Can you imagine someone in his 30s still in nappies? Or being spoon-fed? And yet there are many Christians who never seem to grow. They continue on in their Christian infancy, showing no maturity, and marking time in their commitment to Christ and involvement in the life of the Church.

This of course is no new problem. Paul faced the same situation in his day:

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able... 1 Cor. 3:2

There seems to be here a note of utter despair. In the previous chapter, Paul had stressed that Christians were no longer bound by the foolish wisdom of the world, but that through the renewing power of the Holy Spirit they had in fact “the mind of Christ”.

Now what does this mean? The use of the word ‘mind’ denotes understanding. We see this clearly illustrated in the Emmaus Road encounter where the Lord “opened their minds so that they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45).

In Romans 12:2, Paul writes:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be trans­formed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is...

Through the power of the Holy Spirit Christians are to grow in their understand­ing of God’s Word — in the ways of Christ — so that in all things they will have a Biblical approach to life. To have the mind of Christ is to have an increasing under­standing of the Word of God, so that the Lord’s people will be able to give “an account for the hope that is in them...” (1 Pet. 3:15).

When we look at the Church at Corinth, we see the result of these “spiri­tual babes”. The people resisted the truth, lacked love for one another, did not use their spiritual gifts in serving the Lord, got involved in incidentals instead of the funda­mentals, were led astray by false teachers, were poor stewards of all that God had entrusted to them and frequently dis­obeyed God’s Word.

Is it important for Christians to “grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18)? Why not just coast along, be happy and not get too involved in the demands of knowing the Lord better and being committed in our service to Him?

First, to grow shows that we are genuinely converted. Growing is part of life. We grow in knowledge, in maturity, in experience and we grow physically, mentally and socially. When we look at the life of Christ, we also read that besides all of these, He “kept increasing in wisdom and in favour with God” (Luke 2:52). Christians, like their Saviour, will also grow spiritually — it is part of the dynamic of the Christian life. And so in response to the love, mercy, grace and righteousness shown by Christ in dying for them on the cross, surely the Lord’s people will desire to know their Father better, love Christ more, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, be conformed more and more to the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures.

Second, it is only through growth that the Triune God is glorified. Could you imagine an orchard full of trees or vines that are stunted in growth? Such an orchard would bring disrepute upon the farmer. As A.W. Pink wrote, “it brings no glory to God that His children should be dwarfs.” Sadly, the Church today displays evidence that the Lord’s people are not growing in grace and knowledge. The Church has lost its cutting edge for reaching into society.

May the desire of the Lord’s people be once again to bring honour and glory to Christ in how they live, in what they say and in bringing a mature biblical approach to the chaotic and rebellious nature of our world. Just as God gives sunshine, rain and nutrients for plants and trees to grow and to bear fruit, so He has given the means of grace for Christians to grow: “As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that by it you may grow in respect of salva­tion” (1 Pet. 2:2). Growing Christians bring glory to God.

Third, growing brings peace and assur­ance to the believer. When there is no growth, there will not be a desire on the part of the Christian to first seek the king­dom of God, but a greater conformity to the ways of the world. If the Lord’s people do not grow up into Christ “in all things” (Eph. 4:16), and do not “give all diligence to add to their faith” (2 Pet. 1:5), then fears and doubts will enter their hearts. Then they will lack the peace of Christ and the assurance of their salvation.

But the more we give evidence in our lives that we belong to Christ, the more we will honour Him who has set His love upon us.