Bible Studies

The Sophomore's Rut Part 1

by Doug Laird 
09/04/26
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The Sophomore’s Rut Part One

Let’s lay the foundation for this lesson by taking a look at a couple of definitions.

In the spiritual realm a SOPHOMORE is a born-again believer who has progressed somewhat along the way, but still has a good distance to go to reach and to maintain the upper level of spiritual maturity. The word sophomore is a blend of two root words, s-o-p-h-o-s meaning to have obtained some knowledge and m-o-r-o-s meaning not to have fully understood or applied the knowledge to the degree as others, who are further along the road to spiritual maturity, have done.

A ”little” information can be dangerous. It can lead to arrogance and the type of pride that leads to a fall (Prov. 16: 18).

Like the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus day, there are many folks who have deceived themselves (James 1: 22). By being able to quote Scripture, they believe they have all the answers, when in fact, they lack an accurate understanding and or application of the verses they quote. They have become unreachable and unteachable. As a result, they will not only go any further in the life of discipleship, they can unwittingly become useful tools in the hands of the devil, promoting his agenda.

One thing that an advancing disciple will learn soon enough, is that finding the Biblical answer to one question opens the door to a batch of new ones! This is by divine design, and what motivates us to continue on, making forward progress.

A sophomore has learned his or her “way around campus,” but has a good distance to go before he or she is ready for graduation and entry into the realm of spiritual combat.

When confronted with the challenge and 1Pet. 3: 15 opportunity to defend their faith, many sophomores face a reality check when they are knocked out in the first few rounds.

RUTS along the road to spiritual maturity can be anything that would impede or prevent an advancing disciple from making any forward progress. These ruts can consist of anything that would distract, or worse, take the advancing disciple out of the individual plan that God has in mind for his or her post salvation spiritual life.

These ruts can be the result of the unwillingness to make changes in order to overcome the next hurdle along the road to spiritual maturity that God has in mind. Note that there will always be the “next” hurdle that God will want us to overcome. The further along the road to spiritual maturity we go, the higher and more difficult the next hurdle will be to overcome.

An advancing disciple will learn soon enough, that he or she does not have the strength to overcome these hurdles with the limitations of our human abilities, and that it will take the enabling John 15:5 power of God to do so.

Critics are right when they say that the Christian lifestyle is humanly impossible to accomplish. But God never intended for born-again believers to do so without the enabling John 15: 5 power that only He can supply.

This, however, is not to say that there isn’t our part to play. Overcoming many of the next hurdle will usually require that we step out of our comfort zone and face the truth about the one that we see in the mirror.

A spiritual “pridectomy” (removal of pride) can be a painful and humbling experience.

For most advancing disciples, it will be the hurdle of Luke 14: 26 that will be the most difficult to overcome. It takes the advancing disciple beyond spiritual kindergarten where one identifies and addresses the areas of sin. The hurdle of Luke 14:26 sets a new priorities that wiltel govern the course of one’s daily life from that point forward.

“If anyone (being a born-again believer) comes to Me (desiring to become a disciple), and does not hate (love less) his own father, mother, wife (or husband),children, brothers, sisters, yes even his own life (or plans for it), he cannot be My disciple (Luke 14: 26 NASB2020 parentheses mine).”

In between all of the hurdles along the road to spiritual maturity are the many ruts designed to impede the advancing disciple’s forward progress. These ruts can involve opportunities to receive overt prosperity” (Luke 4: 6), as well as adversity. It matters not (to the devil) if he takes a would-be disciple out of the plan of God through prosperity or adversity, as long as the devil achieves his objective.

One of the reasons that Satan blesses the wicked (Luke 4: 6) is because he knows that the prosperity of the wicked can be a difficult hurdle for weaker believers to overcome (Psalms 73).

I say weaker, because advancing disciples are wise enough to apply the Mark 8: 36 principle, and not let the prosperity of the wicked become a stumbling block to them.

Some suggest that it is the mercy of God that allows the wicked to enjoy a degree of earthly prosperity, knowing that life here is short, and this short-lived prosperity is the only joy that they will ever know, before entering the Torments of Hades upon leaving this world, and eventually spend all of eternity future in the lake of fire (Rev. 20: 13, 15).

It’s like a condemned man having his last good meal before facing the executioner in the morning.

. . .

Heb. 5: 12 is speaking to sophomores who are born-again, were making forward progress, but are now stuck in a rut, and no longer moving forward.

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers (participating in the Great Commission – Matt. 28: 19, 20), you have need AGAIN for someone to teach you the elementary principles (unadulterated Gospel Message) of the actual words of God…(Heb. 5: 5 12 NASB2020 parentheses mine)”

In the secular educational systems, being a sophomore means that one is in his or her second year of a four-year program. But in the spiritual realm, advancing to the next level of spiritual maturity is NOT measured in TIME.

There are many, Heaven bound, born-again, believers who are no further along the road to the next level of spiritual maturity than where they were six weeks, six months, or sixty years ago!

Many would flunk a sophomore’s final examination (2Cor. 13: 5).

Some haven’t even gotten out of spiritual kindergarten, never having fully understood the security of their salvation (Rom. 8:1). Others DO understand it, but to their own hurt, misuse it as a license to sin.

End of Part One