Every Christian starts out as a "newborn babe". We are to "desire the pure milk of the word that we may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). From the beginning of the Church there have been problems associated with Christians who fail to grow spiritually.
A. 1 Corinthians 3:1- 8 "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ".
1. Inability to receive spiritual truth: "I fed you with milk and not solid food; for unto now you were not able to receive it and even now you are still not able" (3:2).
2. Discord in the church: "for you are still carnal, for where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal" (3:3).
B. Hebrews 5:12-14 "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles ...and have come to need milk and not solid food".
1. Christians who stop growing not only stop their growth, but regress back to babes (5:13).
2. They lose the skills they have developed in interpreting and applying the word of God (5:13; Hebrews 2:1).
3. They lose the ability to "discern both good and evil" (5:14).
2 Peter 3:17-18 "beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ".
2 Thessalonians 1:3 "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, ...because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you abounds toward each other"
May the same always be true of us!!