ETERNAL SPIRITUAL CHILDHOOD

Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

The Bible clearly reveals the three stages attainable by man: natural, carnal and spiritual. 

First, the natural stage. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, 

“But a NATURAL MAN does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (Emphasis added). 

Everyone born into this world is a natural man. You need not do anything to attain to this level, you naturally enter into it. As long as you are a product of a man and a woman, you fall in the stage of the natural man. 

But who is a natural man? A natural man is someone who does not have the Spirit of God. That is, an unbeliever. One who has not received the Spirit of God by believing in Jesus Christ the Son of God. According to the words of the Lord in John 3, such a person is only born of the flesh and not of the Spirit, therefore, he is flesh and natural. Because of his state, he cannot see or enter into the kingdom of God. Furthermore, according to 1 Corinthians 2:14, he is incapable of receiving the things of the Spirit of God because they look foolish and meaningless to him. Meanwhile, the things of the Spirit of God are not foolishness. But because they are spiritually encoded by the Spirit of God, the natural man lacks the understanding needed to receive them because he does not have the Spirit. This was the reason Nicodemus, who although was a Pharisee and a spiritual ruler of the people of God, could not receive what Jesus was telling him. To be learned, even in the scriptures, does not mean one is no longer a natural man and can therefore understand and receive spiritual things. To be a spiritual ruler too does not qualify one for receiving the things of the Spirit. One must be born again and be born of the Spirit to be able to receive His things. 

Second, the carnal stage. 1 Corinthians 2:1 says, 

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto CARNAL, even as unto BABES in Christ.” (Emphasis added, KJV). 

A carnal man is someone who, despite having received the Spirit of God by believing in Jesus Christ the Son of God, lives like a natural man. Such still displays the characteristics of a natural man, for there is no apparent difference between him and a natural man. His attitude and lifestyle are just like the unbelievers. The fruits he bears are inconsistent with the Spirit of God he has received. Such people, like those the apostle was addressing, manifest the works of the flesh. They are not obedient to the Holy Spirit which indwells them. Concerning such people he said in 1 Corinthians 3:2, 

“I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able.” 

Carnal believers can only drink but cannot chew because they are underdeveloped. Just like infants, they can only drink milk but not solid food because all the parts of their spirit are yet to be completely formed. They are therefore unable to receive the real things of the Spirit. 

Lastly, the spiritual stage. 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 says, 

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to SPIRITUAL MEN, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not SOLID FOOD.”

And Hebrews 5:14 also says, 

But SOLID FOOD is for the MATURE, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

A spiritual man is the one who has believed in Jesus Christ the Son of God, received the Spirit of God and grown from childhood into maturity. Such a person has his organs well developed to receive the real things of the Spirit which are called solid food. Having developed teeth, they have been weaned to chew bones.

Among these three sets of people, contrary to general belief, the Lord has no pleasure in the carnal believers. They are the lukewarm ones He spoke about in Revelation 3:15-16. He says, 

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

They are neither devoid of the Spirit of God nor spiritual. The Lord said He even wished they were cold or unbelievers so as to know how to win them, or to be hot or spiritual people who already have been weaned. 

Although one must experience childhood, the purpose of being born again is not to remain a child forever. This will be against the will of God and also be tantamount to frustrating the Holy Spirit inside the believer. Nobody gives birth to a baby and expects the baby to remain a baby forever. It is expected that the baby grows into maturity so as to relate with the environment. Spiritual childhood is a stage that one must pass through quickly. And this growth from childhood to adulthood is not necessarily determined by time as in natural babies but by obedience.  Hebrews 5:14 says, 

“But solid food is for the mature, WHO BECAUSE OF PRACTICE have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

The Bible does not say such people became mature because they have spent years in Christ but they became mature because by practically obeying the Holy Spirit, they have developed and trained their senses to receive spiritual things. This is the purpose of salvation, to be able to receive from God by walking in obedience and also being able to teach others to do likewise. (Hebrews 5:12).