Baby Christians
The term "Baby Christian" has never sat right with me. In some cases, I think it applies, but more often than not, I disagree with current its usage, as it pertains to how long a person has been a Christian.
The use of that term implies that Christianity is something we learn and memorize over time. The expression takes authentic spirituality and reduces it to an issue of seniority. It insinuates that God doesn't really exist and Christianity is simply based on learning the ropes and paying your dues. The whole mentality of tracking a person's spirituality by the amount of time they've been a Christian is a gross representation of how head-minded we've become in this generation. The term "Baby Christian" can only be rightfully applied to someone who is a baby in the spiritual realm. This can just as easily be someone who has been a Christian for 50 years as it can be a newly-saved person.
"Time served" is not an accurate way of determining spirituality, because the spirit realm does not submit to time as we know it. When I use the term "Baby Christian," it is in reference to someone's level of understanding, NOT the length of time they have been a Christian. I've known some people who became a Christian and were able to teach others who had been in the faith for years longer.
I have discovered that the real mark of spiritual maturity is found in a person's ability to know truth, both before and after salvation. The good news message of the Gospel for thousands of people was, "Surprise, you were right all along." In other words, when Jesus came and spoke to the crowds, He was talking to the people who already knew Him before He had even arrived. They had known the heart of God and something within them suspected that His very essence was love. His followers were not a bunch of people who had become Jesus-groupies during His short stay on earth and had memorized His teachings and decided to go to His Church. These people knew Him in their hearts long before He came. They lived by truth that was already alive within them. Jesus was just TRUTH IN THE FLESH, and when He spoke, it resonated with what was already alive in their hearts. This is why Jesus said, "Those who are on the side of truth will listen to me." They were already on the side of truth. Another time He said, "My sheep will recognize my voice." They didn't become His sheep and learn to recognize His voice over time; they were His sheep before He even arrived.
Think about this for a moment. When Jesus approached Matthew he said nothing but, "Follow me," and immediately Matthew got up from what he was doing and basically walked off the job to follow Jesus. That's not normal. It wasn't like Matthew had read several books by Jesus and had listened to a sermon series on truth before Jesus approached him. Matthew had never seen this guy in his life and he gives everything up in an instant and follows Jesus. Something resonated in Matthews's heart the moment he saw and heard Jesus. It had to be something significantly more powerful than just intrigue. For Matthew, following Jesus that day was as natural as breathing.
I find it interesting that most of the New Testament was written by a guy who wasn't even a disciple of Jesus. Where are the books from the guys who spent all that one-on-one time with Jesus? Why do we only hear from a few of them, besides Matthew? Jesus basically lived with twelve disciples and in the end, the New Testament Scriptures are dominated by the writings of a guy who never once even shook Jesus' hand. Even though Paul encountered Jesus long after the disciples, he was considerably more mature spiritually than most of the others. In fact, it was Paul who went on to disciple some of the very guys who knew the physical Jesus. How could this be? Paul was NEVER a baby Christian. The moment he got saved, he was a million years old.
I've always found it funny that Jesus selected twelve men as disciples and then He commissioned them to preach the good news to the world. A short time later, Jesus appears to Paul on the road to Damascus. Why? That's a pretty good question, don't you think? Why couldn't the disciples have done the job of spreading the gospel? It seems to me that most of the twelve JUST PLAIN DIDN'T GET IT. I've always believed that Paul (a man who never met Jesus) was called in as the back-up man to pick up the pieces and finish the job. The question is, what was in Paul that clearly wasn't in many of the disciples? Why is it that the disciples can spend three-and-a-half-years walking and talking with the physical Jesus and still not get it, and Paul has one encounter and he ends up discipling the disciples and everyone else in the world? The truth was already alive in Paul long before the Damascus encounter. All the blinding light experience did was ignite the fuse.
