Spiritual growth after salvation is a gradual process that begins with new birth and develops as believers grow in grace and knowledge through the Word.
No one is born into God's family as a mature spiritual person. Every believer starts as a babe in Christ, and the growth aspect of the Christian life, which Scripture calls sanctification, is a process that takes time. Along the way, new believers are nourished by the Word while living under grace, not under law.
1 Peter 2:2 — This verse directly answers the question by telling newborn believers to desire the sincere milk of the Word so that they may grow.
1 Corinthians 3:2 — Paul uses milk and meat to show that spiritual growth is gradual and that new believers are not yet able to handle deeper truth.
Peter addresses spiritual growth in the same terms as physical infancy. In 1 Peter 2:2 he tells newborn believers, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” The believer is therefore pictured as a baby who grows by taking in the Word. The growth begins after the new birth, and the Word is the nourishment. Paul uses the same milk-and-meat picture in 1 Corinthians 3:2: “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” This shows that growth is gradual and that deeper truth comes as the believer is able to bear it. Both passages present spiritual growth as something that happens over time, beginning with the new birth and continuing as the believer is fed from Scripture.
Les Feldick consistently teaches that the spiritual life parallels the physical life. Just as no one is born a full-grown adult, no one enters the family of God as a mature spiritual person. Every believer begins as a babe in Christ (Clip 0). Salvation itself is an event, while the growth aspect, which Scripture calls sanctification, is a process that takes time (Clip 1). Les says God does not expect a new believer to stay a babe; He expects them to grow in grace, knowledge, and wisdom (Clip 2). He illustrates this with milk and meat: new believers need the sincere milk of the Word and are not ready for spiritual meat; in his own classes he tells people to “get off the milk bottle” (Clip 6). Crucially, Les teaches that growth happens under grace, not under law. Citing the moment of faith when the Holy Spirit comes in, he says believers are not under law but under grace, and adds “grace is never licensed.” Freedom under grace is not lawlessness; growth comes as believers are led and guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Clips 4, 5). He also comforts those who feel immature: no one is a mature Christian overnight, and a new believer is like an infant that needs tender, loving care, nourishment, and protection (Clip 3). God expects believers to learn and grow into a graphic understanding of all that God has done for them (Clip 7).
No. Les says once salvation takes place, that is an event, and the Christian experience or sanctification is a process that covers time. He tells people they are not going to be mature Christians overnight. A new believer is like an infant who needs nourishment and protection.
Peter's picture of a newborn baby desiring sincere milk is the foundation; Paul likewise had to feed immature believers milk, not meat. Les echoes this by describing new believers as infants needing tender, loving care and nourishment. Maturity takes time; deeper doctrine, or spiritual meat, comes later.
Les insists believers are not under law but under grace, because the Holy Spirit indwells them the moment they believe. Growth happens as believers live under grace, not under thou shalt and thou shalt not. But grace is never license; it is freedom to be led and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Les says God does not expect a new believer to stay a baby. He expects growth in grace, knowledge, and wisdom. God expects believers to learn and grow into a graphic understanding of all He has done on their behalf. Even brand-new believers with no Bible background are the easiest to work with and are not required to know deep doctrine just to be saved.
Babes in Christ
Les compares the spiritual life to the physical: no one is born into God's family as a mature spiritual person; everyone enters salvation as a babe in Christ.
Salvation is an event; growth is a process
Les distinguishes the event of salvation from the ongoing process of Christian growth or sanctification, emphasizing that believers begin as new babes in Christ.
God expects growth in grace and knowledge
Les says God does not expect a new believer to stay that way but to begin growing in grace, knowledge, and wisdom.
New believer needs care and nourishment
Les says no one becomes a mature Christian overnight; a new believer is like an infant needing tender, loving care, nourishment, and protection.
Growth under grace
Les describes early believers as fledglings who grow because they are under the grace of God.
Grace is never license
Les says that at the moment of faith the Holy Spirit comes in to be God's brand and power, so believers are not under law but under grace; yet grace is never licensed and believers are guided by the Spirit.
Milk of the Word
Les quotes Peter's exhortation for newborn babes to desire the sincere milk of the Word, and notes Paul's milk and meat picture; he tells new students to get off the milk bottle.
Learning deeper doctrines
Les says once someone becomes a child of God, God expects them to learn and grow into a graphic understanding of what God has done, including the deeper doctrines in Paul's letters.
1 Peter 2:2: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Les directly references this verse to show that new believers begin on spiritual milk, and growth comes by desiring the Word.
1 Corinthians 3:2: I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
Paul uses milk and meat to show that spiritual growth is gradual and that immature believers are not yet ready for deeper truth.
No. Les says salvation is an event, but sanctification or growth is a process that covers time. Every believer comes in as a babe in Christ and needs nourishment to grow.
Les says believers are not under law but under grace, and growth happens in that grace. Grace is never licensed; believers are instead led and guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Les uses Peter's phrase for newborn believers who need the sincere milk of the Word. Paul also had to feed some believers milk because they were not ready for spiritual meat. Les tells new students to get off the milk bottle and move on to deeper doctrine.
God expects believers to learn and grow into a graphic understanding of all He has done for them. Growth in grace, knowledge, and wisdom is God's expectation, not something that happens overnight.
Watch the Teaching: What Most Christians Miss About Grace — 1 Corinthians Explained