Discipleship Devotional, February 15th, 2025
“Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all.”
– Galatians 4:1 (KJV)
Firstly, the context of the above verse was not speaking directly about believers but about the nation of Israel and how, until they received Christ, they were heirs but not different from servants because they hadn’t received the adoption of faith. However, we see a very important lesson to learn from that verse when we isolate it. It says that the heir, as long as he/she remains a child, can’t rule; hence, he is not much different from a servant.
This is one principle we must learn as believers: if we must reign in life as scripture promises, we must choose to grow and not remain babies in Christ. Scripture calls us a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), “kings and priests” (Revelation 1:6, Revelation 5:10), and says we shall reign in Christ (Romans 5:17). With this, it is no question that we are to reign. However, one major hindrance is when we refuse to grow spiritually.
Paul, speaking to the Corinthian Church about something similar, said:
“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babies 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.”
– 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 (NKJV)
So we see that the Apostle Paul was saying that their lack of spiritual growth hindered him from saying some things to them. This shows us the reality of remaining a child in Christ. Just like the newborn baby of a king cannot be very useful in matters of state, you cannot be very useful to God either. And note, being a newborn baby in Christ is not necessarily about the duration of time you have been saved; it’s about whether or not you have given yourself to growth.
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
– 1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, today I choose to give myself to growth. I don’t want to be unfruitful.
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