Sadly, it is common to ask someone how long they've been a Christian, in an effort to detect their level of spiritual maturity. It just doesn't work that way. If it did, Jesus would never have told us that we must become as a little child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. In saying that, he literally flip-flopped our perspective of spiritual development and maturity. Another time He said, "The first will be last and the last will be first." In the spiritual realm, time is not taken into consideration.
I believe that there are many unsaved people out there who are more spiritually mature than I, only they don't know it yet. When they finally come into the knowledge of the name of the Truth by which they have lived for their entire lives, they will erupt with wisdom and knowledge that will come to life instantaneously. The problem is, most of us believe that Christianity is a religion where growth is achieved through study and practice. That is essentially the belief that the entire Church structure in America is built around and it is flat-out wrong!
I have met Pastors who know their Bible better than I will ever hope to and have studied theology for longer than I've been alive, but have the spiritual understanding of a potato. I've also met roofers and painters who haven't spent a day in Church in their entire lives and the only Bible verse they know is John 3:16, but they are 50-foot giants in the spiritual realm. Sadly, because these men haven't been to Bible College and because they haven't memorized the right verses and studied theology or doctrine, they are expected to sit under a Pastor who couldn't see his hand in front of his spiritual face to save his life.
I have made it my goal to recognize Truth in the hearts of people who aren't even Christians yet. In fact, I have found that people who resonate with Truth can almost always recognize it in others, regardless of their religious affiliation. There's a vibration in the spirit that is created by truth; it can be heard ONLY by others with that same truth within. When that vibration is made, it causes those who possess the vibration to receive sight immediately. This is precisely what happened when Jesus preached. People's eyes popped open immediately, the moment He spoke. Others walked around in darkness because the truth was not in them.
Unfortunately, most Christians have been taught that anyone who hasn't accepted Christ into their hearts is blind and stupid and hasn't an ounce of truth within them. It's as though we believe that nothing of any substance exists in people until they say a sinner's prayer. This is so wrong that it makes me ill. How did the wise men know that Christ was a king when they traveled all that way and found Him? These guys weren't even Jewish. They were of a totally different belief system, and still they recognized baby Truth when they saw Him.
I have found that when I go preach or speak somewhere, it is not my job to convince people of the truth. I am not there to teach or prove or persuade. I am there to make the vibration of love and truth. Those who have it will be liberated and set free, while those who don't, will ultimately leave in a worse condition than when they arrived. This is exactly what the passage means when it says, "He who has, will be given more, and he who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." So it is with truth.
I am not a "Truth Preacher." I am simply a man who happens to know the Name of Truth Himself. He lives inside of me and wherever I go, I just BE the truth and sit back and watch the fireworks. This is precisely why I am not the least bit interested in debating anyone about what I preach. It's the essence of what I preach that resonates with hearts that possess truth, not the words. When people already possess the essence, it will reverberate with their spirit when it's played.
Spreading the truth has absolutely NOTHING to do with speaking ability. I have learned that I can throw a hundred stumbling blocks in the way of a crowd when I am preaching and STILL those who had truth within them recognize it the moment they hear it and those who don't, won't. This is exactly why Jesus spoke in parables. He was intentionally causing those without truth to stumble, while knowing all along, that those who possessed it would immediately recognize it.
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When the Jew (child of Abraham) Nic', asked Jesus In John 3:5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You[c] must be born again.' So was jesus not saying that this child of Abraham needed to be Born again? What about His comments on a few occasions to the pharasees that they were not in and even made the profound statement that their father was the devil? Were they not children of Abraham? So being a child of Abraham needs to be clarified. Faith or birthright? Abraham was made righteous because of His Faith and so are all that have faith in God and the coming (now come) Messiah. Just my thoughts
I think everyone should get an easy to read translation and sit down and read the Bible from cover to cover just like you would read any other book. Don't worry about hearing from God or being in the Spirit. Just read it like it was "The Shack." It's easier to understand then we give it credit for. Most of us haven't done that because we've been scared away from it by IC people. Once you've read it, the intimidation goes right out the window.
