Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:1-3)

Growing In Christ

When Nicodemus came to Jesus that night so long ago, he learned a basic lesson about the new kingdom God would establish through His Son. Under the old law, the covenant of God was established at a child’s birth into the Israelite family. As a small child, they would have to learn the principles of the law to learn obedience. Under the Law of Christ, a new birth is required, but the one born again begins with faith in God. Faith for the child under the Law of Moses would not come for several years, but in the kingdom of the new covenant, faith is where the journey begins. The common denominator in the two laws was that the child of God began as a baby, both physically and spiritually.

On the Day of Pentecost, three thousand devout Jews obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were baptized for the remission of their sins and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Luke writes that the first Christians continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the communion of the Lord’s Supper, and in prayers. It was a wondrous time as the church of Christ sprang anew in the hearts of men for the first time. This event would be multiplied a few years later when Cornelius and his household opened the way of salvation to both Jews and Gentiles. What must be understood in the first days is how young the faith of the early converts was. Their faith in God was not fortified by two thousand years of history. They were learning for the first time how the new kingdom was formulated and planned, and yet they had tremendous faith to face persecution and overcome.

Many people come to Christ with a fairly good understanding of who God is and the importance of His word. They have learned more fully what they must do to be saved, and they obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine which delivered them. The essential time for these new converts is to understand the importance of daily faith growth so that they can mature in their knowledge of Christ. Like newborn babies, the desire for the word of God must be a fervent cry of spiritual hunger. The church must pay special attention to the nursery of converts that need to grow in Christ so they may grow in faith. Newborns cannot care for themselves without a lot of care and love. The same is true for spiritual newborns.

Seeking greater faith in someone young in the faith is about identifying the essential ingredients that will help them grow into productive and devoted people of God. All Christians begin as babies in the faith. The new birth is only the beginning. If a newborn in Christ does not grow, they die. The church must recognize the value of the newborn Christian as someone needing special care and protection from the evil one seeking to devour them back into his fold. Every newborn child of God needs others to help them grow, and they seek greater faith within themselves.

The time will come when the child of God moves beyond the milk of the word to solid food. In the beginning, the first principles of the oracles of God establish faith in the word of God. Then, as the child matures, they move on to more spiritual matters of deeper perception and understanding. Solid spiritual teaching will come in time when the young in faith make the time and effort to learn more about God and His will. The more a young person in faith learns, the stronger they become to resist the devil. One of the greatest needs in helping young Christians grow in their faith is to protect them from the evil one.

To be young in faith is a wonderful time of discovery. It must be a time of great faith to learn to trust in the word of God. Establishing the heart upon the truth of Jesus Christ will be like the man who built his house upon the rock. No matter what comes against the faith of the young heart, the courage to stand for truth remains. The church must do its part to protect the young in faith. Seeking greater faith when young in faith is where the journey begins. Let it start with courage and faith to endure to the end.