The biblical pattern of the Christian life goes like this:  Born again; babes in Christ; growing in Christ; maturing in Christ.  Yet, it seems so many new believers remain as babes, at least in this culture. The scriptures that support this pattern are these:

1.    John 3:3 – Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

2.    1Peter 2:2 – “…as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby…”

3.    Colossians 2:6-7 –  As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

4.    Philippians 3:13-15 – Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

The New BirthThat first level, the entry level as some would call it in other venues— the new birth—lays the foundation of the new life. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” And he further magnifies that, with this: “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

It opens up a whole new world, both spiritually and physically, never experienced before by the new believer. Paul, again, defines it this way: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This person has experienced what Jesus promised in John 5:24 – “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” When Jesus says “most assuredly”, how could He be more emphatic that He means, certainly and absolutely, every word He says!

Babes in Christ

As babes in Christ, Peter says we should take in the milk of the Word of God that we may grow–in faith, apparently. What does that mean, anyway? What is the milk of the word? The writer of Hebrews lists some basic doctrines in the context of the last part of chapter 5 and early in chapter 6, all of which are included in his identity of the “milk of the Word”. He says this: “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-2) (emphasis mine). Those “elementary principles of Christ” include a few other things, I’m sure, like principles of relationship–prayer, for- giveness, obedience, witnessing, guidance, and faithfulness of God to His proimises, for a start.

Paul told the Corinthians, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food, for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able, for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

He goes on to tell them that the only foundation is Christ, and that their lives must be built upon that foundation with works that are like gold, silver and precious stones, not like wood, hay and straw, which will be burned up. (See verses 11-15.)

Jesus illustrates in a vivid way how the new life in Christ reacts to the old life in Luke 5:37-39 – “And no one puts new wine into old wine- skins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘the old is better.’” Thus, the reason for the new birth. But, look at the last part which points to how hard it is to “put off the old man and put on the new man”, as Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us. On the issue of wine, the old is better, as Jesus proved at the marriage at Cana (John 2). But as to the “new wine” of life in Christ, its vessel must be a totally new creation.

Growing in Christ

When Peter wrote about newborn babes desiring the “pure” milk of the Word, remember that he said it was that they may grow thereby. And Paul, on his way back to Jerusalem that time, stopped off on the way to meet with the elders from the church at Ephesus and ended his exhortation to them with these words: “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). And just to add a bit more fuel to the concept, note what Jesus said to the devil in answer to that entity’s first crack at tempting the Lord: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). It is apparent that the primary ingredient for spiritual growth is the Word of God. And why is that? The Word is truth and a redeemed and regenerated person has been transformed from a life of deception, lies and moral degradation—straight from the heart of Satan. The goal is simply expressed in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians,(4:15), “…but, speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ…” Believers have personal responsibility before God to attend to the matter of growing up to maturity in Christ, but we are not left alone and without major help in that matter. Look at this: “Therefore, my beloved, …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). Salvation is not just “getting saved”, but is the process of spiritual development, the putting off of the old man and putting on the new man by the renewing of the mind, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:22-24. The target goal is here in Colossians 2:6-7 – “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

And Then, On To Maturity

Or, one might conclude, “as close as we can come to that level of the likeness of Christ”. Paul sets up an example in the personal account of himself in Philippians 3:13-15 – “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.”

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews was dealing with some pretty heavy theological stuff, but he had this to say about their progress in spiritual growth: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).

The phrase, “by reason of use” is key to this discussion, for it really means “application” of the truths of the Word. When Jesus stopped by the woman at the well in Samaria (John 4), the disciples went on into the town to buy food. Later, they returned and were surprised He did not desire anything to eat. He said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (verse 34). They were thinking physical food, but Jesus was thinking spiritual—“to do the will of God”; “by reason of use”; “application”. All of these point to the solid marks of maturity.

So we fall miserably short of the mark? Paul says to forget those things that are behind. It’s a new day; let’s start with Romans 12:1-2 and master that recommendation: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

…That the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  So Paul writes to the Thessalonians, just a few words after he has explained again how the Lord will come and meet the believers in the air and so will they be together with Him.  These are verses in I Thessalonians 4:16 to 5:4.

Given the timelessness of the acclaimed Word of God, the words of this article’s title would apply to this generation. Do we—those of this generation—“know perfectly that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night”?  Paul also reminds them, and us, in verse one of Chapter 5, that they are fully aware of the “times and seasons”, indicating recognition of events that Jesus and other New Testament spokesmen have described that will be coming upon the world in increasing magnitude as man’s redemption draws near.