Darin thanks, I had read the article awhile back but it was good to read again. I hope you don't get tired of people like me asking you the same questions over and over. I've spent a very small time listening to you and other good teachers compared to years of screwed up mess from IC. I wish i could get to the point where i love my Bible and see it in its proper light, rather than avoid it from all the bad memories of being beaten up with it by IC people. how long does this take anyway.
Jesus made it just that simple. He quoted the Golden Rule once and then said "All of the law and the prophets" (which is the Bible) hangs on that one rule. If you just love God and love people, you don't need to study fine print and interpret Greek or Hebrew. The purpose of scripture was to lead you to Christ. You have Christ now, so just LOVE. Have you read my article called "Christians and the Bible" in the "Articles" section? It might help you sift through this easier.
and so lies the fundamental question...! i know you're not Jesus, but you sure are shaking up the cultural religious norm with all your questions and teachings that are just too darn simple, Darin!! you're boggling all the religious study i worked so hard on at IC (not that I got far...) my brain is flashing a 'power failure' light! why though the Bible? why not a pamphlet or two if God didn't want us to get tripped up? why not have the opening verse say 'don't read the fine print too close...look at the general principle!'
gettingbetter = are you supposed to turn to the bible to find answers on your security with God, or your heart? Look at the love in your heart and analyze it. I have children and I know they are eternally secure with me. Love gives the answer to that. You don't have to look for it in the Bible. You already know the answer. The question is where would God have you look?
Darin, you said "most of us believe that Christianity is a religion where growth is achieved through study and practice...this is flat out wrong." I was told this too and it was horribly frustrating. I'm wondering though, if the Truth is supposed to be so simple, why did God give us such a long book full of cryptic passages that discuss such fundamentally important things as the state of our eternal soul? Religion's pharisees aren't the only ones who get tripped up. I want simple truth more than anything. Yet in the past I spent countless hours in or near tears trying to understand one passage seeming to promise eternal security and love, and another seeming to say if I do this or that I'm lost. One of many reasons I seldom read my Bible these days.
amen Bob...can totally relate
I have been reproached many times because I now believe that understanding and sharing His love is the "meat" and maturity of following Him. Because I live my life that way I am often accused of of being nothing but a baby, a "milk" drinker, talking about love and grace. For many years I was a so-called "meat" eater, steeped in intellectual knowledge, able to defend all my doctrinal postions and skillful in the art of looking spiritually mature. Then I found what real maturity is, simply letting Him live and love through me.
Wow,thanks Darin! That really makes a lot of sense.
Galatians 3:7-9 - "Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Also you can read Romans Chapter 4 if you want something more)
Hi again Liz – Jesus’ teachings were not around during Abraham and David’s day. They didn’t need Jesus’ teachings because they were already living them. Jesus did rock the religious world with a new perspective on living but than again He really didn’t. Jesus’ teachings were not something new. They were the essence and heart of the law. It was the religious world that was wrong because they took a heart message and made it a head religion. Jesus simply defined the meaning of their religion, a meaning that Abraham and David understood in their heart. Being born again is living by the spirit and not the flesh. These men did just that. They chose to live by faith in what they coudln't see rather then by what they could see. The cross applied to them before it actually took place.
Darin, I understand we are righteous by faith and not by works. But what does it mean to be born again? And are you saying that Jesus/ teachings were around during Abraham and David's time? He seems to rock the religious world with a total new perspective and new way of living
My parents raised me to recognise the truth long before they were Christians, as their behaviour was Christ-like in so many ways. So when I heard about Jesus there was instant recognition in my heart. They only 'became Christians' after me... and when they heard about Jesus they also instantly recognised Him. Interesting.
Ahhh Carol you see there was something inside of you that knew exactly what you were missing. You knew all along your parents were wrong in what they did to you. You just knew it. And finally when you came face to face with love, something clicked in your spirit and you said to yourself, "this is it, this is what I've been searching for". It was in you already. You knew it when you found it. (I can relate to your story in a lot of ways. My life was much the same).
