More on the baby phase of Christians Growth

There are 5 stages to the growth of a Christian, 6 if you consider the “infant” stage.  1 John 2:12-14  has the child, young man, strong young man and father.  Other verses in the bible help to understand all the phases better.  Also, Solomon in the Song of Songs, was the perfect unmeasurably wise husband shepherd to his immature wife.  Lovingly leading her by example, encouragement, promises and praises through the 4 stages of growth in metaphoric and figurative language .  This blog focuses on broadening your understanding from the  “The Babe in Spiritual Growth” phase in the Song of Songs blog.  If you follow me I will be praying for you.  I hope you enjoy!!  God bless you and may you grow becoming mature, attaining to the “whole measure of the fullness of Christ” Ephesians 4:13.

1.  Babes are not teachers, but need to be taught.
   And their thirsty souls grave learning. Don’t get me wrong.  They do know some things, enough for salvation and are saved. But the majority of their time is spent drinking up the truths in the Bible.  God gave man the faculty of understanding, chiefly, that he might understand divine things. This should be obvious, but any new believer quickly realizes even though they are forgiven they have a lot to learn.  Though the craving may vary in differing degrees, God puts the Holy Spirit in them and they crave the spiritual nourishment of the Word of God, so that they grow to be children, young men then spiritual fathers. 1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (every command obeyed and treasured in the heart is compared to “a necklace” adorning or beautifying your neck. (compare Song  of Songs 1:10; 4:9 with Prov. 1:8-9; 6:20-21) At this point I would encourage you, if you have not already, to find someone more mature than you to disciple you.
2. The baby christian will believe one thing then another thing altogether different.  They get tossed to and fro.  (Don’t worry, your still are forgiven and saved you just need to learn more about God, Jesus, His Character and will for you as you drink up the Bible and obey you will be fine, all mature believers started there also)

   Ephesians 4:14  “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming”

3. The babe needs to be taught the “elementary truths of God’s word.” and are “not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.”  Hebrews 5:11-4
4. The babe is not “trained” because they have not had the time for “constant use” of what they have already learned. Hebrews 5:11-14  “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Not saying that they know nothing of righteous living or the righteousness that Christ earned for them but more like  “being without the matured skill that experience gives”  Why?  Not enough time spent learning then doing what they already know, for this is the way for the babe to grow! 🙂  The babe will pray, understand scripture, witness, confess sins, repent,fast and fellowship etc.  But in order to grow they need to not necessarily do more of these but get better at them.
5. Babes can be babes for a long time if you don’t take the right path for growth.  Hebrews 5:12 above says that the hebrews should have been teachers by now.  They didn’t have a “constant use” of what you have learned and in so doing you get “trained to distinguish good and evil.”  Make you necklace of jewels beautiful around you neck by writing the commands of God on you heart. Prov. 1:8-9 and Song 1:10.
6. The babe is out of hell and on her way to heaven but doesn’t have the full assurance of the fathers love to them like the child has.  1 John 2:14,  Song of Songs 2:16

Simple advice for babes: READ YOUR BIBLE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE AND IMMEDIATELY OBEYING WHAT GOD’S SPIRIT CONVICTS YOU OF!

