How a Spiritual Baby Grows

How a Spiritual Baby Grows

By Marilyn Peeples

But how does a spiritual baby grow? Does it automatically happen? Peter tells us:

“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” (1 Peter 2:2)

Desire milk. Grow. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

The Corinthians, however, were not growing as they should have been and Paul wrote to them about this problem. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, he told them:

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes 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; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?”

Paul was dealing with this same problem as he wrote to the Hebrew Christians. He wrote in Hebrews 5:12-14:

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is 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 have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Unskilled. A babe. Not of full age. Can that be said of me?

How much time do others spend trying to appease us? Time they could spend seeking lost sinners? How much time do we whine waiting for others to call and check on us? We ought to be calling to check on those who are sick, shut-in or elderly. How often do we refuse to attend the services of the church because we got our feelings hurt about some trivial matter? We ought to be actively inviting others to services.

The goal of every person is not to remain an immature child. The goal of every new Christian must be to grow also, not to stay babes and not to remain immature. It takes a concentrated effort on a daily basis to grow into a mature Christian.