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The City of Zion Part 8
Babes in Christ
Introduction
This is a transcribed sermon given to a local fellowship group in January 2006. It is part eight of my continuing fourteen part series of the subject of Zion. This article will address what is called “babes in Christ”, and most believers are aware of this biblical term and are familiar with the type of believers that can biblically be called “babes in Christ”. But what do “babes in Christ” have to do with the subject of Zion? As I mentioned before, I am going from scripture to scripture in sequence where Zion is found, and as I look at the meanings of certain words I am able to theologically connect certain topics with Zion. This transcribed sermon is no exception, and you will soon realize how I theologically connected the subject of Zion with “babes in Christ.” The point I’m making is that when I prepared these sermons I did not know what the subject would be until I was maybe half way through in preparing these sermons. I have found that the subject of Zion is theologically connected with many doctrines that could be talked about, simply by looking at the meanings of the original Hebrews and Greek words. The correct meanings of words tell a story, and this is again the premise of the subject called; “babes in Christ”. It would be in the best interests of those in the status of being called “babes in Christ” to NOT STAY as babies in Christ, but to spiritually grow out of that status. But “babes in Christ” will still be saved, but they truly should take their calling very serious by being active in studying, growing in spiritual maturity, and overcoming the deceptions of this world. There is a danger if believers do not grow out of the status of being babies in Christ. They could miss out in the resurrection of the “first fruits” and suffer the loss of their rewards; but understand; they will still be saved yet so as “by fire” (1Cor. 3:14-15). Please read this article very carefully…..
In the past six months or so I started a series on the study of the subject of Zion, and it just seems like one thing leads to another and this subject is leading in many directions, but my focus is still on the subject of Zion. My studies and research on this subject is what I personally have come to understand which I am willing to share with others, and these tapes are simply teaching lessons that are the results of my studies. As I research scripture and prepare these teaching lessons I find myself being led to other topics and subjects that will be discussed along with the subject of Zion.
What I am doing is carefully looking at the words of each scripture where Zion appears in the Bible, and I have found that Zion is directly or indirectly involved with other topics and subjects. I’ve entitled this lesson “babes in Christ”, and this will be part eight of the city of Zion, and I am still in the book of Psalms. The subject of Zion appears all over the Bible as we all know, and what we must understand about Zion is that this is a spiritual subject that cannot be explained with our own understanding.
Zion is used in the Bible as a symbol meaning a dry parched place, and symbols are used many times and are generally things of the material and physical creation that are used to represent things of the invisible heavenly creation. Symbols point to and represent the reality of the things of God behind the scenes that control all things of our physical world. Symbols point to the plan of God, and the symbol of Zion as a dry parched place is used as a major part of that plan of God in redeeming His people. Zion points to and represents the real Zion; the city and county of mount Zion behind the scenes. If you have your Bibles you may want to hit the pause button of your tape recorder.
Psalm 129:1-8 KJV A Song of degrees. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: 2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. 4 The LORD [is] righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. 5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion. 6 Let them be as the grass [upon] the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up: 7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. 8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD [be] upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD.
Israel may now say (notice the word “now”), and what does Israel NOW say after they were afflicted from their youth? The terms; “my youth”, “not prevailed against me,” and “plowed my back” is also mentioned. The “me” and “my” of course refers to Israel, but who does the plowing and makes long furrows, and who does the afflicting, and who is trying to prevail against Israel in its youth?
There are those that obviously hate Zion, but they actually hate a people called Israel. It says; let them be confounded and turned back when they hate Zion, and confounded means to be ashamed. Turned back means to literally retreat, or to backslide, and apostatize. Noah Webster says to apostatize means to abandon one's profession, church, or faith, and in this case it means to abandon Zion because they hate Zion, and as explained let them be ashamed for that. This means that whoever hates Zion and abandoned Zion were at one time a part of Zion but they backslided and apostatized from what they were at one time from their YOUTH.
