New born babies bring joy and excitement into a family, this happens in an even greater way in the family of God. The Angels sing and rejoice, other Christians see it as absolutely wonderful, and God Himself is thrilled. You have been born into vast spiritual wealth and privilege that cannot be exhausted. In order for you to grow properly the Lord has given you an early healthy diet. Just as disease and poor diet can stunt you in ordinary life there will be things that will hamper your spiritual growth.

Satan will seek to tempt you, attack you and cast doubts into your mind. Men may ridicule you, laugh at you and hinder you. The world may try and draw you into its ways and pleasures. Remember, the Lord Jesus Christ has overcome all of them and you can live in his victory. You are a spiritual infant and you need a lot of help at this stage.
It is good at this stage to learn and memorize passages of scripture and to emphasise the tenses in a verse e.g. “there is NOW no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Rom. 8:1

Essential Needs.

Food.

If a child is to grow it needs proper food and nourishment. They start life on a milk diet and as they develop they need solid food.

A. It will help you grow. 1 Peter 2:2
B. It will increase your faith. John 10:17; Romans 10: 17
C. It helps you over come sin. Psalm 119:11, 16

Prayer.

Communication with God is not only possible but essential. As a father he is always eager to hear from his children. You can tell him anything – your fears, your failures, your joys and your blessings. He loves to hear from you. That’s why he established a direct line of communication to himself.

A. Ask anything, he may not give because you are not ready for it, but ask anyway. Matthew 21:22
B. Call upon me in the day of trouble. Psalm 31:9
C. Ask for wisdom. James 1:5

Faith.

This is simply believing God and taking him at His word. There are over 7,000 promises in his word and they are activated when you apply faith. Faith is expecting God to work.

A. Without faith we cannot please Him. Hebrews 11:6
B. His promises must be mixed with faith. Hebrews 4:2
C. We walk by faith not by what we see. 2Corinthians 5:7

Rest.

You must appreciate the all sufficiency of Christ and not try to live the Christian life on your own. He is all you need, you must let him live his life in you. Learn to relax and let him take the burdens.

A. You now live a new life, the Christ life. The old life is dead. Romans 6:4-5 Gal. 2:20
B. The life of Christ is eternal and overflowing. John 10:10
C. Christ is the life, he makes you ALIVE. John 14:6

Confession.

You are not perfect yet, you will fail and fall, however now you no longer want to practice sinning any more. God the Holy Spirit lives in you. He is grieved or quenched when you sin. You must confess your sin to God [not man] and he will forgive you. He may discipline you but that’s only because he loves you.

A. If you confess he will forgive you. 1Jn. 1:9
B. The Lord Jesus stands up for us as our advocate. 1Jn. 2:1
C. Ask to be filled afresh again with the Holy Spirit. Eph. 5:18

Doubts and Assurance.

At this stage you may get doubts about your salvation. You may have failed or fallen, you may not feel saved and your emotions may be confused. You may wonder why you are not perfect, why you still have problems or why you are not healed. These may all affect you but not your salvation. It’s the sin problem Christ dealt with. No doubt, as you grow in Christ you will learn the answers to many of your questions. It is an exciting, learning process. You will find the solution to many problems but they will not be instantly apparent.
Now that you belong to Jesus, He will take care of you and will not let anything separate you from the Love of God. Rom. 8:37-39. The Power of God, not your own effort keeps you. The relationship is so close that he will never let you be taken from him, his love for you is immense. He is already preparing a place for you in Heaven and he has reserved a home for you.

Jesus said in John 10:28-29
We are His sheep.
We have eternal life.
We will not perish.
We can’t be plucked out of his hand.
We cannot be plucked from the Father’s hand.

Questions

True or False?
1. Trouble, Satan or bad feelings will keep me from God. Rom 8: 37-39
2. I should feel saved. Acts 16:30; 2 Corinthians 5:7
3. It is important to believe God. 1Jn. 5:10
4. I can know here and now that I am saved. 1Jn. 5:11-12
5. You can’t have joy and peace now. John 14:7; 15:11
6. I have to keep struggling and trying in the Christian life. Gal. 2:20
7. God doesn’t want to hear me. Matt. 21:22
8. God’s word is essential for growth. 1Pet. 2:2
9. Faith in His word does not matter. Heb. 4:2
10. I am perfect and don’t have to confess. 1Jn. 1:8-10