I had a best friend who was the “baby” of his family. He knew he was, but still he did not enjoy being called the “baby” of his family. Fortunately for him, he was a baby only in the sense that he was the youngest of his family, but spiritually he was mature. It is not an insult to be the baby of the family, but we should not long be a “baby” in spirit. That is, never allow yourself to be an “old baby.”
Are you a old baby in Christ? How would you know if you’re a baby in Christ? To answer that question, let’s read our text for today:
1 Corinthians 3:1-4
Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
From tis text we can see 3 signs of Spiritual Immaturity
1. Spiritual Babies need to be taught the same things over and over.
Not only does Paul say that here, but it is also taught in Hebrews 5:12 –
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you a gain the basic principles of the oracles of God.”
We are meant to grow up in our faith. We are always needing to be taught, but not the same things we should have already learned.
2. Spiritual Babies are always comparing themselves to someone else AND getting jealous. Such a person will not admit to jealousy. They call it by some other name. Maybe it is just “there is something about them I don’t like.” Or perhaps you denigrate the other person – “they think they are better than everyone else.”
3. You choose up teams in the church.
They are just dividers of people and always have a set of people that don’t get along with. Yes, have your own Peter, James, and John, but love the rest also. Get along with them.
If we love one another, it shows up. One lady used to tell me that her husband loved her and then would all, “He just doesn’t know how to show it.” Really? The truth is that love always shows.
So does spiritual maturity.
Lonnie Davis