(Ver 1.1)  Except when natural babies sleep, they are in constant dependency upon their parents for all of their physical needs.  If you have had children, you know this is true.   Babies would never survive without the care and nurturing of a parental figure.  Mothers of course play a central role in this care, but this does not alleviate responsibility of the father.  Natural food is not automatically provided to a child without the mother’s cooperation, at first children are not even able to feed themselves, they cannot walk, they cannot talk, they are only able to cry if they need something and then the parent has to figure out what that need is.  Normally, this is not a difficult process, if you haven’t fed them in a while, then you feed them.   If you have fed them recently, then you check their diapers and see if they need changing.  The process of raising children is not overly complicated, yet we sometimes forget that these natural things are repeated in the spiritual realm.   Just like we have physical babies in the world, we also have many spiritual babies in the world.

Gal 4:19  My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

Many times we get people born again and immediately expect them to walk and talk the spiritual language and know what to do in every situation.   This is not how it works in the physical world and it is not how it should work in the spiritual world either.   As I read the internet Blogs from people who call themselves Christians, I can tell who is a little mature and those that just think they are mature but are just crying out loud and making a noise to be heard.  It would appear that the baby Christians are the ones that make the most noise and the ones that cry for the most attention.   The Baby Christians are sometimes the ones that need their spiritual diapers changed and those that need to drink more milk to learn more of the truth.

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

God is giving you some amazing spiritual information in this verse.  This verse says that we are not born again in a spiritual full grown, mature state of existence.  It means there is a spiritual growth process that should be followed for new Christians.  You should not make a new Christian and expect them to work like one that has been around 30 years in the church.  It means you should have structure established to feed them and to help them in order to teach them in the ways that they should go.   God tells us in Proverbs 22:6 to train up a child in the way that they should go and when they are older they will not depart from it.  If you have any wisdom at all, you can apply that verse to both the physical and spiritual realms to know how to treat physical and spiritual new babies.  New baby Christians are going to need structure, a planned growth cycle, a parental growth partner, and a time to grow spiritually.  Baby Christians do not automatically know what to do in every situation.  If you leave them alone they will just normally go back to their own old ways and life situations that they already know.  If they were alcoholics before being saved, Satan will try to get them back in the bars.  If they were thieves and robbers before being saved, Satan will attempt to try to revert them back to what they already know how to do.

Mat 12:43  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

Jesus speaking here is not talking about a physical house.  If you think he is you are very ignorant of spiritual symbolism.  Jesus is speaking of the heart of man.   Jesus is also speaking of evil spirits who live in the hearts, minds and bodies of people.  You see if you save someone in the world, you might get the evil spirit out of a person temporarily, but Jesus says they will try to return.

Mat 12:44  Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

Evil spirits always try to return to the house they exited from.  It is a familiar place that they know and they like.   People who are born again and new baby Christians do not know what to do when these spirits return.

Mat 12:45  Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

If you are a mature Christian that witnesses to someone and gets them born again, you should understand what Jesus prophesied that will happen to people who become new Christians.  Just because you are a Christian does not mean, Satan is through with you.   He is still in the business of deception and he wants to trick you into going back to your ways that you previously knew.  Jesus tells us about a house, that has been swept clean and is now empty.  You do understand that Jesus is speaking of a person without any understanding of spiritual things.   This clean house is said to be vulnerable to a stronger attack of the spiritual forces of darkness.  This spirit will bring back seven other spirits to try to get back into the house that the one lived in.   Jesus says if they are successful, the condition of that man will be worse than the beginning.  Keep this in mind when dealing with new converts.  They may be under attack and not realize it.  If you read in Ephesians 4:14, it tells us how spiritual children are very vulnerable to false doctrines and the deception of the enemy.  These are important things to know.   Spiritual babies are very open to deception, simply because of naivety and ignorance.  It is a spiritual situation of not knowing what you do not know that makes them extremely vulnerable.

1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

We are told to desire the sincere milk of the Word of God in 1 Peter 2:2.  In this verse found in 1 Corinthians 3:2, God is again using a symbolic analogy of natural substances in relationship to spiritual truths.   The Milk of God’s Word are the representative types of the basic foundational truths found in the Bible.   The basics are the foundation to building a strong understanding of more advanced topics found in the Bible.  Truth always builds upon truth.  Advanced topics are totally dependent upon a full understanding of basic topics.  These advanced Topics of God are called the meat of the Word.   Just as natural babies are unable to eat natural meat, spiritual babies struggle with eating the strong subjects of God’s word.  I believe that is why many people spiritually choke on some of my blogs, but that is my opinion.   Advanced subjects in the Bible are not understandable to baby Christians.   So what are the Basic subjects that you should already know fully?   Some of them are listed in Hebrews:

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,

As you can read this verse is talking about spiritual growth.  The term translated as “perfection” does not mean that we will become perfect and not make any mistakes.  No, the term “perfection” means “maturity”.   God is expecting Christians to grow spiritually, and to become mature Christians.  This is only possible, if they continue drinking the Milk of God’s Words and learning to understand the basics therein.    The term “Principle Doctrines” is referring to the initial or first teachings of Christ.  These first teachings are the basics.   Every church with new converts should have a basic class for new born Christians.   These classes should include subjects that cause them to learn Christian fundamentals.   The identity of Jesus Christ, the Blood of Christ,  the Word of God,  Salvation, Redemption, and the Holy Spirit.   That was some of my list of items, but here are some more that God gives us in the Bible:

Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

God says these are also basic doctrines that we should be intimately aware of.    I rarely see anybody speaking on any of these subjects.  Maybe they do, but it is just not where I notice it.  Bible basics are the most important things to get to new Christians.  If they can understand the basics, then they are better able to grasp the tougher stuff that they also need to learn about.

1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Caring for spiritual babies is a lot like, caring for natural babies.   They need a lot of attention to get to where they can do things right for themselves.  They will need you to feed them spiritual milk until they can eat solid food on their own.  Many times you will have to also change their spiritual diapers and that involves putting up with some of the smelly stuff that they produce.   There are many rewards with doing this right, you can see in the Bible that Paul and the disciples spent a lot of time with people, feeding them and caring for them to get them to grow up.  

1Co 14:20  Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

I hope that you enjoyed my spiritual lesson on babies in the church and I pray it will help you to deal with people more closely.  God Bless!