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AS A BABY IN ORDER FOR THE FASTEST GROWTH POSSIBLE

1. Let the Spirit in the Song lead you, by asking Him to teach you because He is the Author!! Then obey!!
2. Make Song 1:2-4 the prayer of your heart all day long!!  And if you are ever lost, which happens often, always go back to making Song 1:2-4 your hearts desire and prayer.  Let your heart resonate with the text and give your heart to God.  Even if you don’t know the full meaning of all the text, pray what you do understand and God will answer above and beyond what you understand or imagine.
3. Drink up the bible in all your available time.  Meditate on the truths as often as possible
4. As you read the Bible you will get convictions, you must follow those convictions. Do what your being convicted of.  Maybe you should read, memorize, or meditate more often on scripture, confess your sins daily, pray in the morning and evening, yea pray always, get someone to disciple you, clarify a truth or doctrine, say sorry to someone, put a filter on the internet, go to church, witness, the list goes on and on.  Do not worry, though you don’t know much, God will teach and discipline those He loves. Heb. 12:10  The point is that as you read God’s word He will reveal to you what you out to do, how to speak and what your thinking should be, and how to keep your emotions biblical.  If you ignore any conviction then this will harden your heart, it will make it harder to obey next time.  Obey and God will bless you with a closer relationship with Himself thereby growing. This is your life, learning about God what His will is for you and doing it.
5. Although you are in the babe phase, you should also learn some things about the child, young man, strong young man and father as well.
6. It’s by repeating everything in the babe phase and looking forward to the child phase that will get you there the fastest along with the Spirits help and in His timing.  You will notice yourself moving from one phase to another, make sure the first phase is fully there before thinking you are a child, yet once you are a child you still have to keep in mind Song of Songs 1:2-2:7, but start doing 2:8-3:5 then when most of your life is a child then overcome the evil one to be a young man still doing the Babe phase over and over just in greater degree’s, frequencies and durations.
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The Song of Songs is a roadmap for Spiritual growth.  There are many ways that the Song will get you growing to full maturity faster than you thought possible, here are a few:

1. It is the roadmap for spiritual growth so rightly understood and applied you will NEVER be lost, or if you get lost or lose your first love it will get you back on track quickly.
   1. The Babe grows by drinking milk
   2. The Child grows another
   3. The young man has his battles
   4. The strong young man has his meat to chew on
   5. The father has it all going on
2. It manifests the Love of God to the heart better than any other book
3. You have Solomon the wisest man ever to have lived guiding you
4. The title itself as the Song of Songs lets us know there is something better here
5. It is complete so that time is not wasted thus redeeming time for our days are evil Song 1:4

Get your doctrine right!  For example the first question in the catechism will let you know your purpose in life!  You were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!!  A puritan catechism that is good and cheap by Thomas Vincent at Amazon for $5 http://www.amazon.com/Shorter-Catechism-Explained-Scripture-Paperbacks/dp/085151314X/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1461028652&sr=8-10&keywords=catechism+puritan

Advice for a new convert from Jonathan Edwards

To Deborah Hatheway in Suffield.

A Copy of a Letter Sent to Deborah Hatheway a young woman belonging to Suffield; by the Revd Mr Edwards of Northampton.

Northampton June 3d AD 1741.

Dear Child, as you desired me to Send you in writing Some Directions, how to behave your Self in your Christian Course, I would now Answer your request. The remembrance of the Great things I have lately Seen at Suffield, and the Dear affection for those Persons, I have there Conversed with, that give good Evidences of a Saving work of God upon their hearts Inclines me to do any thing that lies in my power, to Contribute to the Spiritual Joy and Prosperity of Gods people there; and what I write to you, I would also Say to other young women there, that are your friends and Companions and the Children of God; & therefore Desire you would Communicate as you have opportunity.

1. I would advise you to keep up as Great a Strife and earnestness in Religion in all parts of it, as you wou’d do if you knew your Self to be in a State of Nature, and was Seeking Conversion. We advise persons under Convictions to be earnest, & violent for the kingdom of heaven, but when they have attained to Conversion they ought not to be less watchfull laborious and earnest in the whole work of Religion, but the more; for they are under infinitely greater obligations. for want of this many Persons in a few months after their Conversion have begun to loose the Sweet and lively Sence of things, & to grow Cold and flat and dark, & have pierced themselves thrô with many Sorrows, whereas if they had done as the Apostle did Phil: 3. 12 13 14 their path would have been as the Shining light, that Shines more & more unto the perfect Day.  (“let us hurry” Song of Solomon 1:4, “mare” be swift, powerful in the power of the Spirit and fearless not fearing punishment from God because you believe Him to be loving and gracious. “I will get up now”  Song 3:2)

2. Dont leave off Seeking Striving & praying for the Same things that we exhort unconverted persons to Strive for: & a degree of which you have had in Conversion. Thus pray that your Eyes may be open’d, that you may receive your Sight, that you may know your Self, & be bro’t to Gods foot, & that you may see the Glory of God & Christ & may be raised from the Dead: & have the Love of Christ Shed abroad in your heart, (by making Song of Songs 1:2-4 the cry of your heart) for those that have most of these things, had ned Still to pray for them: for there is So much blindness & hardness & Death Remaining, that they Still need to have that work of God wrought upon them further to enlighten & enliven them; that Shall be a bringing out of Darkness into Gods marvellous light. And a kind of new Conversion & Resurrection from the Dead. There are very few requests that are proper for a natural person, but that in Some Sense are proper for the Godly.

