Thank you for once again listening to our Cultivating Growth podcast, where each and every week we pick a topic, we talk about how it is that we can grow there, certainly in our relationship to God, even in our relationship with each other. This week, we're going to talk about growing as a new Christian.

A lot of generalities that we've talked about over the weeks about growing, and a lot can be applied even to this topic as well. But we'll kind of get specific, maybe for that new Christian. Some applicable, practical things that they could be thinking about. It can be overwhelming at times, and certainly very early on.

But what are some things that we can focus on and we can help others even focus on when it comes to growing as a new Christian? I'm looking forward to this conversation. Let's get right to it. 

Jeremy, you mentioned there in your intro that sometimes new Christians, can face an almost overwhelming set of circumstances in which expectations for them are high. And maybe they are completely new to this and they've just come to Christ. And now there can be all of these people and all of these expectations on them.

And they're trying to do the best that they very, that they can, and all of that can be overwhelming at times. And I think we have a responsibility to number one, recognize that. To not act as if that's not the case, but to realize that that is a potential reality for a lot of people who are just coming to Christ.

And then think about how we can help them grow from that point forward. And one of the first things that came to mind, and you and I have talked about this before, I think we need to collectively make sure that our mindsets are aligned.  doesn't see baptism as the finish line, but as the start line. And so often we can get, appropriately so, almost consumed with helping someone grow from the point of opening the Bible for the very first time to being baptized into the body of Christ.

And that is obviously, a monumental step, the point in which their sins are forgiven, but for that individual, that's just the beginning of their walk with Christ and their life as a Christian. And so if we make sure that we understand that, then I think we're going to be better equipped to help that individual.

grow from that point forward, realizing that they're just starting at that point. And so all of the studying and all of the help that perhaps we had given them that led them to that point, that must continue moving forward because they're right at the beginning of their new life. Yeah, there's no question about that.

One passage that I like to use to kind of demonstrate that in a lot of ways is Colossians chapter 3 verses 1 through 17. I think Paul does a good job of kind of showcasing that kind of stair step approach to it a little bit. So, for instance, in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 1, he'll say, If then you were raised with Christ.

And so he's using language that he has used in other epistles and in other places to the Christian.  baptized into Christ. And now you have been raised in Christ, a new creature. And so he says there at the end of verse one, and this specifically in verse two, set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth.

That's a good place to start. Your mind now is to be thinking about different things. You are not to be thinking and being driven by earthly things anymore. You're now being driven by heavenly things. And when we set our mind Now our life begins to flow out of that. And so he begins there, you know, in verse five, put to death your members on the earth, which are fornication and uncleanness.

You need to put these worldly things away because your mindset is different. And then he goes into things that he says in verse 12 about purification. putting on tender mercies, kindness. These are some of the things that you can be thinking about because your mindset is different and you're ultimately marching your way.

All of us are towards what he says there in verse 17, that whatever, whatever it is that you do and word or indeed you're doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus, we're marching towards, you know, that way. And so I think it gives us, you know, kind of that idea that.  Everything isn't going to happen immediately.

I think you make a great point that baptism is something that happens at the very beginning of our journey, our walk with Christ. We've been raised with him as a new creature, and now we are beginning that journey, and I think biblically that bears out. A hundred percent, and I think so many times we do one another a disservice when we have expectations that it doesn't.

Overwhelm someone who's in that situation. And I want to make sure that I'm clear as a child of God, God does have expectations of us. And when we become a Christian, we are to put to death that old person and be raised a new creature. With that said, some people may have habits or addictions or just lifelong actions.

that are going to take time for them to break free of entirely in this physical body. We need to be patient with that. It's going to take time for someone to fully understand scripture in all of its nuances and the way that it wants to be understood. to lead us and direct our lives. That takes time.

And they're probably going to need some help along that pathway. And so we need to make sure that we're being patient with them. We're showing grace to them. We're helping them in every way that we can. And there's a, there's a passage in, in first Timothy chapter four that I came across when studying for this, that I thought was really telling.

Paul writes first Timothy to. Timothy, his dear friend, someone who he thinks very, very highly of, someone who from an early age had demonstrated his faithfulness. And Timothy now has been put in a position of trying to help Christians grow in their faith. Faith. But Paul writes this to Timothy in verse 15 of chapter four.

He says, meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to them that your progress may be evident to all Paul's expectation of Timothy is that he is still progressing. in his faith. So much so that that progress is evident to everyone else around. And so if here you have someone like Timothy that Paul is saying there's progression that still needs to be seen in you, well, then for the new Christian, there is monumental progression that they're going to experience over the course of their life if they have time on earth to do that.

And so we should be encouraging them into that. In that progression and progression by definition means that you're not there yet. There's still room to grow. And so we need to encourage them along that path. And when they may experience times in which they wish they were further along than perhaps they find themselves in that moment, make sure that we're there to encourage them and help them in any way that we can so that they can continue that progression moving forward.