Those with whom I mingle and read about do not seem to exhibit very openly those two attributes—awareness of the “times and seasons” and a perfect expectation that Jesus is coming “as a thief in the night”.  Luke reports of Jesus’ portrayal of the coming of the Son of Man:  “And as it was

in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man, they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark…likewise as it was also in the days of Lot, they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, but

on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26-29).  We have generally thought that “they” in this passage are those of the world, not believers, and clearly Jesus meant tose left in the city, then, and in the world, when the Son of Man comes to take His righteous ones out of the way of judgment.  However, we are told to watch and be ready for His coming. (The historical accounts of Noah and Lot are, respectively, found in Genesis 6-8 and Genesis 19.)

Paul actually picks up on that idea in I Thessalonians 5:4 where he declares, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.” What seems to be profoundly missing in the lives of many believers is that expectancy of the nearness of the coming of the Lord.  Have we become so engaged with the world that we will be taken by surprise?  Do you know many Christians who are not engaged in the social and economic activities described in Luke 17?  That is just a fact of life in this world.  The challenge is not to be engulfed by them.

We are not done with the I Thessalonians 5:1-4 passage, however. Some have seemingly taken a dart and thrown it at a calendar, and where it hits, they declare it as the day of the Lord.  And the world, and believers, as well, laugh and mock at the “date-setter”, breathing a sigh of relief that he was wrong then push the idea out of their minds once again.
Paul, however, mentions “times and seasons” in the context of the coming of the Son of God, as the circumstances and events happening at that time.  He names one specific event that he identifies with the coming of the Son of God.  Look at verses 2-3 of I Thessalonians 5 again: “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon

them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”  We know that a pivotal event in end-times prophecy is the “confirmation of a covenant among many”, described in Daniel 9:27, and that it has to do with Israel, according to its context.  That event sets up the seven-year period of “Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7), and the Church, the body of Christ, will not be in the world during that time.

Paul writes in verse 1, “But concerning the times and the seasons,

brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.”  We know that “times” in prophetic writing means “years”, and our calendar and climates tell us that “seasons” are generally three months each, but here he seems to be making a point of our knowing and understanding the events and circumstances that are occurring in those years and months and weeks.  But the day of the Lord will be on a day and an hour which only the Father knows, thus coming like a thief at night, without announcement.The tell-tale event, Paul says, however, is the issue of peace.  And the only place that is anticipated is in and for Israel.  We are called on to pray for the peace of Israel, and world leaders have kicked that can down the road repeatedly.  In September, 2009, Russia was transferring and installing radioactive rods in Iran’s nuclear plant and the Jewish Feast of Trumpets was at hand.  President Obama hurriedly called a meeting for peace agreement discussions between Israel and the Palestinians.  It was  a call for immediate discussions, without delay.  That “panic-like” appeal, or really, demand seemed to portray an unspoken issue that underscored the prevailing circumstances.  [I also thought at the time that it was quite interesting that it was U. S. President Obama, not the United Nations leadership, who called for the meeting!]

After some days of discussion, President Obama directed the two sides to work out their differences during the coming year and have an agreement ready by September, 2010.  In September, 2010, there still was no agreement, and the parties were admonished to have an agreement put together by September, 2011.  It did not happen then, either.

Neither did it occur this past September, 2012.  It was hardly mentioned, having, early on, met with strong resistance by Israel against the demands of the Palestinians.  Are the “times and seasons” of events and circumstances coming together for that to happen? The focus of the world is on the Middle East and Israel, with Jerusalem at the heart of it.  Has Jerusalem become a stone too heavy for the nations (Zechariah 12:3)?

Paul indicates that the trigger that culminates this age of grace is that cry of “peace and safety”, and suddenly, everything turns upside down in this world.  For three years the proposed peace agreement has pointed to the month of September for its culmination, which is also the month in which the Feast of Trumpets is on the calendar. One must remember the “day or the hour” issue and the differences in time zones around the world, as well as the actual changing of time within a time zone.  That is, a change in the setting on your watch is made when you pass over a time zone division line, but the actual movement oif time has not stopped during the width of that time zone.  Thus, it seems clear that only God, who is eternal and outside of time restrictions, can know the actual moment when the Rapture will take place.

One clear wrinkle in the timing is that a day date starts on the Jewish

calendar at sunset of the prior day so that “today” on non-Jewish calendars is on a Monday, for example, it will actually begin on the evening of the prior day in Jerusalem.  Then is when the three sets of trumpet blasts to announce the Feast of Trumpets will be sounded, ending with “the last trump”, as it pictures the coming event of the Rapture in some future opening of this annual festival.The Feast of Trumpets is a clear picture of the departure of the Church, the Rapture. Paul writes of it this way:  “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17).  The Old Testament laws foreshadowed the reality that was to come and fulfill the portrayal.  (See also Hebrews 10:1.)

Will that foreshadowing event be fulfilled at this time?  “Times and seasons” events clearly indicate that the day of the Lord will be soon.