3. When you hear Sermons hear them for your Self: tho what is Spoken in them may be more especially Directed to the unconverted, or to those that in other respects are in different Circumstances from your Self. Yet let the Chief intent of your mind be, to Consider with your Self, in what respects is this that I hear Spoken, Applicable to me & what Improvement ought I to make of this for my own Souls good.

4. Thô God has forgiven & forgotten your past Sins, yet don’t forget them your Self: Often remember what a wretched bond Slave you was in Egypt, often bring to mind your particular acts of Sin before Conversion, as the Blessed Apostle Paul is often mentioning, his old blaspheming & persecuting & injuriousness, to the renewed humbling of his heart & acknowledging that he was the least of the Apostles, & not worthy to be called an Apostle, & the least of all Saints, & the Chief of all Sinners: and be often in Confessing your old Sins to God & let that text be often in your mind Ezek: 16:63. “That thou mayest remember & be Confounded & never open thy mouth any more because of thy Shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done Saith the Lord God.”and  (Song of Songs 1:5-6)

5. Remember that you have more cause a thousand times to lament & humble your Self for Sins that have been Since Conversion than before, because of the infinitely greater Obligations that are upon you to live to God. And look upon the faithfulness of marginal Christ, in unchangeably Continuing his loving favour, & the unspeakable & Saving fruits of his everlasting love, notwithstanding all your Great unworthiness Since your Conversion, to be as wonderfull as his Grace in Converting you.

6. Be greatly abased for your remaining Sin, & never think that you lie low enough for it but yet dont be at all discouraged or disheartned by it. For thô we are exceeding Sinfull yet we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous, the preciousness of whose blood, & the merit of whose righteousness & the Greatness of whose love & faithfulness does infinitely overtop the highest mountains of our Sins. (Dark am I, yet lovely.  Song 1:5. This will balance your emotions and keep you close to God.  Get closer and grow faster by thinking this dark is darker and darker everyday.  And that you loveliness and holiness in Christ and this loveliness  is more getting more lovely,  You are beautiful and God promises to make you more beautiful, this requires you to see yourself as dark and not beautiful in one sense and in another lovely in God’s eyes because your sins are washed away and you are given the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ)

7. When you engage in the Duty of Prayer or Come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper or attend any other Duty of Divine worship, Come to Christ as Mary Magdalene did Luke 7:37-38. Come & Cast your Self down at his feet & kiss ’em, and pour forth upon him the perfumed ointment of Divine love, out of a pure & broken heart, as She pour out her precious ointment out of her pure alabaster broken box.

8. Remember that Pride is the worst viper that is in the heart, the Greatest Disturber of the Souls peace & Sweet Communion with Christ, was the first Sin that ever was, & lies lowest in the foundation of Satans whole building, & is most Difficultly rooted out, & is the most hidden Secret & Deceitfull of all Lusts, & often Creeps in insensibly into the midst of Religion & Sometimes under the Disguise of Humility. (Humility it a right view of yourself in relation to God with a proper heart response)

9. That you may pass a good Judgment of the frames that you are in, always look upon those the best Discourses, and the best Comforts, that have most of these two effects viz: those that make you humble, lowest, & most like a little Child, & Secondly, Those that do most engage & fix your heart in a full & firm Disposition to Deny your Self for God, & to Spend & be Spent for him.

