Retarded Growth
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
What joy and fellowship there is in
gatherings where the newly-saved are present! In the spiritual realm, as
well as in the physical, everyone loves a baby! But the joy that fills
the hearts of loving parents is turned to bitter sorrow and
disappointment if their babe fails to grow. The latter condition is as
unspeakably sad and embarrassing as the former is joyous. Just so it is
in the realm of the spirit.
The “carnal” Christian has failed to
grow. He continues in a state of protracted infancy. He must be kept
exclusively on a milk diet because, though saved for years, he is still
unable to “bear,” or digest, solid food, still “unskillful in the Word”
and needing to be taught the elementary things.
Retarded spiritual growth is evidenced in many ways, all of which come under the heading of carnality or fleshliness. The Corinthians, so sternly rebuked for their carnality by the Apostle Paul, are said to have been careless about morals (I Corinthians 5:1), puffed up (I Corinthians 4:18; 5:2), inconsiderate of each other (I Corinthians 6:1-7; 8:1,9,12), stingy (II Corinthians 8:6-11; 11:7-9). While possessing the Spirit, they walked after the flesh.
One of the most marked indications of
retarded spiritual growth is self-interest and party strife, as seen in
the case of the Corinthian believers. They were spiritually small and
petty, so that the Apostle had to write to them:
“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
“For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” (I Corinthians 3:3,4)
Thus Peter’s exhortation to “newborn
babes” to “desire the pure milk of the Word” that they may “grow
thereby,” is prefaced by the words: “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings” (I Peter 2:1). The carnal nature is not appropriate soil for spiritual growth.
(1 Video)
Plan of Salvation
By
Les Feldick
Posted By Cecil
and Connie Spivey
https://www.facebook.com/cecil.spivey
https://www.facebook.com/cecil.spivey
E-mail this BIBLE STUDY to all your friends
No comments:
Post a Comment