The bird population inside the beautiful glass cage at the retirement home has recently increased by six tiny, brown, baby birds.
As they have grown, all six birds have appeared to be developing the same way. They have exhibited similar changes in color, they make similar chirping sounds, and they have developed similar flying abilities. In all things, they look alike, except for one marked peculiarity. One of the little birds has never developed a tail.
Initially, this lack of normal development was not evident, for at first none of the babies had a tail, nor could any of them fly. But then tail feathers began to appear on the other five. As they began hesitantly fluttering from branch to branch, that lack became increasingly obvious in the sixth. Our tailless little friend could no longer keep up with his siblings. Not possessing the means to properly balance himself, his clumsy, pitiful attempts to fly have been both sad and comical to watch.
Though safe from natural predators in his little world, he has become a nuisance to the other birds, and a danger, at times, even to himself. Unable to turn quickly and easily in flight, he has frequent collisions with the glass windows. Unstable when perching on a branch, he cannot properly balance himself, resulting in constant disruption to the other birds that are trying to rest there. Unpredictable in his landings because he cannot brake his flight, his approaches are positively annoying to the other birds, as he frequently collides with them.
Such an undeveloped spiritual state ought not to characterize those who are Christians. The results of such an imperfect condition in believers is of infinitely greater consequence to souls than the lack of a tail is to our little friend!
The Word of God often refers to the process of spiritual development in believers’ lives as becoming perfect. This does not mean that a child of God is to seek to attain a condition of sinless perfection. But there are many scriptures which exhort us to “be perfect” in the sense of being “fully matured” as believers. God does not intend that we be like that little bird, lacking what is part of normal growth thus finding our lives marked by instability, unable to live as mature men and women of God.
Abraham, one of the brightest examples of faith found in the Old Testament, was told by Jehovah, “I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect” (Gen. 17:11And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (Genesis 17:1)). A few chapters later (Gen. 221And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. (Genesis 22:1)) we have the sublime proof of Abraham’s perfect (fully matured) walk of faith before the Lord.
But “just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked” (2 Peter 2:77And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (2 Peter 2:7)), is a solemn example of the sad results of a believer’s life which has never properly matured. Consider the tragic effects of Lot’s imperfect, undeveloped life of faith on his dear family and on those among whom he lived in Sodom!
By contrast, in the New Testament we see a lovely example of the blessing resulting from the life of a fully matured believer, “Luke, the beloved physician” (Col. 4:1414Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. (Colossians 4:14)). He writes: “It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order” (Luke 1:33It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, (Luke 1:3)). Thus the Spirit, using this mature vessel, gives the divine record of the Son of Man in the gospel of Luke and, later, the history of the formation of the church, His bride, in Acts.
There is yet more. Again and again we are warned in Scripture of the loss incurred by those who, as the writer of Hebrews says, “are dull of hearing.” Had the Hebrew believers possessed fully developed faith, they would have been teaching others. But such was not the case, for we read, “Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God.” Because the Hebrews were not perfect, they had “need of milk, and not of strong meat.”
When speaking of desire for the Word of God, believers are to be like newborn babes, always thirsting for the “sincere milk of the word.” Why? “That ye may grow thereby.” By desiring to feed on the Word, proper growth and development occur.
But as to maturing in the “most holy faith,” believers need more than milk, because “every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe” (Heb. 5:1313For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (Hebrews 5:13)). Mature believers are referred to as “them that are of full age.” These, feeding on the “strong meat” of the Word, have their senses exercised “to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5:1414But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14)).
Worldly life-styles will deny believers that spiritual food which results in full Christian maturity. The Apostle had to feed the carnal Corinthian believers “with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able (1 Cor. 3:1212Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (1 Corinthians 3:12)). His desire was that they might grow and mature, until they, like the Ephesians, might come “unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13-1413Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (Ephesians 4:13‑14)).
Oh! that we “may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:1717That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:17)), not like that little, underdeveloped bird—unable, unstable and unpredictable—in the path of faith.
Ed.