Growing in Grace in Christ JESUS

"Every one who useth milk, is unskillful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe." -Hebrews 5:13 [KJV]

This is a sharp reproof. As then, so now there are many who need it. The word rendered unskillful, in the margin of our bibles, is, hath no experience. Christian experience is much talked of, but too little understood. Many are ready to give a long detail of experience which they have had of one thing and another, but you can find nothing of the word of righteousness in it. It all begins in self, ends in self, and tends to exalt self. O! there is a great deal of self-seeking, self-soothing, and self-complacency, in what is called Christian experience. 

But real Christian experience is that inward proof or trial, which our minds have of the word of righteousness; how the belief of it has brought relief to our guilty consciences, ease to our troubled souls, and rest to our weary minds. From hence, Christ, the sum and substance of the word of righteousness, becomes precious, sin hateful, ourselves vile, our righteousness filthy rags, the world contemptible, the path of duty pleasant, the way of holiness delightful, and fellowship with God most highly estimable to our souls. 

This is Christian experience indeed. But all experience which is talked of, that does not arise from the word, is not agreeable to the word, and is not supported by the word of righteousness, is fancy, whim, and delusion. Many use milk, and are babes. They are unskillful; have no experience of the word of righteousness; God’s everlasting, electing love and covenant grace to sinners in Christ—yet saving them to all good works by the grace of Christ; the sovereign efficacy of the Spirit, in bringing them to Christ; and their certain perseverance, and sure salvation, being kept by the power of God, through faith in Christ. 

Though the word of righteousness holds forth these glorious truths, as plain as though written with a sunbeam, yet such babes cannot bear them: their stomachs heave against them: their spirits rise with indignation against them. They can only feed upon milk and pap, like babes: they wrangle and cry like babes, if you put strong meat into their mouths. Therefore, they cannot, they do not grow strong in the Lord Jesus Christ: they are content with the first principles of Christianity: they are not going on to perfection, and growing up into Christ Jesus in ALL THINGS. 

O! get beyond such babyish experience. Prize highly the word of righteousness. Bring all your experience to it. Draw all your comfort from it. Judge of your state by it. Be clothed with humility. Fight not against God’s sovereign purposes, council, and covenant. Put on that Spirit, and pray to the Lord, “That which I see not teach Thou me” (Job 34:32.)

 

-preacher Wm. Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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