Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation 1 Peter 2:2 NIV.
Perhaps you saw Failure to Launch, a 2006 American romantic comedy film starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. The film focuses on a 35-year-old man who lives in the home of his parents and shows no interest in leaving the comfortable life his parents, especially his mother, have made for him there. It grossed over $128 million at the box office.
Sadly, the story of sons and daughters staying at home longer is now an official growing phenomenon of our modern society.
PEW Research Center shows some interesting figures regarding this fact:
As of 2016, 15% of 25 to 35-year-old Millennials were living in their parents’ homes. This is five percentage points higher than the share of Generation Xers who lived in their parents’ home in 2000 when they were the same age (10%), and nearly double the share of the Silent Generation who lived at home in 1964 (8%).
The idea of failing to launch or grow up and take on life’s responsibilities is also real in the Christian experience. Often, in scripture, the Christian is encouraged to grow up and progress in their journey with Jesus. The followers of Jesus can get comfortable in their experience…comfortable in their regular pew and programs at church. They can get comfortable in their lives; they don’t want any inconveniences, including progressing in their experience with Christ, because it might crimp their style of living. Their environment and knowledge of Christ are considered sufficient, and “they have need of nothing.” (See Revelation 3:17)
Milk is Not a Long Term Diet for Babies
This morning, my wife and I watched funny baptisms on Facebook. It provided us with a burst of early-morning laughter! The really funny clips were of children who said and did unexpected things while standing in the baptistry. For example, one cute little 4-year-old couldn’t wait for the pastor to finish his pre-baptism speech. All of a sudden, he said, “Let’s do this.” Then he proceeded to baptize himself by holding his nose and dunking under the water! As cute as this was, I am tempted to mention why many ministers/pastors are uncomfortable with the baptism (or sprinkling) of infants or small children before they become aware of its meaning and purpose. At an early age, they have not experienced the burden of sin and guilt, repentance, and walking in the newness of life under the power of the Spirit of God.
The symbol of baptism is one of new beginnings, i.e., death, burial, and resurrection to a new life in Christ.
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4
Baptism is not another item to check on the list of requirements for salvation. Like all works, baptism is evidence of salvation…a public display of a changed heart…not a method of salvation. We will save that discussion for another time.
The verse today talks about babies in spiritual terms. When we come to Christ, our Jesus Journey has just begun, and we are directed to “grow up in your salvation.” Like a hungry baby, we should desire pure spiritual milk. It is this milk of God’s word that is the elementary beginnings of the Christian walk. It is the simple teachings that start us on our Jesus Journey. If the baby stays on milk alone, eventually, growth will be stunted, and they will fail to launch.
The Lord made the requirements for salvation so simple that even a child can understand it. It is milk. But we are to “move on” in our Christian experience.
Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection. Hebrews 6:1
Failure to Grow Will Result in Death or, at the least, Stunted Mediocracy.
Our experience and understanding of God’s deep word should accelerate growth and prepare us for employment in the work of God and handling the tough things of life. Failure to grow results can be the death of the Christian experience. The analogy of a baby and its milk can be compared to the soil of Jesus parable (See Matthew 13: 18-23), where growth stops due to the challenges of the world and the stunted person produces nothing. But, the person who grows in God and His word produces fruit in their life and the lives of others.
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13: 19-23
Notice that all (but one) of the “hearers of the word of the kingdom”, failed to launch or grow up into a stable-rooted citizen of God’s kingdom. Their experience died or was stunted without “growing up into salvation” and “bearing fruit.” Don’t miss the importance of the words of Jesus! He is warning us about what stunts the growth of a Christian. Here is a list of their problems and counsel:
Hearer #1 is not pursuing understanding. An enemy snatches it away. Satan can work through people to argue away what they have learned. Counsel: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed .2 Timothy 2:15 …always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear 1 Peter 3:15. Become a student of the Bible. Keep notes and evidence of what you learn.
Hearer #2 receives it with joy! This person lives off emotional song services and emotional sermons. Spiritual life is only about weekly service and their own religion. They have no roots and stumble. Counsel: “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.” Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up. James 4: 9-10 Learn and embrace the other emotions of the Bible, such as being humble and caring. Study and practice God’s word to build up roots. When trouble comes your way, fall at the feet of Jesus and give Him a chance to resolve things. Operate on faith and not feelings. Become a servant to others! Find your joy in community service.
Hearer #3 simply hears the word, but there is no evidence of faith. They hear God’s promises but don’t have faith to believe. They focus on the problems of his life rather than the Problem Solver. Counsel: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11: 29 and do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34. Take a few promises, understand their conditions (if any), and put your full weight upon them. More word of God equals more faith.
Hearer #4 hears, understands, grows, produces. These people are doers of the word…not just hearers. They trust God and His word alone. Their relationship is with God and not just with the church. This person can defend their faith. They put themselves where they can be blessed and useful. They understand their gifts and uses them to produce fruit in their own life and the lives of others. God’s word is supreme over all things in this follower’s life.
Let God Do His Perfect Work in You
Paul scolded the Hebrew believers for not growing up, not eating stronger food, and not going on to become mature in the Lord for service to others.
“…By this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” Hebrews 5:12
Let us never think we can reach a certain point in our walk with God and remain as a baby dependent on simple milk. We should never assume we have received all the truth we could possibly receive and there is nothing more to learn or do. We should constantly be learning, walking, and working for the Lord so that we might be useful and strong citizens of the kingdom of God.
If we humbly allow God to work in our lives by placing ourselves each day, where he can bless our experience, we will grow, and God will do His perfect work in us:
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138: 8
But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:4
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
The Christian Experience must be progressive and not stagnant. The follower of Jesus must put forth an effort (under the Lord’s guidance and power) and not become spiritually lazy. Every day is a new day to learn something more about God and His ways. No plans or thoughts should be made unless first seeking the Lord.
While we are not to remain babies in our walk with God, we are to become like little children in trust in Him. As we learn how to trust in Him, we will grow up in our salvation and take on the qualities that both please Him and make us productive for the kingdom of God.
“ ….for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1: 5-11
“Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.” This is a daily matter. Each morning, consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus, day by day, you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus, your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.”
” Steps to Christ, p. 70