Hebrews 5:7-14 “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

The Scene: An ocean beach scene, looking down from a high cliff. The far end of the bay (top of picture) has calm waves coming ashore, representing shallow water (immature Christians). The nearer end of the bay (bottom of picture) darker blue waters, with higher waves breaking against the shore, representing mature Christians. The water is deep near the shore (symbolic of the depth of the Word).

Ephesians 4:14-15 “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

Small waves; shallow learning (spiritual) and large waves; large changes in one’s spiritual life, maturity. Whether shallow or deep seas they both represent, symbolically, each person’s commitment to reading, studying, heeding God’s Word daily—the washing with water, the reading of the Word (the living Word).

8-105 SPIRITUAL MATURITY