It says Jehovah cut asunder the cords of the wicked to let them be ashamed because they retreated, backslided, abandoned, and apostatized from what is called “from their youth.” Now notice verse eight; “neither do they which go by say”. Go by where or what? When they go by Zion and a people called Israel that was afflicted from their youth. Those of Israel that retreated and abandoned Zion will now say; the blessing of Jehovah be upon those that stayed with Zion simply because they have abandoned Zion and now hate Zion. The point is, that shame can only be realized when they NOW know what they abandoned, retreated and backslided from (it says may Israel NOW say).
Jeremiah 3:22-25 KJV Return, ye backsliding children, [and] I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou [art] the LORD our God. 23 Truly in vain [is salvation hoped for] from the hills, [and from] the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God [is] the salvation of Israel. 24 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.
Notice the term “our youth” and it talks about our shame and our confusion. This is a time when God’s children will say that in vain they hoped for salvation from hills and mountains; or from governments and nations. They NOW realize the shame and confusion for not trusting in Jehovah their God who is the salvation of Israel. Again, backsliding means to apostate or to turn away, and could also be called a “falling away”; which is a term found in the New Testament. God wants His backsliding children to return. Return means to turn back; to come or go back where they were before.
The point is, the children were ashamed and confused from their youth, and what or who caused this shame and confusion. I don’t believe this is talking about the enmity of Gen. 3:15. The seed of the serpent does not have shame and they cannot abandon, retreat, and apostatize from something they never were a part. I do not believe God wants the seed of the serpent to return and go back to Zion.
Many times we do not realize just who the enemies of Israel are. But of course the enemies are also the left side of Gen. 3:15. The serpent people are in the business of deceiving the seed of the woman, and the point is; they are the most effective to deceive Israel in their youth. All the serpent people want to do is deceive the people of Zion to abandon, retreat, apostatize from Zion from their youth.
True Israel when deceived and confused from its youth becomes its own worse enemy. When Israel is deceived and confused from it’s youth that deception is spread to all Israel in all generations, and the only way real profound shame can be realized is when that deception is lifted that was on them from their youth; when they were very young; or should I say when they were “babes in Christ”. They will NOW realize true shame simply because they allowed their backs to be plowed with long furrows; while still babes in their youth. They were not confounded with shame while babes in their youth because they were totally unaware that they were being afflicted and deceived to abandon and hate Zion.
When I read the scriptures where Zion is found it just seems that Zion is connected with so other topics and subjects that could be talked about. The Bible is a very fascinating book, and it is filled with subjects that are all theologically connected in some way. The Bible is filled with many words and subjects that are all linked to one source or starting point of learning. That source and starting point is the mind of God. This fundamental truth is so very important to understand even when we first were as babes in Christ; when we first has that simple child-like faith in the word of God, and I want to now talk about confusion.
There is total and complete harmony and order with the mind of God, and the words He inspired were very carefully chosen. There is absolutely no confusion or disorder in those carefully chosen inspired words. So if there happens to be confusion by babes in Christ it is NOT caused by God’s carefully chosen inspired words. That is what we all need to understand as we continue this lesson. Nobody wants to be confused, because it does cause a setback of our faith; but let’s all acknowledge that we have all been confused in one way or another. If we do not acknowledge that we’re just kidding ourselves. A true babe in Christ should choose to avoid confusion, but none of us are at the point of Christian growth to where we understand the will and mind of God as we should; the starting point of understanding the knowledge of God.
Confusion can only be caused when the foundation of faith that people choose to believe is not based on facts, and on the carefully chosen inspired words of God. That is the only way confusion and disorder can happen in the minds of babes in Christ. Confusion is only a symptom of something that is already not right and we all have to honestly confess that just maybe our foundation of faith is not all what it should be. Those that are deceived to hate Zion have truly been very effective in doing their plowing and making long furrows on babes in Christ.
