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There are three main stages of a Christian’s spiritual development. They are babyhood stage, childhood stage and mature or manhood stage. The mature stage is also referred to as the spiritual stage. So, a mature Christian is a spiritual Christian.
The Bible talks about “baby Christians” (1 Peter 2:2), “child Christians” (Ephesians 4:14) and “mature or spiritual Christians” (Ephesians 4:13).
A person can be 45 years of age, and yet be a baby in Christ. A person’s age or how long he has been a believer does not determine his spiritual growth. His character does.
A person can be a member of a church for years; he can be appointed a pastor, deacon, deaconess, intercessor, singer or an usher, and yet may be a baby spiritually.
The apostle Paul refers to a baby, infant or immature disciple of Christ, as a novice. Just as our natural or physical babies are fed with breast milk for their growth, infant Christians can only be fed with pure spiritual milk – basic sound teachings of the Word of God.
“Like newborn infants (baby Christians), long for the PURE SPIRITUAL MILK, that by it you may grow up into salvation…” (1 Peter 2:2).
Immature believers cannot understand and receive strong teachings of the Word of God, because they have not trained themselves in the Scriptures.
Thus, they are easily offended at any provocation. They become angry and resentful when they are rebuked, corrected or disciplined. They complain when changes that are made in the administration of the church do not meet their expectations. These things often lead them to neglect church meetings.
So, baby Christians need to be followed up in their homes to pamper and strengthen them. Sometimes, mature believers have to call them on phone to beg and reassure them before they return. All these things are done for them because they are babies.
Moreover, baby Christians feel loved when they are prayed for. A baby Christian is the one who may stop attending church meetings, and when he is asked he may explain that his pastor did not visit him when he fell sick.
It is difficult for baby Christians to tell the difference between a false prophet and a true prophet, a true teacher and a false one or a self-styled pastor and genuine one. They cannot tell the difference between the true gospel of Christ and the one generated from the pit of hell.
Again, hardly can they detect the spirit of error that operates in some ministers. As a result, they do whatever any pastor may tell them to. They pay money for healing, deliverance or other blessings of God, because they do not know that Christ paid it all on the cross.
Immature Christians have no confidence to ask about the biblical basis of things pastors do or ask them to do. They say “amen” to everything any pastor tells them. Just as our natural babies eat anything they find on the floor or they are given, baby Christians grab every preaching and teaching they are exposed to.
They may read any book they find without considering the truth in them. They have no idea whether the message they are fed is poisonous to their spiritual health or not.
Considering these and other reasons, Paul warned pastors who are matured not to appoint or ordain baby Christians into leadership positions of the church (1 Timothy 3:6).
Paul gave this warning for the main reason that a new convert or believer when appointed a leader might become proud, and the devil will cause him to fall (1 Timothy 3:6).
Paul’s teaching is true; pastors who appointed immature church members into leadership positions have seen them tempted to fall and cause troubles in the church.
We all, therefore, need to return to the Bible, and diligently apply what it teaches for the building of the churches of God.
By James Quansah