Darin I think you misunderstand what I was saying. You say people like Paul had the truth in him and he responded to Christ. I just used canvinist as an example. I grew up with a father who abused me and left home in my early teens. I never knew love from either of my parents and just the opposite. I never knew anything about Christ or any other religion. I worked in a hospital and a patient talked to me about Jesus. I didn't have a clue who Jesus was but she showed me so much love and even though I wasn't looking for anything I immediately wanted Jesus. Is this what you are saying? I have struggled with depression most of my life but through medicine and therapy I have finally conquered for the most part the control of depression and I finally have a love from God that will not hurt me.
Wonderful! I just don't what else to say but AMEN! I think I was one of those Truth Understanders since being a little girl. All throughout my childhood, I sensed God/Jesus being real inside my heart. I knew Catholism wasn't congruent with my heart. Yet, during those yrs, I couldn't "put my finger on why" until much later. When I met you in '02 & heard the Truth being spoken through your partnership/relationship with Papa Son Holy Spirit, my heart so resonated with your messages. And now, the Holy Spirit is bringing so much Truth into my heart that everything I'd been "taught" within Religiosity is contrary to the Truth. My believe since '02 has taken a beautiful 180 degree flip. And, I hunger for Papa to continue pouring more Truth & Love into me so I can pour it out to others. ~Amy
Darin, Your cupboard must be stocked with cans of worms and you have the can opener. Great post. Jesus asked Paul on the road to Damascus..."Is is not hard to kick against the goads?" That statement tells me the truth had been brewing in Paul as gory as the journey to find truth was. He had to be knocked off his High Horse so to speak. I do believe there is one mediator between God and man...but it's not me. I believe Jesus has that job and contrary to popular teachings..he doesn't need me to get that across. I just shine the light and they find there own way. As far as baby Christians go...I hope I am always a child that looks at all this with awe and gratitude. Even when I don't understand.
Liz - In terms of a person not being able to live out the teachings of Christ without being born again, I couldn’t disagree more. Remember that we are all children of Abraham who never once laid eyes on Christ but was considered righteous by the same means we are considered righteous. The New Testament lifestyle isn’t based on a time zone. People like King David, and Abraham lived it even before the cross.
Carol, the truth was inside of Paul but Paul was living according to tradition and not according to what was in him. When he met Christ, everything fell together for him. This is why almost immediately Paul began preaching and teaching people about the Gospel. Paul had an immediate understanding of how the Old Testament lined up with the New Testament the moment he met Christ. As far as you hearing that I'm saying God chose certian people to be saved and not others; I'm not sure where you got that from. I didn't even discuss that or anything remotely similar to that in this post.
"The truth was already alive in Paul long before the Damascus encounter." If the truth was already alive in Paul why was he killing christians? It almost sounds like you are a calvinist and believe God chose certain people to be saved and not others?
This is something that I have been thinking about for quite some time. It seems that there are people that have not accepted Christ as their Saviour but live out His teachings better than those that have. Only problem is that there is only one mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus. There is no other way to God than by accepting Christ and His sacrifice for our sin. I've been reading through the gospels and the teachings of Jesus are so contrary to human nature - a person cannot possibly live out the teachings of Jesus on their own without being born again spiritually. What then, does it mean to be born again? How can an unsaved person be more spiritually mature? Are we not dead spiritually without Christ?
Thank you!!! I have always known that I'm not a conditioned Christian. I have not been to a structured Christian boot camp or a recovery program to purge out the untruth before my salvation. Truth was poured into my heart and It's be relationship from that day moving forward. I do not know him, I understand him.It resonates. There is no measuring up when I meet other Christians as to who knows more or what church is attended. It's like a kalidescope. Each one of us experience a unique part of who he is to us in relationship. Each part has it's own Beauty. "Let's Celebrate!!"