It is hard to describe our daughter Anna’s delight as she anticipated her bedtime bottle of milk. Her face would light up, her eyes widen, her desire intensify as she uttered that single word, “Bottle!”—more a laugh than a statement. We couldn’t help laughing with her at her obvious excitement. And the sigh of contentment once she received her bottle and snuggled into Mommy’s or Daddy’s arms was hard to miss. Her enjoyment of the bottle of warm milk was only outdone by her determination to finish it as quickly as possible.
The NT describes the edible Word of God in two ways: as milk and as solid food. What you eat more will determine your present spiritual maturity. There is no shame in drinking the milk of the Word, especially if you’re a new or young Christian. After all, babies and children need their milk. Peter admonishes all Christians to crave the Word as newborn babes long for their milk (1 Pet. 2:2), though he undoubtedly has more than just spiritual “milk” in mind. But in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 and Hebrews 5:11–6:3, believers are encouraged to move on to solid food. We all need to intensely desire the milk and solid food of the Word!
Wholesome Feeding = Holy Living
Each of the three NT passages referring to the milk and solid food of the Scriptures connects feeding on God’s Word to holy living. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Paul states that he had to feed the Corinthians with milk and not solid food because they were unable to handle anything more than the simplest food. He goes on to say they “are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” In this case, their fleshly behavior is an evidence of their inability to handle deeper spiritual truths (solid food). Is our conduct so much like the world’s that Paul would have to talk to us in the same way?
In 1 Peter 1:23-25, Peter stresses the contrast between the eternal Word of God and our short-lived human existence. All flesh, he says, is like grass—here today and gone tomorrow! In contrast, “the Word of the Lord endureth for ever.” In light of this sharp contrast, Peter then urges his readers to get rid of the fleshly behavior exhibited among them: “all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings” (2:1), and to intensely desire the pure milk of the Word. Why continue in such wicked, dishonest, slanderous, unChristlike conduct when it—like our short lives—is like a patch of grass about to wither and die in the scorching sun? Get rid of the ways of the flesh which are short-lived and lead only to death. Like newborn babes, long instead for the pure, untainted, eternally valuable milk and solid food of the Word!
The writer to the Hebrews echoes the same idea: proper living comes from proper eating. “For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the Word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat [solid food] belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5:13-14). Children need to be trained to drink from a cup, use a knife and fork, and not throw food on the floor. So too, spiritual children need training—training in righteousness. Holy living is largely unattainable for those who continue on a diet of only spiritual milk. We should not expect to be spoon-fed from the Bible rather than digging into it to feed ourselves. How many of us rely almost entirely upon devotional books written and pre-digested by someone else? These can be a blessing as long as they don’t become our only source of Bible food. Our growth in righteousness corresponds to our feeding on, and making an effort to understand, the solid food of the Word personally.
Can I Handle It?
Just as holy living is related to a balanced spiritual diet, so our level of spiritual maturity will determine our capacity to appreciate God’s heart and mind. The Corinthians were believers and indwelt by the Spirit, yet they were unable to take in what Paul wanted to explain to them because they were fleshly and immature in their Christian life (1 Cor. 3:1-2). Similarly, in Hebrews 5, the writer longs to be able to explain in more detail the sufferings and High Priestly ministry of Christ but cuts short his teaching “seeing ye are dull of hearing” and these things are “hard to be uttered” (Heb. 5:11) or difficult to explain. Those believers lost out because of their own spiritual immaturity.
How often is this the case with us? Are we unable to appreciate more of the will and mind of God due to our own lack of effort in thinking about and studying the Word for ourselves? How does this make our Saviour feel?
Three Supernatural Stages
In 1 John 2:12-14, John the apostle suggests there are three general levels of maturity for believers. “Little children” corresponds to new or young believers. They have a fresh appreciation of being forgiven their sins and enjoy an intimate relationship with their newly-discovered heavenly Father. “Young men” corresponds to a middle category of believers who are growing in the Lord. They are spiritually strong and are conscious of overcoming the evil one. While the little children are conscious of overcoming the penalty of sin, the young men are overcoming the power of sin in their lives because “the Word of God abideth in you” (v. 14). They have made the food of the Word an integral part of their lives. “Fathers” corresponds to mature believers. Consistency in their walk with the Lord is evident in that it says twice about them that they “have known Him that is from the beginning” (vv. 13-14). They have an intimate and steadfast knowledge of the Eternal One and are anticipating deliverance which will come from the presence of sin.
However, the supernatural progress seen in the maturation of believers can be hindered or even reversed through worldliness or carelessness. Paul had to say to the Corinthian Christians, “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat [solid food]: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able” (1 Cor. 3:2). They should have progressed beyond the infant stage, but their carnal behavior was evidence of their stunted spiritual growth.
The Hebrew Christians had the opposite problem. They had regressed from spiritual maturity and needed milk again (Heb. 5:12). They should have been able to teach the Word and instead they needed to be retaught their spiritual ABCs.
How many of God’s people find themselves in one of these two predicaments? Have you failed to progress beyond the infant stage and is it evident in your immature attitudes and behavior? Or were you once further ahead spiritually than you are now but have let things slip? Is there a way to regain lost ground and make real spiritual progress? Let’s look again at 1 Peter 2.
Growth by Appreciation
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” This causal statement in verse 3 is key to understanding the secret of spiritual growth: “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” If the goodness of God leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4), then the grace of God teaches us to live godly lives in anticipation of our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-13). Think back to times when you tasted the grace of God. How did He save you? How has He helped you? In what ways has He provided for you? We have tasted His grace in the past. A renewed appetite for the enjoyment of His grace will increase our hunger for more of His Word.
Perhaps your Christian life is not what it should be. What can you do? First, desire to get rid of any known sin in your life (1 Pet. 2:1). Second, reflect on God’s great kindness to you and desire to know Him better through His Word (v. 2). Read it over, think about what it says, memorize key verses, and discover more about our wonderful Saviour. What will happen? You will discover why the Father finds His Son so precious (vv. 4-7), because as you feed on the milk and solid food of the Word, you will find Him precious, too! It is through the true knowledge of Him that we grow and mature in our salvation.
Written by Paul Campbell