The most famous verse in the Bible John 3:16 - says that we need to be born again. As we know, Jesus is referring to our spirits being reborn. The Bible often compares our spiritual growth with growing up in the natural, and talks about at least three stages in spiritual development which correspond to physical growth. They are: babyhood, childhood, and manhood. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:", 1 Peter 2:2. Here, Peter refers to Christians as "newborn babes." No one is born a full grown human naturally and physically. They are born babies, and then they grow up. When you give your life to Jesus and make Him your Lord, you experience your second birth. The spiritual birth! Similarly no one is born a full grown Christian. You are born a spiritual babe, and then you grow up. Natural babies usually grow by getting milk from their mother. But they will often put anything and everything in their mouths - even things that could choke - possibly kill - them. As parents, we make sure they get the right food, and put the right things in their mouth! Spiritually, it's the same. New born Christians also need the right food to grow. Peter calls this "the sincere milk of the word". Romans 10 words it differently, saying that faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by God's word. To grow and develop as Christians, reading the Bible and feeding on The Word of God is so necessary. We must be careful on what we feed upon. 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." "...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, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ" Ephesians 4:14-15 (NKJV). God desires for us to grow past being babies and children, and to become mature believers. The mature believer is God-conscious. And ever-conscious of what God's Word says about him and to him. The lack of right teaching is the primary reason we have failed to grow. Certainly we can study for ourselves and grow to some extent. But God also put teachers in the Church to help us to grow, to feed us God's Word. (S 94) When we ourselves become mature Christians, we need to focus on being good spiritual parents to those that are new - or young - in their Christian walk. We need to teach them the fundamentals of our life and our walk with God. Let's grow - as individuals, and together. Let's also parent the ones that are younger than us in the faith, and do as brother Hagin said in his excellent book Growing up, Spiritually.
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