Spiritual growth:

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen “(2 Peter 3:18).

Every Sunday we find well-meaning Christians going to church, sitting patiently for a couple of hours, enduring the sermon and then, with a sigh of relief, going home, feeling they have done their Christian duty for the week. They are used to this routine, some for decades, but there is no growth in them. They listen to sermons on familiar topics , even the pastors telling short stories instead of messages which edify the church. This is the reason why many Christians are stunted in their growth.
Heb 5:12,’For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.’
In the epistle to the Hebrews, the writer admonishes or rebukes the believers for their casual approach to the Word of Yahweh. Having heard the word of Yahweh and the first principles, they did not make any further attempts to advance their studies. They were holding on to familiar ground and not moving out.

‘As newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation’, (1 Peter 2:2). Peter, in his epistle, compares new, born again Christians, with newborn babies. Just as babies need milk for food, they need the basic doctrines of the word of Yahweh: repentance, salvation, Elohim, Yahshua, Holy Spirit, the Commandments, etc. Having been taught all these, it was time to grow toward perfection, Heb 6:1,’ Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God’.

Like little children, many believers would rather keep on hearing the basics instead of going deeper into the Word and mature as Christians. According to their level of spirituality, many Christians are still babies, some are invalids and some are grown ups. Why are Christians defective in spiritual matters? There are many reasons for this:
People do not want to study the Bible earnestly or systematically. They read the selected verses from the Bible when in trouble or when expecting a miracle.
Pro 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, the scriptures. he will not depart from it. Sadly, many parents ignore this precept and allow their children to grow as they like, as a result children are not taught the scriptures.
Church attendance is taken as routine, without attaching any importance to it. Many families do not attend church at all. They excuse themselves by saying that they get their ‘nourishment’ from TV sermons or that they are leading good lives which is what matters!

Our churches and pastors are also to blame since their messages are uninspiring and full of small anecdotes. The words ‘sin’ and ‘hell’ are hardly heard from the pulpit these days.
People are not taught to have an intimate, personal relationship with Elohim.

These people are so compared to babies. Babies have their own small world, a Christian is  firmly rooted in his own denomination. A baby is handled by different people, a Christian babe moves from one church to another, from one set of beliefs to another. A baby sleeps most of the time, a Christian babe is asleep spiritually.

It is, therefore, high time that we wake up and take the word of Yahweh seriously. It is time to stop feeding on milk and grow up in our Christian life. Heb 5:14, ’ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.’ Just as we have physical senses, we also should have sharp spiritual senses; a sense of taste, hearing, sight, as the following verses show us:
1Pe 2:3  If so be ye have tasted that the Elohim is gracious. 
Isa 55:3  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 
Psa 119:18  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. 
Isa 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Elohim: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 
The Christian should be continually moving onward toward perfection, looking to Him who is able to “make you perfect in every good thing (or work) to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen (Heb.13: 21).

If you are still like a small baby in your Christian like, it is time to grow up. Start a systematic Bible study, meditate on the word, not just read it. Find a scripturally sound church and attend it regularly. Get rid of useless friends and have fellowship with good , Bible loving people. Stay away from things which defile you. As Paul instructed in 2 Cor.13:5,’Examine yourself, whether ye be in faith’. Pray without ceasing.
May we grow towards perfection and be worthy to be called His children!

You are free to use this material without charge for your edification. "Freely you have recieved, freely give". All we ask is that you mention that you have taken this from www.aoyhyd.org.

Maranatha Prayer Fellowship. # 311, Agarwal Chambers, King Koti, Hyderabad-500 001, A.P.India.
91-040-23241885; 8801463260. E-mail: rkbenhur@aoyhyd.org
Worship with us at Maranatha Prayer Fellowship, 63 Spl ‘C’, Old Malakpet, Hyderabad,500036, India.
Fridays: 6 pm-8 pm; Saturdays: 3 pm-5 pm.