Please understand that plowing of deception can only be effective if Israel unknowingly deceives Israel. What better way to keep Israelites deceived, than by interpreting the chosen words of God by a wrong meaning; and keep in mind they were deceived from their youth while they were babes in Christ. The point I want to make is that the serpent people generally know who they are; and they know who they hate, and God put that hatred and enmity there in the first place. All they’re interested in is to deceive Israel in their youth, and then Israel itself does the plowing and makes the long furrows to keep the deception alive and effective.
Everyone that responds to the call of God professes the Christian faith, and they all started by understanding the very basic fundamental truth of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ; which caused repentance and baptism. That understanding was given from mount Zion in our youth when we were as “newborn babes”.
1Peter 2:1-2 KJV Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Matthew 11:25 KJV At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Why would God see fit to reveal these things unto babes? The word “babes” simply means an infant; figuratively it means a simple minded person, an immature Christian. God sees fit and wants to reveal the starting points of His knowledge to simple minded immature believers. That is a fact we must understand, and that only means God expects those simple minded immature believers to grow out of that immaturity. Simple minds of babes are minds eager to learn and are very fertile ground for God to reveal the starting points of His knowledge; they are not minds of the “wise and prudent”; which are locked and “set in concrete” and nothing will change these minds.
1Corinthians 1:26-27 KJV For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
God chose the foolish and weak things of the world, or should I say the simple minded immature newborn babes to confound what God calls the wise and prudent and the mighty. Confound simply means put to shame and disgrace. Can you imagine; God chose babes; simple mined immature believers to put to shame and disgrace the wise and prudent minded, and the so-called mighty of this world. These types of minds cannot and will not grow; they already have their minds made up and they will not and cannot be taught; especially from what they would consider are simple immature carnal minded Christians.
Well guess what, babes in Christ are carnal which means fleshly or by implication unregenerate minds. Now it is very important to know what “unregenerate” means. It means not renewed in heart; remaining at enmity with God, but babes in Christ are not to remain at enmity with God.
1Corinthians 3:1-3 KJV And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, [even] as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it], neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
There is that term “babes in Christ”; and they are indeed very carnal and in enmity with God and they truly can cause envying, strife, and divisions. But the point is brothers and sisters, God reveals to babes of fleshly, immature, unregenerate minds His starting points of understanding, as Christ explained in Matt 11:25 as we read. These babes in Christ are fed just the milk, or the starting points of nourishment from the mind of God which is the source of total harmony and truth, and that source is most certainly anything but envying, strife, and division. Well, we have to ask; does God want babes of unregenerate minds that cause envying, strife, and division to stay that way; in enmity and opposition with God?
1Corinthians 13:11-13 KJV When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.
The word “child” is repeatedly mentioned and it’s the same Greek word as babes. The very obvious truth of these scriptures is that we must put away immature carnal childish things. Darkly means “fixed position”, and seeing through a glass darkly means we are looking in a mirror at a fixed position of ourselves. Keep that term; “fixed position” in your minds. We can see only ourselves, but when babes in Christ begin to put away childish carnal things they then begin to see God in that mirror face to face. Babes in Christ when they put away childish things begin to see the big picture; they begin to see the source of all knowledge that removes confusion, disorder, strife, and division.
But in the meantime babes in Christ are to practice faith, hope, and charity. Notice the word “now”, abides these things. But then (notice the word “then”) when we become men we are not to understand as a child anymore; but to understand things like a man; we become mature; not carnal, and we begin to have minds not in enmity with God and we begin to see God; not us in that mirror. Verse 12 reads like this in the “God’s Word” translation: Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me Notice the “now” and the “then”, and brothers and sisters what does it mean; “we then see face to face?” To see means seeing with the mind; it means to understand. It’s all about growing in the understanding of God.
Everything living plant and all living breathing animals and all people have only one thing in common. They all must grow and they all will grow into adulthood and then all will die. That is how the laws of biology and nature work, and that is what the physical creation around us is all about. But what about the spiritual creation, and growing in the source of all knowledge; the mind and will of God, and what about the growth and building of mount Zion? Understand something; nothing is neutral; everything is a growing process in creation and also in the invisible spiritual creation.
