Graduating out of the crib

From nepios to huios

Graduation from old heavens and earth (crib) to the new heavens and earth (Heavenly places)
Nepios is the Greek word for ‘babies’.  In order to keep babies safe, many times we place them in a crib.  This protects them from the danger of falling down the stairs or touching a hot stove, etc.  I wonder if while we are baby Christians, Father keeps us in a crib of the ‘old heavens and earth’.  There are less consequences there and less opportunity to mess things up.  It’s low power and low impact. 

But in Scripture it’s easy to see that Father is waiting for us to grow up into huios sons (Greek word for mature sons) so we can graduate out of our ‘crib’ and begin to learn to live in a new heaven and new earth (the Heavenly places).  This is what God dreamed of before the foundations of the world (Eph 1:4).  He’s excited about the saints transitioning from being nepios needy consumers of Heaven to being huios co-partner governors – with God – from Heaven – down into earth places.

Can you feel our minds getting renewed?  Can you feel old stronghold beliefs beginning to crack and fray?  A huge shift is happening on the personal level and in some of the corporate body of Christ!   We’re being transformed by the renewing of our minds.  We’re disentangling from this world and reorienting to a higher plane.

These new Heavenly places are governed by laws and principles that are different from earth’s laws.  Our transition from earth laws to Heavenly laws is in full swing.  As Jesus modeled for us in John 3:13, we’re realizing that we are fully human and fully spirit at the same time.  We’re learning to walk on the earth with its earthly laws, but without being mastered by them.  The Heavenly laws are now replacing and superseding the lower laws.  And this is only right and normal for all huios sons of God.  The staggering truth is that our inheritance includes becoming co-governors with God over all the greatness and the sovereignty of all the kingdoms that are under the whole heavens (Dan 7:27).  And that is the TRUTH!

The writer of Hebrews gives us a few clues as to what qualifies us to graduate from nepios to huios sons.  It says that becoming skilled in the “word of righteousness” is a predicating factor for maturing into “perfection” (see Heb 5:11-14 and Heb 6:1-3).  There’s another qualifying factor in this Hebrews passage.  See if you can catch the two qualifying factors in this passage.

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is 1) 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 2) have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” – Heb 5:13-14

So what is the 1) word of righteousness?  What does this mean?  And what does 2) exercise mean and how does it apply to us?  With these two factors in mind, here are two questions:

1. Which do you think about most… your unrighteousness or your righteousness?
   Your answer is evidence as to whether you’ve embraced the righteousness Jesus gave you.
2. Since exercise is essential for growth, how often do you exercise your spiritual senses?
   Where do you push yourself beyond your normal comfortable spiritual boundaries? 

I admit, this may be a significant challenge… but since we’ve been made aware of these things, we’re beginning to make progress.  We’re growing!  Thank you Father!… we’re transforming from ‘nepios’ needy earth-based consumers of Heaven   TO   ‘huios’ Heaven-based confident life-giving sons who are learning to co-rule – with God – from Heaven – down into the earth places.

Wow!  Can anyone say hallelujah!!??!?!!! Yes, Lord!

— MLH

Resource:  Ascended Life Study Course   (New)
Level 1   New Creation Identity     
Level 2   Our Expanded Inheritance