SCRIPTURE
Brothers, don't be childish in your thinking, but be infants in evil and adult in your thinking. (1 Corinthians 14:20)
OBSERVATION
The Apostle Paul was addressing the Corinthian church about a few things they needed to change in order to grow. He was concerned that people would mature in their faith. In 1 Corinthians 14, he's challenging the church to teach in a way that people could understand. The whole point of ministry is to build up other people. In this section of his letter to the Corinthians he wants people to grow in their thinking. To mature in their knowledge of Christ.
The problem was the Corinthian's immaturity; they were divided, tolerated sexual immorality, got drunk at church, caused people to stumble in their faith...just to name a few. They were street smart but spiritually unaware. As Paul would say, they were adults in evil and childish in their thinking. Their "maturity" came from experiencing the evils of the Roman culture in which they lived. Paul wants them to grow up, be mature in their thinking, and not be experts in evil. "I want you to be wise about what is good, yet innocent about what is evil." (Romans 16:19)
APPLICATION
It's easy to be an evil expert. It doesn't take much effort to learn about things that are not godly. I can understand the Corinthian's situation and the culture they found themselves in. However, God wants me to grow in my thinking...not just knowing more stuff but developing a biblical worldview that shapes how I live. What I think about is important. Since I'm an adult, I've pretty much lost the innocence of youth but Paul, talking to adults, encourages me to once again become an infant in evil. It doesn't mean I'm naive about the world or the struggles people face. It does mean I think less about the world and more about God, developing the mind of Christ. Meditating on Christ and developing His life in me. It's good to be innocent about evil. God desires that for my life. True maturity comes when my mind is informed and transformed by Christ.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to become and infant in evil and adult in my thinking by developing the mind of Christ.