God is not the author of confusion and He is not the author of a book that causes confusion. The original words of God can be traced in that book we call the Bible and those carefully inspired words can only cause growth. I am not talking about the translated words. Confusion can only be caused if there is no growth in understanding the original words. Confusion happens when our foundation of faith is not growing from the one source where there is no possibility of confusion and deception. There is no way anyone or any doctrine can confuse you if the foundation of faith is being fed and nourished by the mind and Spirit of God.
I know what you’re thinking; you mean to tell me we do not have the Spirit of God if we are confused in some way. That is not what I am saying brothers and sisters; you were given the Spirit of God at your repentance and baptism. But you can grieve the Spirit in many ways.
Ephesians 4:29-32 KJV Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
The Spirit can be grieved if we have bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking, and we all know what these words mean. Any corrupt communication or any words that do not edify to minister grace to the hearers will grieve God. The word “sealed” means to stamp with a signet or private mark for security or preservation. We are stamped with the mark of God and preserved onto the day of redemption.
God can be grieved in many ways and anything we choose to believe that will cause confusion, disorder, and division can also grieve God. The Spirit is grieved if spiritual growth is stifled or hindered. God wants us to grow out of confusion, but understand something; we are still stamped with the mark of God; preserved to be saved. So why is God still grieved if he has preserved us for redemption anyhow? We can all understand that God would be grieved if he has to reject us because of bad works and the things we might believe. But God will not reject us; He only rejects and burns up the bad words and the false things we choose to believe. He certainly would not be grieved to save us.
Why doesn’t it ever enter in our minds that God wants to give us rewards as well as to save us. When He hears evil speaking, bitterness, and wrath, it grieves Him to know we could suffer the loss of rewards. It grieves Him to see and hear the things that cause the Church not to grow, and I am not talking about growing in numbers. The Church has always been a very small flock suffering division, false doctrine, and struggling with all the things that grieve God.
Another thing that seems to never enter our minds is that to suffer loss of rewards is not suffering the loss of our salvation. Please understand; to suffer loss is true suffering. Suffering means to suffer, and it is very tragic to suffer the loss of rewards we could have had for eternity. Those losses are caused because babes in Christ refused to grow, and allowed their backs to be plowed with long furrows while in their youth, and they learned how to unknowingly hate Zion and unknowingly became enemies of true Israel. That is what truly grieves God.
But understand something; do not ever think that God will not save babes in Christ even if they stay babes all their lives. It’s the same as responsible Christian parents that would never reject their babies and children. But these parents can be grieved and saddened if their babies and children refuse to grow up, but they could never reject them or disown them. God our heavenly Father could also never reject babes in Christ even if they refuse to grow up. But if those babes in Christ stay babes and refuse to grow and be nourished by God’s inspired words they will suffer shame; and they might suffer the loss of all their rewards; and if they are not resurrected as first fruits they will have to be judged by the fire of God’s wrath, but still be saved yet so as by fire.
1Corinthians 3:13-19 KJV Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are. 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
These scriptures are self-explanatory and should not be confusing at all; we just have to believe what Paul is saying. Notice the word wise and the wisdom of this world, or age as it should read. A man deceives himself simply because he believes he is wise when in God’s eyes he is a fool, and fool means dull and stupid; it means morally a blockhead. God taketh the wise means that God entraps the wise in their own sophistication. Verse 18 says “if any man among you”; which means among the believers. The wisdom of this age does not belong with believers, and Paul said let him become a fool so that he is aware that his wisdom was only foolishness with God.
Paul said every man’s work will be manifested and tried by fire. Every man truly means all believers and non-believers, all the blockheads, all the wise and prudent, and all the babes in Christ. No one is excluded, and all works of every one will be tried by the fire of God’s judgment. But believers and babes in Christ are being tried and baptized by that fire NOW in this evil age, and the rest of all Israel will be tried by fire later at the general resurrection.
