Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Got Milk?

Like newborn babes you should crave – thirst for, earnestly desire – the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nourished and grow unto (complete) salvation. 1 Peter 2:2 Amp.

If salvation is no more than fire insurance and a one way ticket to Heaven received when one gives one’s life to Christ, what constitutes complete salvation? Does it encompass more than a one time prayer? How does delving into God’s Word pertain to this?

Anyone within screaming distance of a hungry infant knows when it is dinner time. Unable to express in words their needs, babies will bawl and squall until they get what they want. They won’t be silenced until they’re satisfied. And it’s never enough, they always want more. As they grow, their palate expands. They demand more substantial nourishment. Still, later on, many find some things just go better with a cold glass of milk.

Our walk with God is much like this. At first we need help. Our former life provides no framework for building a relationship with God. Even the language is different. We need others more knowledgeable to nurture us through what may seem like a maze. Pastors, teachers and friends help us find our footing as we begin our journey of faith. The Bible, for the most part may have been, if anything, a dusty book on a shelf. A family relic at best it was drug out for the obligatory reading of the Nativity at Christmas time. How does one even begin to understand what is contained within its cover?

Those desiring more than a surface relationship with God find His Word deep and filled with many levels to be explored. Digging beneath the surface, seekers find plenty of good meat to sink their teeth into. Peter however, reminds us that sometimes what we need is a cold glass of milk. We need to appreciate and maintain a healthy appetite for the basics. I may never know this side of Heaven exactly who the twenty-four elders are, but it is crucial that I know and appropriate that I have “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ” Romans 3:22.

To take full advantage of all that salvation affords requires a mind that is constantly being renewed. Salvation or soteria, in the Greek means to be safe, to be rescued. It also includes deliverance and health. We need to know all that Jesus purchased for us and how to appropriate it. Our enemy wages an all out assault in order to distract us. He bombards us with reminders of our shortcomings, mistakes and sins. God provides us with a hedge of protection (Job 1:10) that Satan can’t penetrate unless we give him access. When we remember that healing is in the atonement, we can declare this truth as a pre-emptive defense mechanism. If we do experience sickness or disease we’ll know who ISN’T responsible and can confidently go to God for help.

God desires the best for us in every area of our lives. Salvation provides for all we’ll need. As we dig into the depths of the riches of His Word, let’s never lose sight of the basics. If we do, we could miss out on some of the blessings God’s already provided.

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