What a baby can tell us about Bible study
Let’s be honest…newborn babies don’t do a whole lot. They eat, sleep, poop, and cry. For the amount of work and round-the-clock effort they need, a running joke you’ll often hear new parents say is, “It’s a good thing they’re cute…”.
The terms “new birth” and “born again” are frequently used in the New Testament to describe what happens to a person who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. When you believe this, Jesus promises that we have new, eternal life:
John 3:16
For God loved the world in this way: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Of course, Jesus’ disciples heard all about this “new life” as they followed Him during His earthly ministry. So it’s not surprising that they would use similar terms in their own writings. At the beginning of his letter to believers scattered across modern-day Turkey, Peter not only refers to our new birth, but two things we have been born into:
1 Peter 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
Peter says we have been born into a living hope for the present life and into an inheritance in the life to come. After reminding his readers how unique and special this new life is (despite any persecution they currently face), Peter encourages them to leave behind their old lifestyle and pursue living out of their new life as a believer.
While that sounds like a great idea, his readers need to know how to get there. Does he expect them to just white-knuckle their way through life, avoiding all the bad behaviors they can along the way? No, he doesn’t. Instead Peter gives them practical advice, by going back to the new birth analogy:
1 Peter 2:2-3
Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Three observations about a newborn infant in Peter’s example:
1. The attitude of the baby – How quickly does a newborn reach for his mother’s breast? Babies might not know much, but they know where to go for what they need, and they will aggressively grab and pursue the nourishment they desire.
2. The appetite of the baby – They are hungry, and only milk will satisfy. How often do babies need to eat? About every 3-4 hours, right? How does that time frame compare to how often we go to God’s word for nourishment? A baby wouldn’t survive eating just once a week on Sundays.
3. The aim of the baby – He’s not eating just to fill his belly. As he takes in the milk, his body uses it to grow. A baby is not meant to stay a baby forever, and neither are we. As we feed on the pure milk of the word, we will then grow up and mature in our new life.
Peter’s point is that we go to God’s word to sustain and develop our new life – but note that he said grow and not “know”. While you cannot grow without knowledge, the focal point of our study of the Bible is growth, not simply collecting trivia.
You cannot grow out of being a spiritual infant without a steady diet of God’s word. It is God’s primary tool for developing His children. Growth may be scary or messy at times, but life is bigger, better, and full of more opportunities for those who mature and grow. That is how we experience the promised living hope now and prepare for our future inheritance.
Keep Pressing,
Ken