God will destroy those that defile His temple, but how does God destroy yet SAVE so as by fire? Destroy means to pine or waste, to shrivel or wither, that is, to spoil by any process; to ruin figuratively by moral influences, or to deprave. Pine means to wear away, or wear out, or to grow lean. But do these meanings imply that to destroy is to cause to cease to exist? The words “defile” and “destroy” in verse 17 are the same Greek word. That word was translated simply as “corrupt” in other scriptures.
Man can defile, corrupt, spoil and ruin by moral influences God’s temple where His Spirit dwells. If man does that; then God will bring this corruption back on the man and cause that man’s soul to also be defiled, spoiled, and corrupted. But can any man defile, corrupt and cause the temple of God to cease out of existence? We are the temple of God where the Spirit dwells and we can corrupt ourselves by moral influences to the extent that God can no longer use us for His holy use.
By “destroying” does not mean what we might think it means. If any man defiles, corrupts, and spoils what is holy then God will defile, corrupt, and spoil him; not necessarily destroy him in the sense of what we think destroy means. God will destroy him in the same manner that he destroys the temple of God. In other words, God causes his soul to be defiled and corrupted because it is useless to God in this life; but the works of that soul still exists to be later judged by fire, and his spirit will be saved just like the Corinthian fornicator.
1Corinthians 5:4-5 KJV In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
This fornicator was turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh body, but is this not what happens to everyone? Yes, Satan caused all of Adam’s descendants to inherit the destruction of the flesh body. The point is, this evil man was put in the same condition as all unbelievers, and could this mean that the spirits of unbelievers can also be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus? But what about the soul? The soul is not mentioned simply because this fornicator’s soul was defiled and corrupted just like any other unbeliever that Satan has power over; but this fornicator’s spirit will still be saved. But the early Church believed in the salvation of the soul along with the spirit, and that it was possible to save a soul from death.
Hebrews 10:38-39 KJV Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
James5:20 KJV Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Now I want you to follow me carefully on what I want to try and explain. I just want to believe the scriptures exactly the way it was written and then explain the way I understand. Ezek 18:4 says all souls belong to God and the soul that sins shall die. All souls are destined to die because all have sinned (Rom. 3:23) and the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Are any souls excluded from sin and death? No, but obviously souls can be saved from death. That is the salvation the early Church believed, and that is what the Christian faith is all about, it is not?
What is salvation? We just read it; salvation is the saving of the soul from death. But since all souls belong to God why are all souls destined to die? Could it be that God wanted souls to die for the very reason so He can save them? But obviously the works of most souls when tried by fire will be burned up and will suffer the loss of rewards, but he himself will be saved as Paul said, and this is the salvation of the soul as the early Church believed.
The early Church also believed in overcoming the carnality of babes in Christ, growing in the knowledge of God, building Christ’s Church and the most holy faith, and resisting deception and the devil. Why? If they believed souls will be saved in the end anyhow why all this perseverance, repenting, and stress of overcoming? Could it be that they were called to be first fruits with much greater rewards than the vast majority of souls with defiled corrupt works that God cannot use?
1Corinthians 15:42-44 KJV So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
Now I have some questions. Is any soul excluded from being sown in corruption, dishonor, and weakness? Will all souls be resurrected, and will all souls be raised in spiritual bodies of incorruption, glory, and power? Do all souls have a natural body, and also a spiritual body? When we look at someone all we see is the natural body; we do not see the spiritual body; but it’s there and more real than the natural body.
Now I ask again; are any souls EXCLUDED from what Paul explained in these scriptures? Remember all souls belong to God. But obviously God will burn up the defiled corrupt works of the majority of souls, but they still have a spiritual body, and it is the spiritual body that is raised in power, glory, and incorruption, and will never die. The spiritual bodies will have their souls restored and some will receive rewards; but most will have nothing to show for of works done in this life and will suffer the loss of rewards. God corrupted, spoiled, wasted, defiled the souls in this life that were not worthy to have rewards, but they themselves will still be saved along with their resurrected spiritual bodies; yet so as by fire. It’s just that most souls were worthless in this life.
