What Is An “Infant” Christian?

     I often think about the fact that national polls and surveys show that the average Christian today behaves essentially the same way that non-Christians behave.  Have you noticed that yet?

     The apostle Paul said in First Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 1:  “Brothers and sisters, I wasn’t able to talk to you like Spiritual people.  I had to talk to you like unspiritual people; in other words, like infants in Christ.”

     Paul taught that there are three kinds of Christians:  infant Christians, growing Christians, and Spirit-filled Christians.  And he taught that while “infant” Christians are real Christians, they’re unspiritual Christians.  That is, they’re Christians who are Spiritually immature.

     But it gets worse.  Because Paul taught in verse 2:  “I gave you Spiritual milk, not Spiritual meat, because you haven’t been able to understand Spiritual meat – and even now, you’re still not able to understand it.”

     So Paul taught that there are also two levels of Christian teaching:  “Milk” teaching (the basic principles of Christianity); and “meat” teaching (the advanced principles of Christianity).  And sadly, Paul was saying that “infant” Christians – because they’re unspiritual – can’t understand the advanced principles, and he was saying that they won’t be able to understand them as long as they remain unspiritual.

     Then Paul described the behavior of “immature” Christians.  He described how we can recognize them.  He says in verse 3:  “Aren’t you still unspiritual and behaving like non-Christians when I see envy, and strife, and divisiveness among you?”  This means that the “sign” of an infant (unspiritual, immature) Christian is that he or she behaves like a non-Christian – he or she behaves with envy, strife, and divisiveness, the same way that non-Christians do.

     Now, what do these teachings by the apostle Paul mean to us today?  Well, with the amount of envy, strife, and divisiveness we see all around us, there must be a lot of infant Christians in the world, don’t you agree?  The point is:  What’s the solution?  What can we do about the infant Christians in our midst?

     As always, the solution always starts with looking in the mirror.  Each of us needs to see how much envy, strife, and divisiveness there is in our own lives.  Spiritual growth starts with us.  Then, after we start growing personally, we can help family and friends start growing, too.  That’s the only way to reverse the national polls, and that’s the only way we can have behavior that’s different from non-Christian behavior.