Lesson 60 Explore 4: Press On to Maturity—“The Great Day of Jehovah Is Near”
“Let us press on to maturity.”-
(Hebrews 6.1: Therefore, now that we have moved beyond the primary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying a foundation again, namely, repentance from dead works and faith in God,)
1, 2. What opportunity to ‘flee to the mountains’ opened up for first-century Christians in Jerusalem and Judea?
WHEN Jesus was on earth, his disciples approached him and asked: “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” The initial fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus gave them in answer to their question took place in the first century. Jesus spoke of an unusual development that would signal that the end was imminent. Upon observing that development, “those in Judea [were to] begin fleeing to the mountains.”
(Matthew 24.1-3: Now as Jesus was departing from the temple, his disciples approached to show him the buildings of the temple. In response he said to them: “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, by no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.” While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?”)
(Matthew 24.15-22: “Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place (let the reader use discernment), then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains. Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house, and let the man in the field not return to pick up his outer garment. Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day; for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.)
Would Jesus’ disciples recognize the sign and act on his instructions?
2. Nearly three decades later, in 61 C.E., the apostle Paul penned a strong, sobering message to Hebrew Christians living in Jerusalem and its surroundings. Unknown to both Paul and his fellow believers, the signal marking the opening stage of a “great tribulation” was only about five years away.
(Matthew 24.21: for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.)
In 66 C.E., Cestius Gallus led Roman troops in a nearly successful attack on Jerusalem. But then he suddenly withdrew, leaving open a window of opportunity for endangered ones to escape to safety.
3. What exhortation did Paul give to Hebrew Christians, and why?
3. Those Christians needed keen discernment and spiritual perception to recognize the turn of events and flee. However, some had become “dull in [their] hearing.” They were like spiritual babes needing “milk.”
Read Hebrews 5.11-13: We have much to say about him, and it is difficult to explain, because you have become dull in your hearing. For although by now you should be teachers, you again need someone to teach you from the beginning the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God, and you have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. For everyone who continues to feed on milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is a young child.
Even some of those who had walked in the way of the truth for decades were showing signs of “drawing away from the living God.”
(Hebrews 3.12: Beware, brothers, for fear there should ever develop in any one of you a wicked heart lacking faith by drawing away from the living God;)
Some had “the custom” of missing Christian meetings at a time when this calamitous “day [was] drawing near.”
(Hebrews 10.24, 25: And let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking our meeting together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you see the day drawing near.)
Paul gave them timely exhortation, saying: “Now that we have left the primary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity.”-
(Hebrews 6.1: Therefore, now that we have moved beyond the primary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying a foundation again, namely, repentance from dead works and faith in God,)
4. Why is it important to remain spiritually alert, and what will help us to do so?
4. We are living during the time of the final fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy. “The great day of Jehovah”-the day that will bring the end of Satan’s entire system-“is near.”
(Zephaniah 1.14: The great day of Jehovah is near! It is near and it is approaching very quickly! The sound of the day of Jehovah is bitter. There a warrior cries out.)
As never before, we must remain spiritually keen and alert.
(1 Peter 5.8: Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.)
Are we really doing that? Christian maturity will help us to stay focused on where we are in the stream of time.
What Christian Maturity Is
5, 6. (a) What does spiritual maturity involve? (b) Pressing on to maturity requires effort in what two areas?
5. Paul not only encouraged the first-century Hebrew Christians to press on to maturity but also told them what spiritual maturity involves.
Read Hebrews 5.14: But solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their powers of discernment trained to distinguish both right and wrong.
“Mature people” are not content to partake only of “milk.” They take in “solid food.” Therefore, they know both “the elementary things” and “the deep things” of the truth.
(1 Corinthians 2.10: For it is to us God has revealed them through his spirit, for the spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God.)
Moreover, their perceptive powers are trained through use-through application of what they know-helping them to distinguish right from wrong. When they are faced with a decision, this training enables them to discern what Scriptural principles are involved and how to apply them.
6. “It is necessary for us to pay more than the usual attention to the things heard by us,” wrote Paul, “that we may never drift away.”
(Hebrews 2.1: That is why it is necessary for us to pay more than the usual attention to the things we have heard, so that we never drift away.)
Such drifting away from the faith can happen before we realize it. We can avoid having this experience by paying “more than the usual attention” during our consideration of spiritual truths. Therefore, each of us needs to ask: ‘Am I still considering just elementary things? Could I merely be going through the motions and floating along, as it were, without my heart being fully involved with the truth? How can I make genuine spiritual progress?’ Pressing on to maturity calls for our putting forth effort in at least two areas. We must get well-acquainted with the Word of God. And we need to learn obedience.
