Your Title is Not Your Faith: Are You Still a Spiritual Infant?

Does a church title prove spiritual maturity? Many Christians remain “spiritual infants” for years, confusing their positions with true growth. True faith is measured by your heart’s response to God’s Word—moving from self-centered needs to the sacrificial heart of a Father. Discover the stages of faith and find out where you truly stand today.

Today, I would like to share a message about spiritual growth. Many people desire to grow spiritually. They attend seminars, join various meetings, and seek confidence through learning. However, before anything else, we must clearly understand one thing: what is the true meaning of spiritual growth? Just as the human body grows from an infant to a child, then to a young adult, and finally to maturity, our spirit also grows through the same process.

Think about an infant. An infant does not have much knowledge. They only cry, smile, and express joy. Without the care of their parents, they cannot survive or grow. In the same way, when we first accept Jesus Christ, our faith is like that of an infant. Many people misunderstand this stage. They think that having a high position in the church means they have grown spiritually. They say, “I am a pastor,” “I am a deacon,” or “I am an elder,” therefore I am spiritually mature. But spiritual growth is not measured by position.

A spiritual infant can do very little on their own. Because they do not deeply understand the Word, they live according to their desires and emotions, without even discerning what is sin. Just as a baby cries when hungry and smiles when happy, they only ask God for things and do not yet know what they themselves should do. If this condition continues, we easily stumble, cannot walk, and darkness tries to swallow us. A spiritual infant even needs help to go to church. Parents must continually teach them who Jesus is and who God is. (Detailed lessons on the measure of faith are available through the MBstudy Bible study courses: Click Here)

Next, we enter the stage of a child. A child begins to obey when taught. Just as they learn to wash their hands and sit at the table, signs of spiritual growth begin to appear. They start to attend gatherings on their own and willingly listen to the Word of God. At this stage, spiritual nourishment is extremely important. Listening to and reading the Word is essential. But what happens if we only eat and do not digest? If we gain knowledge without prayer and practice, it becomes a problem. Even if someone can teach the Word but does not live it, they remain at the level of a child in faith.

It takes time for an infant to grow into a young adult. Spiritual growth is the same. It would be wonderful if we could obey immediately and cast away every sinful thought as soon as we hear the Word, but most of the time this is not the case. Spiritual growth does not happen instantly. It requires time, experience, and the help of the Holy Spirit.

Then we enter the stage of a young person. A young person is able to fight. Although they still need care, they begin to fight. This is not a matter of age or gender, but a matter of spiritual strength. What do we fight against? We fight against sin. At the stage of a child, we begin to recognize sin but do not yet have the strength to fight it. As a young person, however, we decide, “Because I love God more than this situation, I will overcome this sin.”

At this stage, we begin by fighting sins committed through the body. We know that Jesus’ hands and feet were nailed to the cross because of our sins. Therefore, our hands and feet must now obey the voice of the Holy Spirit. In the past, our bodies followed the desires of the flesh—going where we wanted and doing what we pleased. Now, when our feet try to take us away from worship and obedience, we fight. We stop sins one by one and begin to obey step by step. When our body does not obey, we fast and pray, asking for strength to follow the Word of God. This is how faith grows. (To learn more deeply about why Jesus’ hands were nailed to the cross, please follow this link: Jesus on the Wooden Cross )

After we stop outward sins, a deeper area is revealed: the sins of our thoughts and heart. We may worship God, yet our thoughts remain focused on the world. We may not argue outwardly, yet anger and wounds remain inside, and sometimes we lose joy. Our lips praise God, but our hearts are filled with worldly concerns.

At this point, we must begin to cultivate our hearts. How can we always rejoice? How can we forgive seventy times seven? Can we give not only our outer garment but also our inner garment when someone asks? When people repeatedly ask for help, we must examine our heart—are we helping with joy or with resentment?

For example, when we are busy and our mother asks us to clean the room, or when we are tired and she asks us to buy milk, how do we respond? God does not measure us by our actions alone, but by our heart. Anyone can buy milk, but the question is whether we do it with joy or with anger. We desire our hearts to be transformed to become like Jesus Christ.

God is good, and God is love. We ask God every day, and He never rejects us. He never says, “Why are you asking again?” Instead, He rejoices when we come to Him. Even when we forget His grace or make mistakes, He continues to embrace us with love.

We are now called to seek the benefit of others. When we ask, “Why must I always sacrifice?” we remember the cross of Jesus Christ. He died for us. A heart that can sacrifice with joy—this is spiritual growth. When we live with this heart, God uses our lives. Practice the life of a citizen of heaven in your daily life. In heaven, everyone serves with joy. We desire to live that life already on this earth.

When God sees that our heart is free from sin and filled with love for Jesus, we reach the stage of the faith of a father. To reach this stage, we must understand the heart of God. How can we understand His heart? The key is forgiveness. When we forgive others, we begin to understand how God has forgiven us.

Just as a person understands a parent’s heart only after having children, we learn God’s heart when we care for spiritual children. Some obey easily, and some struggle, but when we embrace them with love like infants, we carry the burden of Jesus Christ together. Then we become coworkers who lead others to the truth.

No one reaches the faith of a father overnight. Spiritual growth happens through repeated experiences and obedience. God desires you to grow deeper. Many people choose to remain where they are, but we want to continue growing so that we may meet the Lord in the New Jerusalem, the city of Jesus Christ.

In the Bible, there were people of great faith such as Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Peter, and David. There were also women like Mary, Martha, Ruth, and Mary Magdalene who showed deep faith. This is the core of what MBstudy.com teaches. It is not merely knowledge, but a life that grows into the faith of a father through Jesus Christ. Let us walk this path together.

Pastor Gideon Kim