How does 1 Corinthians 3:2 challenge your spiritual growth and maturity today? The Original Challenge “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready.” (1 Corinthians 3:2) Paul rebukes believers who, though saved, remain spiritual infants. His words confront any complacency in us today. Milk versus Solid Food • Milk: the basic, foundational truths of the gospel—repentance, faith in Christ, assurance of salvation (cf. 1 Peter 2:2). • Solid food: deeper doctrine, discernment, and practiced obedience—matters requiring spiritual muscle (cf. Hebrews 5:12-14). Paul’s comparison assumes every believer should progress from one to the other. Remaining on milk indefinitely is abnormal. Symptoms of Spiritual Infancy (vv. 3-4) • Worldly thinking and jealousy. • Quarreling and division. • Personality-centered loyalties (“I follow Paul … Apollos”). These same traits surface whenever we gossip, cling to grudges, or elevate human leaders above Christ. The Call to Grow Scripture is explicit about God’s goal for His people: • Ephesians 4:13-15 – Reach “mature adulthood” so we are no longer “tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching.” • Colossians 1:28 – Be “perfect in Christ,” fully formed. • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – The Word equips us for “every good work.” Not growing is disobedience. Practical Steps Toward Maturity 1. Daily intake of Scripture – Move beyond favorite verses to the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). 2. Obedient application – Knowledge without practice inflates pride (James 1:22). 3. Fellowship that sharpens – Seek relationships that exhort and correct (Proverbs 27:17; Hebrews 10:24-25). 4. Serve sacrificially – Solid food is digested in the context of ministry, where truth meets need (John 13:17). 5. Depend on the Spirit – Only He illumines truth and empowers growth (John 16:13; Galatians 5:16). Encouragement for Today God never intended lifelong spiritual infancy. The same grace that saved you now trains you “to live sensibly, righteously, and godly” (Titus 2:11-12). Embrace solid food, press on to maturity, and display the fullness of Christ in every arena of life. |
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