There is a resurrection both of the just and unjust (Acts 24:15), and what is raised in the resurrection would have to be the spiritual bodies of both the just and unjust. But only a very few souls are worthy of rewards and these saved souls will have their rewards for all eternity. The obvious truth is that the souls and spirits of Adam-kind will be saved, but most will not be saved with eternal rewards. If some souls were worthless, defiled, and spoiled they will judged to have their works burned up by the fire of God’s wrath; but all GOOD works will be cleansed and purified by that fire.
Remember all souls are sown in corruption, dishonor, and weakness with a natural body; but destined to have spiritual bodies raised in incorruption, glory, and power; but only after all souls are purged, cleansed, purified, and judged by fire. That I believe is what Paul is explaining. I have to ask why does today’s Christian world generally interpret Paul to be talking about only a very few select souls? Why? I want to know what Paul was explaining, and maybe I can learn from some of you if you can explain why Paul somehow EXCLUDED the vast majority of souls in these scriptures in 1 Cor. 15.
Hebrews 12:22-23 KJV But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
It says that believers are come unto mount Zion, and that is where the spirits of just men are along of course with the angels. But do not all spirits of Adam-kind go back to God when their bodies die? Yes, these spirits go upward (Ecc 3:21) and are in mount Zion where God dwells, but only believers and babes in Christ are COME unto mount Zion because they are all written, enrolled, or registered in mount Zion in heaven. They are a part of the general assembly and Church of Christ while still living in flesh bodies and at the same time a part of mount Zion.
Notice it is only the spirits of just men made perfect, but what about the spirits of unjust men? They are not come unto mount Zion as a part of the general assembly and the Church of the firstborn. These souls are not called of God in this life and are called unbelievers. Many souls are called but few are chosen to be resurrected as first fruits, and these few souls are training to not stay as babes in Christ; but growing into perfect mature adulthood and are come to mount Zion to be a part of the spirits of just men that have died that were also made perfect. The writer of Hebrews proclaimed emphatically; “ye are come unto mount Zion”. “Come unto” means they are there, and Mount Zion is behind the scenes and determines the rewards of those called to be first fruits.
Are we aware that we have come unto mount Zion? Most babes in Christ are not aware of the profound reality of coming unto mount Zion and that includes me. But we must believe. That is what growing, believing, and having faith in the words of God is all about. The serious condition of not growing in good works and in the knowledge of God is explained as a parable in Luke 12:46-48 :
KJV The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
As we all know a parable is simply a fictitious story that Christ spoke to deliberately hide the truth, so what is the truth this parable is hiding? The very obvious truth is that believers can have their portion of chastisement with the unbelievers. “Cut him asunder” means to bisect or cut in two by flogging or scourging severely. The servant that KNEW his Lord’s will and prepared not himself would have to be believers. Not preparing himself would have to mean he is not growing, or staying as a carnal minded immature babe in Christ. The point is, the believers were considered as unbelievers by this parable, and they might be chastised, flogged, and scourged severely.
Like I said; suffering is suffering and it could be severe chastisement involved in burning up corrupt defiled works to prepare these souls to be saved. Now notice, the ones that knew NOT the Lord’s will simply means they were unbelievers, but they of course did commit things worthy of being beaten; but with less severe flogging and scourging than the believers. Those believers would have to include babes in Christ that KNEW the Lord’s will, but did nothing to be worthy of earning rewards. The believers including babies in Christ were given much, and were required much, and were asked more that the unbelievers.
So what does all this mean? It means if we want to avoid being scourged and beaten with many stripes then we had better put away childish things and grow into mature adulthood. It means we better start seeing God in that mirror, instead of just our own darkly “fixed position” (1Cor. 13:12). Growing out of babyhood is not about us. It’s all about God and believing the meanings of the original words of God. It’s all about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It’s all about earning rewards and coming out of deception that all of us have had from our YOUTH.
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