It is a Life of Protracted Infancy

The carnal Christian never grows up. Stunted and dwarfed, he remains a mere “babe in Christ.”

1 Corinthians 3:1-2

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 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.”

The Corinthian Christians should have been full-grown. They had been Christians long enough to have become spiritual adults, but they were mere “babes in Christ.” They should have been strong, healthy, meat-eating grown-ups; instead, they were weak, milk-drinking infants. They did not measure up in stature or strength to what they should have.

Nothing on earth could be sweeter or more perfect to loving parents than a baby in babyhood. Still, oh! the indescribable heartache endured by the parents if that precious child remains a baby in body or mind. Nothing on earth sets the joy bells of heaven ringing as the birth of one into the family of God, but oh! what pain it must cause the heavenly Father to see that spiritual babe remain in a state of protracted infancy!

Which are you today, dear reader, a spiritual babe or an adult? Are you still in infancy in spiritual things, or are you full-grown? To answer the question, it may help to ask and answer another. What are the marks of a babe? A baby cannot serve himself but is helplessly dependent upon others. He may give enjoyment to others, but he cannot help them. A baby absorbs attention; he expects to be the center of his little world. A baby lives in the realm of his feelings, entirely governed by them. If all goes well, he is pleased and smiling, but he is exceedingly touchy, and if his desire is crossed at any point, he quickly lets it be known in lusty remonstrance. God’s Word shows that the carnal Christian bears these selfsame marks.

Hebrews 5:12-14

 “For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. But solid food is for fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.”

The Christians to whom this epistle to the Hebrews was written were evidently carnal Christians, too. They ought to have been teaching others, yet they themselves still needed to be taught even the elementary truths of spiritual experience. They, as well as the Corinthians, should have been able to eat meat, but they were still content to feed on milk. They were unable either to help themselves or others. They were incapacitated through their protracted infancy either to receive the deep things of God or to impart them to others.

Perhaps Paul puts his finger upon the reason for the stunted condition of the Corinthian Christians in the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians. He teaches us that the spiritual man knows the deep things of God through the discernment made possible by the holy Spirit’s illumination. The spiritual man is one who, delighting in God’s Word, devours and digests it. By feeding upon it, he grows in stature and strength.

But the Corinthian Christians were evidently not of this type. They followed human leaders, esteeming the wisdom of God lightly and exalting the wisdom of men highly. They substituted fodder for food and attempted to satisfy hunger on husks. Consequently, they were still “babes in Christ”—weak, emaciated Christians.

Much the same condition prevails today in the churches of Christendom. The average professing Christian is not going firsthand to the Bible for food, expecting the Holy Spirit to give him the strong meat of the Word. He looks to human teachers for nourishment and gulps down whatever is given him. He is a spiritual parasite living on predigested food. Consequently, he is underfed and anemic. In this weakened state, he is open to all forms of spiritual disease. He is an easy prey for temper, impurity, pride, bitterness, and selfishness. Because of his close relationship to other members of the Body of Christ, the result is often just such an epidemic of sin as existed in the Corinthian church.

It is a Life of Barren Fruitlessness

Luke 13:6-7

“He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I came seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?“

John 15:2

“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

The influence of the carnal Christian is always negative. The carnal Christian occupies a pew in church on the Lord’s Day, indicating some love in his heart for the Lord and devotion to Him, but he is unable to bring with him any member of his family, associate in business, or friend because of the inconsistency of his life before them during the week. He is a branch of the vine but, a fruitless, hence useless, branch.

Source: “Life on the Highest Plane” by Ruth Paxson

Dear Lord, we must admit this is truly the condition of Your church today. Cause us to open our eyes and see our uselessness before You today.