Become Well-Acquainted With the Word
7. How can we benefit from becoming better acquainted with the Word of God?
7. “Everyone that partakes of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness,” wrote Paul, “for he is a babe.”
(Hebrews 5.13: For everyone who continues to feed on milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is a young child.)
To attain maturity, we must become well-acquainted with God’s word, his message to us. Since this message is contained in his Word, the Bible, we should be good students of the Scriptures and the publications of “the faithful and discreet slave.”
(Matthew 24.45-47: “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so! Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings.)
Absorbing God’s thinking in this way can help us to train our perceptive powers. Consider the example of a Christian named Orchid. She says: “The reminder that has had the biggest effect on my life is the one about regular Bible reading.
She says: “The reminder that has had the biggest effect on my life is the one about regular Bible reading. It took me about two years to finish the whole Bible, but it seemed that I was meeting my Creator for the first time. I learned about his ways, his likes and his dislikes, the degree of his power, and the depth of his wisdom. Reading the Bible daily has sustained me through some of the darkest moments of my life.”
8. What power can the Word of God exert on us?
8. Regularly reading a portion of God’s Word allows its message to ‘exert power’ on us.
Read Hebrews 4.12: For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Such reading can mold our inner person and make us more pleasing to Jehovah. Do you have a personal need to schedule more time to read the Bible and meditate on what it says?
9, 10. What does becoming acquainted with God’s Word involve? Illustrate.
9. Becoming acquainted with the Bible involves more than being familiar with what it says. Spiritual babes of Paul’s day were not necessarily completely unfamiliar with God’s inspired Word. However, they did not personally use it and test its value by actual practice. They did not acquaint themselves with the message by allowing it to guide them in making wise decisions in their lives.
10. To become acquainted with the Word of God means to know what it says and to put that knowledge into practice. The experience of a Christian sister named Kyle shows how this can be done. Kyle had an altercation with one of her workmates. What did she do to heal the breach? She explains: “The scripture that readily came to my mind was Romans 12:18, which says: ‘As far as it depends upon you, be peaceable with all men.’ So I made an appointment to meet this workmate after work.” The meeting was very successful, and the fellow employee was impressed that Kyle had taken that step. “I learned that we can never go wrong if we apply Bible principles,” says Kyle.
Learn Obedience
11. What shows that obedience under difficult circumstances can be a challenge?
11. Applying what we have learned from the Scriptures can be a challenge, particularly when circumstances are difficult. For example, shortly after Jehovah liberated the sons of Israel from Egyptian bondage, they “fell to quarreling with Moses” and kept “putting Jehovah to the test.” Why? Because of a lack of water to drink.
(Exodus 17.1-4: The entire assembly of the Israelites departed from the wilderness of Sin by stages according to the order of Jehovah, and they camped at Rephidim. But there was no water for the people to drink. So the people began quarreling with Moses and saying: “Give us water to drink.” But Moses said to them: “Why are you quarreling with me? Why do you keep putting Jehovah to the test?” But the people were very thirsty for water there, and they kept murmuring against Moses and saying: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our sons and our livestock with thirst?” Finally Moses cried out to Jehovah: “What should I do with this people? A little longer and they will stone me!”)
Less than two months after entering into a divine covenant and agreeing to do “all the words that Jehovah [had] spoken,” they violated his law on idolatry.
(Exodus 24.3: Then Moses came and related to the people all the words of Jehovah and all the judicial decisions, and all the people answered with one voice: “All the words that Jehovah has spoken, we are willing to do.”)
(Exodus 24.12-18: Jehovah now said to Moses: “Come up to me on the mountain and stay there. I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment that I will write for their instruction.” So Moses got up with his attendant Joshua, and Moses went up the mountain of the true God. But to the elders he had said: “Wait here for us until we return to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you. Whoever has a legal case may go to them.” Then Moses went up the mountain while the cloud was covering it. Jehovah’s glory remained on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. To the Israelites who were watching, the appearance of Jehovah’s glory was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop. Moses then entered into the cloud and went up the mountain. And Moses stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights.)
(Exodus 32.1, 2: Meanwhile, the people saw that Moses was taking a long time coming down from the mountain. So the people gathered around Aaron and said to him: “Get up, make for us a god who will go ahead of us, because we do not know what has happened to this Moses, the man who led us up out of the land of Egypt.” At this Aaron said to them: “Take the gold earrings from the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me.”)
(Exodus 32.7-9: Jehovah now said to Moses: “Go, descend, because your people, whom you led up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly deviated from the way I commanded them to go. They have made for themselves a statue of a calf, and they keep bowing down to it and sacrificing to it and saying, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who led you up out of the land of Egypt.’” Jehovah went on to say to Moses: “I have seen that this is an obstinate people.)
