From Infancy to Maturity in the Christian Life
Imagine a grown man intentionally acting like a baby, wearing diapers and crying like an infant. Some people actually do. In reading the news about a situation with this behavior, I learned a new term: paraphilic infantilism—acting like a baby as an adult.
Now imagine a newborn Christian who does not grow but remains in spiritual infancy. What would this person be like?
Well, if he is indeed a Christian, he at least knows and believes in the elementary doctrine of Christ and foundational truths of God’s Word—instruction about repentance, faith, baptism, resurrection, eternal judgment, and so on (Heb 6:1–2).
But this person knows little more than that. He has not graduated from the milk of God’s Word to the next stage of his spiritual growth—a maturity marked by a practiced discernment between good and evil and the ability to understand and appreciate theological matters like the priesthood of Jesus Christ (Heb 5:11–14; cf. 1 Pet 2:2).
Christians who remain their spiritual childhood are “children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph 4:14). They are “infants in Christ” who act with jealousy, strife, and boasting (1 Cor 3:1–4; cf. 1:10–11; 3:18–19; 4:18).
What do we do with spiritual babies? How can they graduate from the spiritual nursery?
Pastors should care for them like gentle mothers but also be firm like fathers in encouragement and exhortation (1 Thess 2:7, 11–12). Admonition can be necessary, not to shame them but to treat them as beloved children so that they might look like Jesus Christ (1 Cor 4:14–16).
In fact, the whole church is necessary to their growth, each one showing patience and doing good in response to any wrongs (1 Thess 5:14–15). There are many father/son, mother/daughter, and sibling relationships within the church that God gives to us for our growth (Titus 2:1–10; cf. 1 Tim 5:1–2). Generally speaking, the Great Commission teaches us to make disciples who in turn make disciples themselves—a process of teaching doctrine and how to live out the teachings of Christ (Matt 28:18–20).
Considering the above, we could ask ourselves some questions. Where am I in my Christian life? Do I have infantile understanding of God’s Word? Am I diligent to study it as best I can? Do I exhibit fleshly behaviors that betray a lack of growth in Christ? If so, how can my pastors and fellow Christians help me to grow? If I am a mature Christian, who am I discipling to greater growth in Christ? My own children? Someone else within the church?
Whatever stage you find yourself within your spiritual growth, may we all fully understand and live out the elementary doctrines of God’s Word and grow yet more in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18).
David Huffstutler is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Rockford, IL. He blogs here, where this article first appeared. It is republished here by permission.
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