Question: What’s The Difference, If Any Between The “Babe In Christ,” And The Ones Who Are “Weak In The Faith?”
Rom 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Rom 14:2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
Rom 14:3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
There is a difference between the two Saints “in Christ.” The Saint that is “weak in the faith” desires to be ‘received’ by the ‘strong in the faith,’ but most importantly, he desires to no longer be educated by this world, but to walk by His Father’s Word alone. And he desires to not ‘live by’ those prior religious beliefs that ‘he believed’ were according to truth, but to ‘live by’ the Spiritual Word of God, not his carnal mind, and the “commandments” and “tradition of Men.” But the “babe in Christ,” is also “in Christ,” but does not understand and appreciate the necessity to “come out from among” the vain religious system of this world. He ‘believes’ that he is “Spiritual,” he assumes that he is “in the faith” which is according to godliness, but even though he is justified unto eternal life, he will not be “able” to ‘take in’ the Word of God in truth, and our Father cannot “receive him” to educate him from ‘milk to meat.’
2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Moreover, just as Romans 14:3 says, the one who is weak in the faith has been “received” by the Father, and even though this Saint at the first “believes” in error, he desires to be educated in truth. He desires to come out from among this world’s religious system of worshipping God, but he is just not ‘doctrinally there yet.’ The babe in Christ will “walk” either as the Corinthian Saints who desired the carnal worldly things like the wealth, the vain glory, the ‘things which are seen.” Or, the babe in Christ will be as the Galatian Saints who assumed they were living godly, they assumed they were following God’s Word of truth, they were trying to make themselves “perfect by the flesh.” The babe in Christ can be found behind pulpits today all over the world, he teaches based upon what he has learned in the theological schools, and by what this world says is the ‘good of God’ today.
1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 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.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
However, our Father desires Saints that have the desire to be ‘fed with’ His Word alone, and as the verses below teaches us, His Word must first ‘enter into the heart of Man the things of God,’ but the Saints that ‘see’ these “things,” are those who understand the selfless love of God. And notice what Paul says in verse 9 below, he says, “now we have received,” this is vital to understand, only the Saints who desires to have His Word ‘enter into their hearts,’ and that love God with His selfless love, have received “the Spirit which is of God.” But the issue is, many Saints “believe” they too “have received” the Spirit which is of God, and that they too love Him with His selfless heart. But this is sadly not the case, the only ‘way’ the Saint will “know” the things which are of God, he must first ‘forget those things that be of Man.’ This world teaches how to “walk,” how to worship, how to love, and what is the ‘good’ of this world, these are the “things of Man,” and what Mankind “knoweth.”
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
And so, the Saint who is “weak in the faith,” he has “received” the “things of the Spirit of God,” meaning, he desires ‘Word of God things’ alone. He ‘sees’ Spiritual things, he “stands fast” in the faith, when things come up in his life, he compares “Spiritual things with Spiritual.” And he sees what God has “revealed” unto us within His Word, but the babe in Christ assumes God reveals these things unto us by ‘prophetic wisdom’ given unto Men. The babe in Christ also assumes that God’s love is shown in their physical circumstances in their daily life. But him who is weak in the faith, he desires to be educated out of this thinking, he is now “able” to discern the things which are Spiritual, and he will “receive” the doctrine which is according to godliness, he will love reproof and correction, because he knows that this is for “his good.”
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Finally, the babe in Christ despises Spiritual reproof and correction, notice how the Corinthian Saints viewed Paul, they did not “know” the things that are of God, they were “carnal and walked as Men,” they were OF the “natural man,” and the “things of the Spirit of God” are “foolishness unto” the babe in Christ, if it wasn’t, Paul would not have said, “I could not speak unto you as unto Spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ,” Paul desired to speak unto them “meat” doctrine, but they wouldn’t be able to bear it, but looked upon his words as “foolishness” unto them. Them who are “weak” in the faith desires to ‘hear’ the reproof and correction of God’s Word of truth, they are “able” to also bear the edifying words from them who are “strong” in the faith as well.
Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Rom 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
Rod Jones
SUPPLY OF GRACE 
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