We Love The Milk !

We Love The Milk !


By Crossfire

“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,” (1 Peter 2:2) (NKJV)

Oh, how we love the milk. When we became Christians we had a hunger for the milk of the word, we couldn’t get enough. We wanted to hear more about how much God loves us and what He did for us. We learned John 3:16 and were excited about what God had done for us. We even told friends about it.

As important as that first basic knowledge is, it is the milk of the word. The first basic knowledge or milk of the word is very important and we were lost without it. Without it, we would never have begun to grow. The Biblical example is a good one, for just as babies start on milk, so do we as baby Christians. Milk is good, I still like milk, but now I have more than just milk.

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) (NKJV)

The word “and” in I Timothy 2:4 is a coordinate conjunction connecting two equals. If I say that I love my son and my daughter, that does not mean that I love my son more because I mentioned him first, I love them both equally. So it is with I Timothy 2:4, the word “and” is connecting two equals. God desires us to be saved and He desires us to grow in knowledge. Not just any knowledge, but in knowledge that is true. There is a lot out there that is just not true. Some try to say that “the knowledge if the truth” is only about salvation. I guess they would have the verse read “He desires all men to be saved and to learn how to be saved” as if salvation is some hard to understand plan or doctrine. I do not believe that salvation is all that God wants us to know. After salvation, we are to grow in Him, we should learn truth. I repeat, we should learn truth.

Most Christians are happy to remain on milk and what they do learn is often far from truth. A wise old man once said that it is not so much what we don’t know that is hurting us as much as it is knowing so much that just is not so. Today’s Church has a lot of strange doctrines that just won’t hold up under the scrutiny of God’s Word.

Is the fact that most Christians love milk anything new? No, not at all. Paul addressed the problem in his letters to the churches.

“I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;” (1 Corinthians 3:2) (NKJV)

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.” (Hebrews 5:12-13) (NKJV)

According to Paul, Christians can be not be ready for anything more than milk and sometimes need to get the basics taught to them again. Man is really good at trying to complicate the simple and add things that don’t belong. I am sure that we can think of churches that have added requirements to God’s simple plan of salvation. Some say that a person is not saved unless they are saved in that church and that if they leave that church, they are no longer saved. Others churches may just add things to the plan of salvation, additional requirements.

Even in Paul’s day, the Christian had not grown in the faith, they had not matured and were still as babies. Just as a baby cannot handle anything stronger then milk, these Christians were not ready for “solid food”. A baby will choke on meat just as Christians, that are used to just milk, will reject anything more.

It is hard to get truth into today’s Church. I have been told that if it did not have to do with the gospel, that it was not important and I should just stick to the gospel of Christ. I have even heard teachers, when they got to a scripture, say “What does it mean?, I don’t know and I don’t care! What’s important is over here where it talks about God’s love for us.” And sadly, the rest of the class agreed and seemed encouraged that he had said that, because that is exactly how they feel about it. Is only milk important? Should we care less about what the rest of God’s Word says? In my mind, I can hear them yelling “ Give us milk and only milk, nothing else matters, just the milk!”

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16) (NKJV)

Wait a minute, I thought that only the Gospel was important ! Was Paul giving Timothy bad information? Could it be that all of God’s Word is important? What a novel idea, believing that the words of the One that created everything and provided our salvation are actually important. Or is it alright to just pick and choose what is important and what is not? I tend to go along with Paul and believe what he states in 2 Timothy 3:16.

Talking about milk, we haven’t even got into the different kinds of milk. Many churches are still on milk, but they have changed the type of milk they are on. At the store we can find “Low Fat” milk, “2% milk”, “Powered milk”, “Goats milk”, “Soy milk” and other verities. It is bad enough for the Church and Christians, in general, to just stay on the milk, but now they have even changed the milk that they are on. They have taken away some things and added others. When Powered Milk is made, not only is the water removed but the whey protein. I’m sure we could all think of some spiritual powered milk, that some churches have.

It reminds me of the story of the two milk cows that were standing in the field near the fence and they saw the milk truck go by. On the side of the truck it said: Grade A Milk, Homogenized, Pasteurized, and Vitamin D Added. The one cow turned to the other cow and said: “It kind of makes you feel inadequate, doesn’t it!”.

Sure, milk is good, but how do we move on to solid food so that we can grow? First of all, we can’t just jump from milk to steak. People that have tried that often end up with some very strange doctrines and beliefs. Just as a child gradually moves from just milk to a little more, we should be able to do the same thing.

We may need to unlearn some things and get back to the pure milk of God’s Word first, and then build on that. We need to get rid of some of the additives and changes that we have made to the milk. Milk is fine without sugar. Some things get added to make what people hear more acceptable and some things get left out for fear of offending someone. Hey, I’m ok, you’re ok, right? Wrong.

We need to get back to honest Bible study. If a person starts their Bible with preset parameters, how much are they actually going to learn. Very little, in fact all they will be doing is reinforcing what they already believe, even if it is wrong. If a person begins their study believing that they already have a good understanding of the subject, because of some college courses they have taken, they very well may not learn anything from the study. College courses are fine, but if a person comes out of it thinking that they have learned it all – they are mistaken. It was not until God showed me that I didn’t know it all, that I finally began to learn. Sure, I had taken college Bible courses and they were informative, but there are things that only God can revel to you as you study His Word. Pray and ask God to teach you, he will.

What? Take time away from the television and do some actual Bible study? But we might miss that funny show. How, about we promise to watch a TV preacher or two this weekend? Without a regular study of God’s Word, we would not know if what the TV preacher was telling us was true or not. I have heard TV preachers say things that were Biblically false and their audience just smiled and said: “Amen, Praise the Lord!”. We can not have someone else do our study for us and than just take their word for it.

We need to reexamine some of our pet beliefs against what the Bible says. We need to reexamine the doctrines of the church we attend and see how they hold up under the light of God’s Word. I thought about giving some examples of a few of the most common errors of today’s church, but decided against it. Let us stay on the subject and not get distracted by the different errors.

“Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) (MKJV)

We need to understand the Biblical definitions of words rather than just applying what is assumed today. Use the Biblical definitions, not the world’s. The Bible is the best commentary on the Bible. God’s Word explains itself. By doing this we will gain a better understanding of just who is being spoken to or about. When speaking about different people, call them who the Bible says they are rather than grouping them all together.

One thing that has not helped our understanding is the large number of different translations. Some of them are not much more than paraphrases. Some leave out whole verses, one actually left out a whole chapter. Rather than change man so that he knows the author and begins to understand His word, we just changed the word to fit man.

What it all comes down to is that we love milk and want everything easy. Milk is smooth and easy, but we stay spiritual babies. Growing and study actually takes a little time and effort.

“My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;” (Proverbs 2:1-6) (NKJV)

Pray before you study and ask God to give you what He would have you to learn.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) (NKJV)

We sometime wonder why the world is in the condition it is in and why our churches are not drawing people in like they used to. The Church used to be a pillar of truth, a beacon of hope, and a light house by the stormy sea. But, yes you’ve got it we love milk. We have this warning from God.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6) (NKJV)

Is that not exactly what is happening?   Pass the milk, please ! #