Spiritual Growth #3.

Today we shall look at the stage that follows All People who do not know Christ and Babes in Christ.
I call them: Children or Continuing in Christ and they include those who have moved beyond Spiritual Milk. Babes need very easily understood materials or they will choke on it and get puffed up with pride. The members who have gotten to the Children's Stage have mastered the Milk and need to move on to soft food that I call Mush because it is easy to chew and easy to digest. 

People at the Babe Stage are dependent on others to teach them the basic truth, fruit, gifts and power. In my experience Children start to learn more on their own perhaps in directed learning. However, they tend to take whatever they are taught as the absolute truth and quote those they consider to be "experts". 

Here it is key to focus on the basics of truth and not get too far ahead of their ability to chew that which they are fed. Teachings about Revelation, miracle gifts, entering the professional ministry, systematic theology, etc and not for Babes or Children for they require an ability to integrate paradoxical aspects of the Bible that stretch the young mind too far.

These folks are described by St. Paul as still unable to eat Meat. The reason is not theological but interpersonal. They have divisive arguments over which "expert" has the most perfect theology. It is obvious that spiritual children are so dependent on mature teachers that they cannot think for themselves. 

I Corinthians 3:  1 But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ. ² I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready, ³ for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like ordinary men? ⁴ For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men?

We see this quite often today when well meaning Christians argue incessantly over topics such as free will versus the sovereignty of God, when the Lord Jesus will return, modes of baptism, spiritual gifts, etc. Each person is too emotionally and spiritually immature to discuss these issues with the fruit of the Spirit and simply quote their favorite author or speaker. One quotes Calvin and another quotes Wesley. I quote a cessationist and you quote a Pentecostal. Such interpersonal arguments, says the Apostle Paul, indicate immaturity. 

This situation, however, is the fault of the teachers not the students. Teachers that try to pour a seminary education into a young believer in the elementary school will tend to produce a mind that is distorted and confused. Despite that few teachers even consider a grade appropriate way to disciple the flock. As the cartoon above shows, the congregation arrives at church with a variety of needs and desires. Discipleship must include more than just big meetings.

  Think it over and tell me what you believe. Add your pithy comments. My book on theology Healing Release of the Holy Spirit may help you think about these things.

Shalom,

Gary Sweeten