This is the first lesson in a series of six on Christian Growth.  It is designed to teach new converts some basic doctrine to help them get grounded in their salvation and oriented to the Sunday school class they will soon join in the church.

Prov 20:29 says that the glory of young men is their strength.  In order to be physically strong you must nutritiously nourish yourself and you must workout.  The nutrition requires the right kind of food in the right quantity and the work out involves tearing and repairing your muscles.

In Christian growth, we’re not growing the strength of our flesh, because the flesh is contrary to the Spirit, Gal 5:17.  Instead, we are growing our spiritual strength.  We grow spiritually in a similar fashion to the way we grow physically.  We must nutritiously nourish ourselves and we must work out.

You have recently been saved and so you are a “babe” in Christ.  Physically, you have matured to your physical age, but spiritually you are only days or weeks old.  Your flesh is currently much stronger than your spirit.  As a babe in Christ, you need milk.  1 Pet 2:2 says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.”  As you can see, if you do not read and digest the Bible, you will not grow.  Many people have been saved 20 years and are as spiritually immature as they were in the first year of their salvation because they haven’t been nourished by the milk of the word of God.

As you grow and mature, you’ll need to start “eating” some meat and that meat will further nourish you.  Heb 5:13-14 says, “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”  You go from reading and digesting a basic diet of the word to strengthening yourself in the “meat” of the stronger doctrines of the word.

In addition to your spiritual nourishment, you need to work out.  Phil 2:13-14 says, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”  Notice, that you have to work out: tearing down the flesh and repairing the spirit.  You do this by obeying the words of God.  Jas 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

A good place to start reading your Bible is in the Gospel of John.  That gospel reinforces your faith and introduces you to some of the great miracles and events in the life of Jesus Christ, your Savior.