Christian Growth: Babies.
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The Bible teaches that there is a striking similarity between spiritual development and physical development.
It speaks of at least three stages in spiritual development which correspond to three stages in physical development.
They are: babyhood, childhood, and adulthood.
Today we will begin with babyhood and childhood.
BABYHOOD
BABYHOOD
The first thing we need to know about infants is that they absolutly grave nourishment!
2 and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
Here in Peter the Bible speaks about Christians being "newborn babes."
No one is born a full grown human naturally and physically.
They are born babies, and then they grow up.
Similarly no one is born a full grown Christian.
You are born a spiritual babe, and then you grow up.
How?
By desiring the pure milk of the Word.
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
The Greek word for desire is “epi-poth-eo” and it means to intensly crave.
We are to desire, like a newborn babe desires.
A newborn babe, when hungry does not eat because they feel like it.
They eat because they are growing fast and literally need to eat.
This is where we make our fist mistake: We engage in spiritual disciplines like prayer, reading the word, attending services WHEN WE FEEL LIKE IT.
The graving for the Word that we had as infants should continue all our lives.
However as good as the gravings for nourishment are, they come with great potential for danger.
Infants, though hungry, has basically zero discernment.
they are Ignorant.
A baby seems to think everything he can get his hands on is intended for his mouth.
A newborn puts his hands in his mouth.
As he grows a little older and learns to crawl across the floor if he finds a screw it goes in his mouth, if he finds a spoon it goes in his mouth, if he finds a spider it goes in his mouth.
Babies are ignorant concerning these things.
They don't know what should go in their mouths and what shouldn't.
And babies have died as a result of not knowing that.
They have gotten hold of something poisonous and it killed them.
What am I getting to?
The same thing is true spiritually speaking.
for example:
30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper.
We need to be careful what goes into our spiritual mouths.
We need to be as careful about what we read as we are about what we eat physically.
We need to know what to Refuse and what to choose.
Christians many times think nothing at all of gulping down some poisonous doctrine which will poison life spiritually, rob them of their spirituality, and ruin their testimony if they accept it.
Discernment is always necessary because you never know when there is Death in the Pot!
No jokes but unfortunately about 90% of all the books at a christian bookshop are poisonous.
There is a saying used in the area of man's natural diet, "You are what you eat." The same thing is true spiritually, "You are what you read."
Childhood.
Now let us move on to the next stage:
Childhood.
Children are recognised, even by Jesus, as posessing an incredible trait:
Trust.
3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
The trust of a child is not based on the validity of the object.
Its based on the intimimacy of the relationship.
If Jesus said we must be like children, why must we grow up?
Children may be example of faith but they are also example of fools.
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.
Thus we are told:
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
What is childishness?
When do we recognise it?
In Speech.
2 A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart.
The bible warns us:
19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.
The maturity of a persons heart can easily be known by an examination of their words.
why?
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
What are the marks of childishness?
1. Evil speaking—talking about and discussing the faults and failures of people not present.
1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2. Vain speaking—always talking about themselves.
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
3. Foolish speaking
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
Conclusion:
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.