“Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God” – Hebrews 6:1
When I was a kid my favorite breakfast food was cereal. I loved cereal. In case you are wondering, my favorite cereal was Frosted Flakes. I could eat cereal for every day. In fact, I could eat cereal at breakfast, lunch, for an after-school snack and dinner. I loved cereal. During college, I found cereal to still be a great meal. It was easy to prepare and inexpensive. Even as an adult, I admit, I still have a great love for cereal.
I still maintain that cereal is a great meal, but I have learned that it is not quite as beneficial for me as other meals. As I have gotten older, I have come to see that there are better options for breakfast; a little less sugar, fewer carbs and more protein. They are a much better option for enhanced energy for the day and better long-term health. Although I still eat an occasional bowl of cereal, I do my best to make healthier choices.
The writer of Hebrews is urging the readers of this letter to mature in their faith. In the fifth chapter the author writes, “For everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:13-14) These two chapters are written to encourage the reader to consider a better, healthier, stronger practice of faith. “Milk” does not provide the same benefits to an adult as it does an infant. For a person of faith to grow in their trust and understanding of God they must adopt the practices of a mature and disciplined Christian.
I confess, I still love a good bowl of cereal, but it is not the best choice I can make. The same is true for my faith. Although I am tempted to continue with the same practices that I have been comfortable with since my youth, I know that, to press on towards “Perfection,” I must choose those practices that feed me a healthy dose of faith so that I may move beyond the basic teachings and grow in my faith.
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