Yeah. One passage that I like. Especially when kind of talking to a new Christian and maybe they've got questions about this and you know again We've made mention that it can be overwhelming with where to begin and and what to go where to go to next, right? They become a Christian and like well, we're you know, what what happens next and you're right We've got to be patient and loving and caring with them with all with all and and  One passage we've used a lot, I mean a lot, in this podcast is 2 Peter chapter 1,  and one of the reasons I like it here specifically is that the picture is you have this basis of faith, and then you're adding to that faith.

Well, that's where a new Christian is, right? Yeah. Mark chapter 16 paints that picture, that he who believes and is baptized will be saved, right? That faith is there, the faith in who God is, the faith in Jesus and what he has done, and then based upon that faith, you put him on in baptism. And so Peter then kind of gives the picture of now that that faith is in place,  hey, here are some things that you can be thinking about.

Think about your virtue. Think about your knowledge. Think about your self control, that putting off and putting on, that we talked about in Colossians chapter 3. You know, think about your perseverance. Think about your godliness, that we talked about a little bit last week, when we spent time talking about growing in our modesty.

Think about your brotherly kindness. Think about your love. You know, here are some issues that a new Christian can be thinking about. Very similar kind of list that I would say to, you know, what Paul gives in Galatians chapter 5 on the fruit of the Spirit. You have these very generalized godly things that you can be thinking about early on to grow in because these are very godly.

Godly attributes. And so these are things that I'm going to be working on. You know, it should be telling to us that there are just countless passages in the New Testament, especially in the epistles that speak to this growth concept, whether it's the passage you just referenced there at the end of second Peter, he'll talk about growing and knowledge and grace.

And there's all of these passages that speak to the progression that I was talking about there in first Timothy four. Or in other passages of scripture that have this concept of growing. The reality is, is that as we read through the epistles, for the most part. These are being written to first generation Christians.

These are being written to people who are relatively new to this. That's right. They've heard the gospel for the first time, they've put on Christ in baptism, they've become a member of His church, and now they're all kind of like, what do we do now? And that's why these epistles are so important, is because this is God's way of helping them and directing them and teaching them.

And we see firsthand What happens when people dedicate themselves to Scripture and the expectation that God has, when doing so, growth and progression and maturity occur. And so we need to do this very same thing. We need to encourage new Christians. To be in scripture, frequently, and reading the epistles, reading the Gospels.

I don't care if you've read it before, read it again. You need, you need that nourishment that comes from God's Word, and you need it frequently. That's what God's given it to us for. And then secondly, we need to make sure that we're helping people. them being  there to answer questions and to study through some things maybe they don't understand.

We play a significant role in the maturation of a young Christian and we can do them a disservice if we say, well, you've become a Christian, congratulations, and now we're hands off. And all of it is now up to you. That's clearly not how God handled new converts. He had his word at the ready. He had people ready to teach and to lead them along the pathway that leads them in that path of maturity.

You made mention moments ago about, you know, the new Christian. A lot of times they, they have faith in Christ and they have faith in who he is and what he has done. They've put him on in baptism. They've had their sins forgiven. But yet they still have worldly habits that's a part of their life.

And listen, all of us know habits are hard to break, and habits are hard to form. And a new Christian, they've got to do both of those things. They've got to break worldly habits, but at the same time they've got to be forming godly habits. And so, not just Do they have the difficulty of breaking their worldly habits that they may have?

At the same time, they're trying to build godly habits, such as studies, such as prayer. And one of those things is hard to do. And now you've got them doing, you know, those things simultaneously. And they need encouragement. That's what they need. They need encouragement. They need patience. And they need love.

They need help on ways to do that. You know, help with them breaking old habits, help with them building new habits. We need to be there to be able to help them to grow in these really difficult ways, certainly early on, but we've got to be helping each other, all of us. I mean, you've made the point with Timothy, all of us in some capacity are growing for sure, but there is some specific needs with that new Christian that we've got to be aware of.

Yeah. I mean, we see that in our children. Yeah. Absolutely. You know, my, my children are of the age where they are forming their character and, and habits and, and really discovering who they are and, and they're, they're at an age in which as parents, Ashley and I have to be very active to make sure that we're directing them in the appropriate way so that bad habits aren't formed at a young age.

Because bad habits formed when a child is seven or eight years old, only get magnified when that child is 17 or 18 years old or beyond. And so we, we recognize that in our children, that when they're young, we need to make sure that they're forming healthy, good habits. Well, to your point, the same is true when it comes to new babes in Christ.

They're at that age, they're at that maturity level in which they're going to be forming new habits. And we need to make sure that they're doing so. In a healthy way in a godly way, and that we're leading them along that path. And we can, we can finish up kind of along that same train of thought in first Peter chapter two. 

We've been in Peter's writings a couple of different times today, but in first Peter chapter two Peter will write this beginning in verse number one. He says, therefore. Laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 

Thank you for listening this week. If you haven't already done so, we'd appreciate it if you would take just a second to subscribe to the podcast, whatever platform you're listening, rate and review the show so we can continue to spread the good news of Jesus widely and effectively as possible. Thanks again for joining us this week, and we'll talk again next week.