A new Believer is referred to as a "Babe" in CHRIST, by Paul & Peter. Peter said in 1st.Peter 2:2 that as newborn babes in CHRIST, we should desire the pure milk of the WORD, that you may grow thereby....Well as any mother can tell you, if you keep a baby on milk only, their minds and bodies will not mature, so to, you have to introduce these " babes in CHRIST " to a more solid food. Paul in 1st.Cor.3:1-2 was chastising the Corinthian believers that they had not progressed onto a more solid spiritual diet, because there was so much strife and envy surrounding their lives. Also, in Hebrews 5:12-14 Paul is again confronting believers about issues and he says - For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles (Scriptures, sayings) of GOD; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the WORD of righteousness, for he is a "babe". But solid food belongs to those who are of full age(spiritually mature), that is, those who by reason of use (practice) have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Paul to Timothy in 1st.Timothy 1:3-11 speaks to his young protege' about sound doctrine. Verse 3 he says to stay in Ephesus and to" charge some that they teach no other doctrine," and in verse 10 Paul finishes a list of sins that the law exposes but he ends verse 10 with the phrase "and if there is any other thing that is contrary(or opposed)to "sound doctrine." Also in the book of Titus, Paul gives clear qualifications for an Elder or undershepherd of the local assembly in Chapter 1. In vs.9 Paul says - holding fast the faithful WORD as he has been taught, that he may be able, "by sound doctrine," both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
One of my favorite lines, though not written exactly this way in Scripture is - " GOD's WORD is NOT a Book of suggestions ". If you were to send little Timmy to school, and O he was to learn math. He brings home the Math book in 1st.Grade and it teaches him only how to add. Then the same thing in 2nd.Grade, and 3rd.Grade and so on and so forth.
Little Timmy gets to Junior High which I think would be about 7th.Grade and the teacher looks at him and asks him to multiply 9 X 7, Timmy looks at her and says he doesn't know how, and she asks him why not, and he says " because I was never taught ".
Babes in CHRIST don't have to stay that way. They have been given an awesome teacher, at the moment of their conversion, the "HOLY SPIRIT". HE is with them wherever they go, HE will not leave you nor forsake you. You can quench HIS effect, if you live a sinful life (Eph.4:30 & 1st.Thes.5:19) and continue to ignore HIS pricks to your conscience and HIS chastening hand (Hebrews 12:5-11). But JESUS , HIMSELF said HE would send the HELPER the HOLY SPIRIT in John 14:15 thru 26 which reads:
If you love ME, keep MY commandments. And I will pray the FATHER, and HE will give you another HELPER, that HE may abide with you forever, even the SPIRIT of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees HIM nor knows HIM; but you know HIM, for HE dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. A little while longer and the world will see ME no more, but you will see ME, Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I AM in MY FATHER, and you in ME, and I in you. He who has MY commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves ME. And he who loves ME will be loved by MY FATHER, and I will love him and manifest MYSELF to him.
Judas(not Iscariot)said to HIM, "LORD how is it that YOU will manifest YOURSELF to us, and not to the world?" JESUS answered and said to him,"If anyone loves ME, he will KEEP MY WORD; and MY FATHER will love him, and WE will come to him and make OUR home with him. HE who does not love ME does not keep MY WORDS; and the WORD which you hear is not MINE, but the FATHER's WHO sent ME. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. BUT the HELPER, the HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM the FATHER will send in MY name, HE will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
We, as Truly Born Again Believers, are not orphans, we are not without the LORD. HE lives and abides within each of HIS children. The HOLY SPIRIT is our TEACHER, COMFORTER, GUIDE, GUARANTEE, SEAL and many other titles too numerous to even mention. But HE is in you and HE longs to teach, comfort, guide the child of GOD into all TRUTH and DOCTRINE. Like any other child, we need to learn and grow in the grace and knowledge of the TRUTH of GOD's HOLY WORD. Don't stay a babe, grow up !!
Now to those who have never come to know the LORD JESUS CHRIST as their personal SAVIOR, let me clue you in and this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone; YOU ARE A SINNER !!! YEP !!! YOU WERE BORN A SINNER & if you die without CHRIST you WILL go to a devil's hell !!! If you doubt that you were born a sinner, ask a toddler that can answer you simply, if he broke the vase or did you make a mess or did you bite your brother ? What will he/she say ? Come on, they'll say, NO and you already knew that they did, they lied !!! Surprise, Surprise !!! Don't feel alone, WE WERE ALL BORN SINNERS. GOD's WORD says, " There is NONE righteous(right with GOD), no not one" HIS WORD says that "we have ALL sinned and come short of the glory of GOD" Romans 3: 10 & 23. GOD's WORD says "For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of GOD is eternal life through CHRIST JESUS our LORD" in Romans 6:23. It also says that if you confess with your mouth the LORD JESUS and believe in your heart that GOD has raised HIM from the dead, you will be saved..Romans 10:9.
Why did HE have to raise from the dead ? GOOD question !!! GOD the FATHER sent GOD the SON to earth to pay the price, the sin debt for your sin and mine. And the only way we know that JESUS's death, burial and resurrection was payment enough for the sin of all mankind, was because HE did raise from the dead. JESUS is sinless and only a perfect sinless sacrifice would be enough to pay the price for sin.
So with your mouth, in prayer, you confess that you are a sinner in need of a perfect SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Romans 10:10 goes on to say that - For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation. So you pray, confess, ask JESUS to come into your heart and life to save you, and HE will, HE promised HE would in HIS WORD and HE cannot lie. And you too can have Eternal Life through JESUS CHRIST our LORD.
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
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