Milk and Meat

This is the first article in a series called Fundamentals of the Faith

Knowledge is required in order to be successful in any aspect of life. In any endeavor that we take seriously, we pursue a deep understanding of its fundamental concepts. Let me offer an example. Recently my 2 young daughters, ages 8 and 10, decided they wanted to play basketball in the local recreation league and they wanted me to coach them. Since I take their athletic growth very seriously, I decided to read up on the fundamentals of coaching basketball. I read at least 10 articles from different sources and interviewed the local high school coach. I began to watch college basketball with a different eye, trying to discern different approaches to offense and defense. I wanted to be successful as a girl’s basketball coach so I pursued knowledge.

Successful Christianity is no exception. In any area of knowledge, there exist fundamental principles. These fundamentals form the foundation on which all other principles about the subject are built. The fundamentals of the Christian faith form the core ideas on which our relationship with God is established and built. These fundamentals explain why we needed to be saved, what happened when we were saved, our new status in Christ and principles of operation by which to live. Mastery of the fundamentals is necessary to advance to spiritual maturity and experience the victorious life to which we have been called.

3 Types of Knowledge

In Christianity there are 3 basic categories of knowledge. The first is the gospel (good news) which is the specific information one must believe to be saved. In 1Cor 15:3-4 the Apostle Paul tells us that the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He died to pay for the sins of all mankind and He rose again to defeat death and prove that His work had been accepted by God. The second area of knowledge is called milk, which is the fundamental principles about salvation that explain what specifically happens when a person does believe the gospel. 1Pet 2:2 explains that milk, using a food analogy, is what we learn (or eat) to become secure in our salvation. Finally, the last type of information given to the Christian is called meat, which includes all the concepts of functioning as a Christian. The meat doctrines include everything beyond the gospel and the milk doctrines.

The Gospel

If you have never believed that Christ died to wipe out your sin debt with God, was buried and was raised from the dead as our living Savior, then that is the first order of business for you. I would encourage you to investigate this issue with the greatest gravity and seriousness since your belief about Jesus Christ determines your eternal destiny. The bible is very clear that those who reject the gospel of Jesus Christ will stand before God at the final judgment, condemned because of their sins. He will have no option but to reject them and implement an eternal punishment called the Lake of Fire. There is no need for anyone to experience this punishment since Christ has paid for your sins and offers His work to everyone as a free gift, to be accepted by faith.

Milk Doctrines

If you are a believer in Christ, the first area of knowledge necessary to learn is the milk doctrines. These are all the concepts about salvation, explaining the wonderful gift we received the moment we were saved. Let us look at 1Pet 2:2:

1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

First, Peter the writer tells us that milk is for babies and those in the childhood stage of the Christian life. He admonishes us to develop a craving for these ideas so that by them we can grow up with regard to our salvation. By learning and believing (eating) these concepts, we come to understand what was given to us when we were saved. Many of the other studies in this “Fundamentals of the Faith” series will discuss the milk doctrines. When a person trust in Christ to be saved, God performs many wonderful acts of grace that are described in the bible in at least 50 different ways. These 50 things, when learned, believed and acted upon give the new believer great confidence and security in Christ.

Meat Doctrines

When a believer has studied and understands the fundamentals of salvation, he/she must then go on to the deeper things of God. These deeper things are called meat and are the concepts that explain how to function spiritually now that you are saved. The writer of Hebrews gives us a great summary at the end of the 5th chapter.

Hebrews 5:13-14 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.

Those still living off milk are in the children stage of Christianity while those who are meat eaters are operating in the adult stages. As we grow into the adult stages of the Christian life, have exercised their mental faculties to discern the difference between good and evil. These believers have developed great discernment about every issue in life and have knowledge of spiritual strategies to use in the battle of life. This adult and mature stages are the preferred levels and God’s goal for all of the children He adopts into His family. Having given us this distinction between milk for children and meat for adults, the writer of Hebrews encourages the readers to grow from childhood to adulthood.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

God desires that we learn, believe and master the elementary principles of the faith, then move on to greater levels of growth. The goal of any child, in the human or spiritual arena is to grow to become responsible adults. Learn the milk concepts and move on to the concepts of how to live successfully as a Christian.

View all posts in the Fundamentals of Faith series