Was this because the prolonged absence of Moses while he was being instructed on Mount Horeb made them fearful? Did they perhaps think that the Amalekites would strike again and that the Israelites would be helpless without Moses, whose upheld hands had brought them victory earlier?
(Exodus 17.8-16: Then the Amalekites came and fought against Israel in Rephidim. At this Moses said to Joshua: “Choose men for us and go out to fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill, with the rod of the true God in my hand.” Then Joshua did just as Moses told him, and he fought against the Amalekites. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. As long as Moses kept his hands lifted up, the Israelites prevailed, but as soon as he would let down his hands, the Amalekites prevailed. When the hands of Moses were heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur, one on each side, supported his hands, so that his hands remained steady until the sun set. Thus Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword. Jehovah now said to Moses: “Write this as a memorial in the book and repeat it to Joshua, ‘I will completely wipe out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.’” Then Moses built an altar and named it Jehovah-nissi, saying: “Because his hand is against the throne of Jah, Jehovah will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”)
That is possible, but whatever the case, the Israelites “refused to become obedient.”
(Acts 7.39-41: Our forefathers refused to obey him, but they pushed him aside and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron: ‘Make gods for us to go ahead of us. For we do not know what has happened to this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt.’ So they made a calf in those days and brought a sacrifice to the idol and began to enjoy themselves in the works of their hands.)
Paul urged Christians to ‘do their utmost’ to avoid ‘falling into the same pattern of disobedience’ that the Israelites showed when they were afraid to enter the Promised Land.-
(Hebrews 4.3: For we who have exercised faith do enter into the rest, just as he has said: “So I swore in my anger, ‘They will not enter into my rest,’” although his works were finished from the founding of the world.)
(Hebrews 4.11: Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall into the same pattern of disobedience.)
12. How did Jesus learn obedience, and with what benefit?
12. Pressing on to maturity requires that we do our utmost to obey Jehovah. As exemplified by Jesus Christ, obedience is often learned from the things suffered.
Read Hebrews 5.8, 9: Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. And after he had been made perfect, he became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him,
Before coming to earth, Jesus was obedient to his Father. However, doing his Father’s will on earth involved physical and mental suffering. Through obedience under extreme adversity, Jesus was “made perfect” for the new position God had in mind for him, that of being King and High Priest.
13. What shows whether we have learned obedience?
13. What about us? Are we determined to obey Jehovah even when we are faced with distressful problems?
Read 1 Peter 1.6, 7: Because of this you are greatly rejoicing, though for a short time, if it must be, you have been distressed by various trials, in order that the tested quality of your faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being tested by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
God’s counsel regarding morals, honesty, proper use of the tongue, personal reading and study of the Scriptures, attendance at Christian meetings, and participation in the preaching work is clear.
(Joshua 1.8: This book of the Law should not depart from your mouth, and you must read it in an undertone day and night, in order to observe carefully all that is written in it; for then your way will be successful and then you will act wisely.)
(Matthew 28.19, 20: Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”)
(Ephesians 4.25: Therefore, now that you have put away deceit, each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, because we are members belonging to one another.)
(Ephesians 4.28, 29: Let the one who steals steal no more; rather, let him do hard work, doing good work with his hands, so that he may have something to share with someone in need. Let a rotten word not come out of your mouth, but only what is good for building up as the need may be, to impart what is beneficial to the hearers.)
(Ephesians 5.3-5: Let sexual immorality and every sort of uncleanness or greediness not even be mentioned among you, just as is proper for holy people; neither shameful conduct nor foolish talking nor obscene jesting—things that are not befitting—but rather the giving of thanks. For you know this, recognizing it for yourselves, that no sexually immoral person or unclean person or greedy person, which means being an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of the Christ and of God.)
(Hebrews 10.24, 25: And let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking our meeting together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you see the day drawing near.)
Are we obedient to Jehovah in these matters even under adversity? Our obedience is an indication that we have progressed toward maturity.
Christian Maturity-Why Beneficial?
14. Illustrate how pressing on to maturity can be a protection.
14. It is a real protection for a Christian to have perceptive powers that are properly trained to distinguish right from wrong in a world that is “past all moral sense.”
(Ephesians 4.19: Having gone past all moral sense, they gave themselves over to brazen conduct to practice every sort of uncleanness with greediness.)
