with his father and learn the father's trade, he was kept in the house and under the control of his mother and of schoolmasters. We learn about the schoolmaster
in Galatians 3. In Galatians 4 Paul teaches about the heir
and says that until the heir
reaches this level of maturity, he differeth nothing from a servant
(Galatians 4:1-2). Thus, he has no claim on his inheritance until he reaches the level of maturity dictated by the father. In addition, he is controlled by rules and regulations because he has not proved that he is mature enough to send out on his own. He can not be expected to act properly without direct adult supervision.
With that precept in mind, we return to Isaiah 28:9 and read that God sets this level at them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts
. In 1Corinthians 3:2 we read I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
These people were sure that they were spiritually mature but God judged otherwise. Many children believe that they should be treated as an adult before they prove they are ready for the responsibilities. God won't do that and God won't give the rights of an adult to a person until God judges them ready for the responsibilities.
Thus, many people think they can 'claim' rights that God refuses to give until after they pass God's maturity test. That test is in 1Corinthians. There, we learn that we must stop doing certain types of sins and start doing some godly behaviours. Until we personally fulfill all of God's requirements, He will not give us the rewards of being a spiritual adult.
Please see the Test of Spiritual Maturity and further teaching for spiritual maturity in 1Corinthians for the rest of the details of this lesson.