10. If at any time you fall into any Doubt about the State of your Soul, under darkness & Dull frames of mind, tis proper to look over past Experience, but yet Dont Consume too much of your time & Strength in poring & puzling thoughts about old Experiences, that in Dull frames appear dim & are very much out of Sight, at lest as to that which is the cream & life & Sweetness of them: But rather apply your Self with all your might, to an earnest pursuit after renewed Experiences, New light, & new lively acts of faith & love. One new Discovery of the Glory of Christs face & the fountain of his Sweet grace & love will do more towards Scattering Clouds of Darkness & Doubting, in one minute: than Examining old experiences by the best mark that Can be given; a whole year.

11. When the Exercise of grace is at a low ebb, & Corruption prevails, & by that means fear prevails, Don’t desire to have fear cast out any other way, than by the reviving & prevailing of love, for tis not agreable to the Method of Gods wise dispensations that it Should be Cast out any other way; for when love is asleep, the Saints need fear to restrain them from Sin & therefore it is So ordered, that at Such times fear Comes upon them, & that more or less as love Sinks. But when love is lively exercise, persons don’t need fear, & the prevailing of love in the heart, naturally tends to Cast out fear, as darkness in a room vanishes away as you let more & more of the pleasant beams of the Sun into it 1 John. 4 18.

12. You ought to be much in Exhorting & Counselling & warning others, especially at Such a Day as this: Heb: 10 25. & I would advise you especially, to be much in exhorting Children & young women your Equals, & when you exhort others that are men, I would advise you that you take opportunities for it, Chiefly when you are alone with them, or when only young persons are present. See 1 Tim: 2. 9, 11, 12.

13. When you counsel & warn others, do it earnestly, affectionately & thoroughly. And when you are Speaking to your Equals, let your warnings be intermixed with Expressions of your Sense of your own unworthiness, & of the Sovereign grace that makes you differ, & if you can with a good conscience, Say how that you in your Self are more unworthy than they.

14. If you would set up religious meetings of young women by yourselves, to be attended once marginal in a while, besides the other meetings that you attend I Should think it would be very proper & profitable. (In the Song of Songs “breasts” are a metaphor for “receiving and giving nourishment”  the “Lilies” are other believers.  The twin fawns are used as an illustration to communicate “attraction of the eye, beautiful and adorable.  So when a husband or Christ see’s you fellowshipping with other believers then you are getting nourished and giving spiritual nourishment to others, this is captivating, and beautiful to the eye of Christ or husband, like “twin fawns that browse among the lilies” Song 4:5)

15. Under Special Difficulties, or when in great need of or great longings after any particular mercies, for yourself or others; Set apart a Day of Secret fasting and Prayer alone; & let the Day be Spent not only in petitions for the mercies Desired, but in Searching your heart, & looking over your past life, & Confessing your Sins before God not as is wont to be done in public prayer, but by a very particular rehearsal before God, of the Sins of your past life from your Childhood hitherto, before & after Conversion, with particular Circumstances & aggravations, also, very particularly & fully as possible, Spreading all the all the abominations of your heart before him.

16. Don’t let the adversaries of Religion have it to Say, that these Converts Don’t Carry themselves any better than others. See Mat: 5.47 What do ye more than others; how holily Should the Children of God, & the Redeemed & the beloved of the Son of God behave themselves, therefore walk as a Child of the light & of the Day & adorn the Doctrine of God your Saviour; & particularly be much in these things, that especially be Called Christian virtues, & make you like the Saints of God; be meek & lowly of heart & full of a pure heavenly & humble love to all & abound in deeds of love to others, & Self-denial for others, & let there be in your disposition to account others better than your Self.

17. Don’t talk of things of Religion & matters of Experience with an air of lightness and laughter which is too much the manner in many Places.

18. In all your Course, walk with God & follow Christ as a little poor helpless Child, taking hold of Christs hand, keeping your Eye on the mark of the wound on his hands & Side, whence came the blood that Cleanses you from Sin & hiding your nakedness under the Skirt of the white Shining Robe of his Righteousness.

19. Pray much for the Church of God & especially that he would Carry on his Glorious work that he has now begun; & be much in Prayer for the Ministers of Christ, & particularly I would beg a Special interest in your Prayers, & the Prayers of your Christian Companions, both when your alone & when you are together for your affectionate friend, that Rejoyces over you, & desires to be your Servant In Jesus Christ.