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p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;”>Babies must be feed properly. The nature of things is that they can not feed themselves. Usually parents, and possibly siblings, are responsible for their feeding. But the day does come when – although the spoon may be held wrong – they take that first bite for themselves. Parents and siblings begin to clap and cheer their encouragement. It isn’t long before baby is expected to do his own feeding.
Much the same is true for new converts. The scriptures call them “babies in Christ.” Like parents and siblings, pastors and other believers must nurture them until they are able to feed themselves. We have a responsibility to spiritual babes.
Young siblings have at times given babies solid food that they were not yet ready for, such as meat or some other food that they could possibly choke on. The same is true for spiritual babes. We need to be sure they are ready for what we are trying to feed them.
Just as babies don’t need solid food; spiritual babies may not be ready for some truths. Also, those who are more mature need more than only milk. There are spiritual truths – faith and repentance – that are milk. There are also truths for the more mature that are solid food and may choke a spiritual babe.
Be encouraged not to force solid food on a spiritual babe, we also need to be careful, as they grow, to adjust their diet to include some solid food and to teach them to feed on the “word of God” themselves. Remember, milk for the babes and solid food for the more mature. 1 Cor. 3:1-2, Heb. 5:12-14, 1 Peter 2:1