When are Christians ready for the strong meat of the Word?
Christians become ready for the strong meat of the Word as they grow and progress through the Christian experience, moving beyond the sincere milk of the Word that new believers desire. This growth in grace and knowledge leads to maturity, where they can handle deeper truths rather than only the simpler things.
Les explains that Scripture presents two concepts. First, when a person comes in as a new believer, they begin as babes in Christ and desire the sincere milk of the Word, the simpler things. But as they grow and come through the Christian experience, they finally reach the place where they are ready for the strong meat of the Word. The second concept is positional: the moment a person is saved, God places them by adoption into a place of full maturity and responsibility in the body of Christ. As Ephesians 1:5 says, God has predestinated us unto the adoption. So while believers grow experientially from milk to meat, positionally they are already placed in full maturity through redemption and adoption.