What the Bible says about Spiritual Instability
(From Forerunner Commentary)
Leviticus 26:33 clearly shows that scattering results from faithless commandment-breaking, and a vomiting out of the mouth (another metaphor for scattering) is evidence of inconsistency and instability of attitude. We have not held faith with our covenantal responsibilities!
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Fruit of the Spirit: FaithfulnessRelated Topics: Commandment Breaking | Covenant | Covenant Relationship | Covenantal Responsibilities | Faithlessness | Inconsistency | Instability | Instability, Spiritual | Scattering | Spiritual Instability | Vomit Imagery
Paul suggests that a new convert is a child, unstable in his ways, who really does not know which end is up spiritually. He can easily be tricked and deceived.
Someone who has grown, on the other hand, is someone who is stable, who will not be swept aside by persecutions, trials, deceitful teachings, and false doctrines. He can fight these off because he knows, understands, is convicted, and continues in the truth. However, he did not get to this point without also going through a process of growth. He had to pray, study, obey, make choices, analyze, compare, look at the fruits of things, and so on. He had to set his will and change. As he does these things, growth takes place.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Nineteen)Related Topics: False Doctrine | Growth | Growth through Struggle | Instability, Spiritual | Spiritual Babes | Spiritual Baby | Spiritual Children | Spiritual Growth | Spiritual Growth, Process of | Spiritual Immaturity | Spiritual Instability | Spiritual Maturity | Spiritual Maturity, Process of | Spiritual Stability
Notice, Paul does not say, "by what every part or member supplies," but "every joint." For example, a rickety table, feeble in its loose-fitting joints, becomes too wobbly once more than two legs are loose. There may be nothing wrong with the table's legs and the table top. But a table's stability is provided, not by its individual parts, but by the quality of its joints. Unless the legs are affixed securely to the table top, the table is useless.
Staff
'By What Every Joint Supplies'Related Topics: Body Analogy | Body Metaphor | Instability | Relationships | Spiritual Instability | Spiritual Stability | Stability