SPIRITUAL MATURATION

At the moment you surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, you are born into the family of God. And ... just as infants need milk for growth and development, new Christians require spiritual 'milk' (foundational doctrines of the faith). 

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2-3

As a baby grows, its diet changes to include solid food. Likewise, 'born-again' believers should transition from learning the basics of salvation to the deeper truths of God's Word. 

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

Sadly, there are Christians who have been saved for many years but remain 'spiritual babies'. Paul saw the same problem with the Corinthian believers; they had not grown in their faith, and he could only give them 'milk' because they were not ready for solid food ... 

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready. 1 Corinthians 3:1-2

The analogy between human babies and spiritual babies breaks down when we realize how each matures. When an infant is fed by his parents, growth is natural. But a baby Christian will only grow as much as he studies and obeys the Word of God. 

Growth is up to him. 

Although by this time you should be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the revelations of God. You have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. Hebrews 5:12-13

The truths taught in the Bible are rich food for Christians. Peter wrote that God has given us everything we need for life through our knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is a Biblical outline of growth that leads to spiritual maturity ... 

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

It is not how much spiritual truth you understand, but how much you use it. The opposite of ignorance is not knowledge ... but obedience. False teachers are quite successful in capturing immature Christians; most of their followers come from local churches that did not encourage their people to study the Bible. 

But those who plumb its depths are protected against the 'doctrines of men' ... As a result, we are no longer children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; Ephesians 4:14

Growth is up to you, pilgrim ... 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Walk accordingly.