For example, a brother named James, who regularly read and deeply appreciated Scriptural publications, accepted a job where all his coworkers were women. “While many of these clearly showed a lack of moral sense,” says James, “one employee seemed to be of good character and showed interest in Bible truth. When we were alone in a production room, though, she began making sexual advances. I thought it was a joke but found it very hard to stop her. Right then I recalled an experience related in The Watchtower regarding a brother who faced a similar temptation on his job. The article used the example of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. I promptly pushed the girl away, and she ran out.”
(Genesis 39.7-12: Now after these things, the wife of his master began to cast her eyes on Joseph and say: “Lie down with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife: “Here my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has entrusted everything he has into my care. There is no one greater in this house than I am, and he has not withheld from me anything at all except you, because you are his wife. So how could I commit this great badness and actually sin against God?” So day after day she spoke to Joseph, but he never consented to lie with her or to remain with her. But on one of the days when he went into the house to do his work, none of the household servants were in the house. Then she grabbed hold of him by his garment and said: “Lie down with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled outside.)
James was thankful that nothing further happened and that he maintained a good conscience.-
(1 Timothy 1.5: Really, the objective of this instruction is love out of a clean heart and out of a good conscience and out of faith without hypocrisy.)
15. How can pressing on to maturity strengthen our figurative heart?
15. Maturity is also beneficial in that it strengthens our figurative heart and keeps us from being “carried away with various and strange teachings.”
Read Hebrews 13.9: Do not be led astray by various and strange teachings, for it is better for the heart to be strengthened by undeserved kindness than by foods, which do not benefit those occupied with them.
When we strive to make spiritual progress, our mind stays focused on “the more important things.”
(Philippians 1.9, 10: And this is what I continue praying, that your love may abound still more and more with accurate knowledge and full discernment; that you may make sure of the more important things, so that you may be flawless and not stumbling others up to the day of Christ;)
We thus grow in our appreciation for God and for all the provisions he has made for our benefit.
(Romans 3.24: and it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus.)
A Christian who is “full-grown in powers of understanding” develops such gratitude and enjoys intimacy with Jehovah.-
(1 Corinthians 14.20: Brothers, do not become young children in your understanding, but be young children as to badness; and become full-grown in your understanding.)
16. What helped one sister to develop ‘firmness of heart’?
16. A sister named Louise admitted that for some time after baptism, her main concern was the impression she gave to others. “I was not doing anything wrong,” she said, “but my heart was not ablaze with the desire to serve Jehovah. I realized that I had to make some changes if I was going to feel that I was giving everything I could to Jehovah. The biggest change was to throw my whole heart into his worship.” By putting forth such effort, Louise developed ‘firmness of heart,’ and it proved to be vital when she faced a distressing health problem.
(James 5.8: You too exercise patience; make your hearts firm, because the presence of the Lord has drawn close.)
Louise said, “I struggled greatly, but I really drew close to Jehovah.”
‘Become Obedient From the Heart’
17. Why was obedience especially vital in the first century?
17. Paul’s counsel to “press on to maturity” proved to be lifesaving to the first-century Christians living in Jerusalem and Judea. Those who heeded it had the keen spiritual discernment needed to recognize the signal Jesus had given for them to “begin fleeing to the mountains.” When they saw “the disgusting thing that causes desolation... standing in a holy place,” that is, the armies of Rome surrounding and penetrating Jerusalem, they knew that it was time to flee.
(Matthew 24.15, 16: “Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place (let the reader use discernment), then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains.)
Heeding Jesus’ prophetic warning, Christians fled the city of Jerusalem prior to its destruction and, according to ecclesiastical historian Eusebius, settled in the city of Pella in the mountainous region of Gilead. They thereby avoided the worst disaster for Jerusalem in recorded history.
18, 19. (a) Why is obedience vital in our day? (b) What will be considered in the next article?
18. Obedience that comes from pressing on to maturity will prove to be no less lifesaving when we face the major fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy that “there will be great tribulation” of unequaled magnitude.
(Matthew 24.21: for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.)
Will we prove to be obedient to whatever future urgent direction we may receive from “the faithful steward”?
(Luke 12.42: And the Lord said: “Who really is the faithful steward, the discreet one, whom his master will appoint over his body of attendants to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time?)
How important it is that we learn to ‘become obedient from the heart’!-
(Romans 6.17: But thanks to God that although you were once the slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over.)
19. Our attaining maturity requires that we train our perceptive powers. We do this by putting forth effort to get better acquainted with God’s Word and by learning obedience. Growing to Christian maturity brings special challenges to youths. The following article considers how such challenges can be met successfully.
What Did You Learn?
• What is spiritual maturity, and how do we attain it?
• What part does becoming acquainted with the Word of God play in our pressing on to maturity?
• How do we learn obedience?
• In what ways does maturity benefit us?
[End of article.]