Worship the Creator not the Created
Beyond the Milk: The Tragedy of Spiritual Stagnation
Imagine a student who begins to learn the piano. They go to piano lessons once a week. They practice multiple times in any given week. They join and attend a weekday piano social club where piano players meet to discuss the piano, music, and techniques. They even begin to commit to memory famous pieces of music to build up a mental cache or of songs that they could play at a whim. Imagine that this students lives this way for four years. What would your expectations of them be after that amount of dedication and time? While you may not expect them to be numbered among the all time greats yet, you would certainly expect a high level of competence and skill regarding not just the piano, but music in general.
Now imagine if after all that time, they couldn't even find middle C amongst the keys? They couldn't even play Hot Cross Buns, Happy Birthday, or Twinkle Twinkle little star.
That would be tragic.
This is the kind of tragedy which plays out in churches across the world. People who have been Christians for years, even decades, remain spiritual infants—still drinking milk when they should be eating solid food.
The Corinthian Problem
The church in Corinth faced this exact issue. Paul had spent a year and a half with them, laying a foundation of faith. Apollos came after him and continued building on that foundation. By the time Paul wrote his letter to them, they had been learning about Jesus for approximately four years.
Four years of church services. Four years of fellowship. Four years of hearing the gospel preached and taught. Four years of praying together and singing together.
And yet Paul had to write these sobering words: "But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not ready."
It's not an issue when Paul writes "I fed you you with milk not solid food" speaking to when he first started His missional work in Corinth. The problem is when he states "even now you are not ready." After all that time, they are still not ready.
The Root of Stagnation
Here's what makes spiritual stagnation particularly insidious: we often think of it as simply being lazy or apathetic about our faith. We imagine someone who just isn't trying hard enough to do good things: Someone who isn't reading their Bible enough, who isn't praying enough, who is engaged in enough fellowship.
But Paul identifies something deeper and more troubling. The Corinthians weren't stagnant because they were doing nothing—they were stagnant because they were stuck in the flesh. Their sin was getting in the way of their spiritual growth.
And their sin wasn't even obvious. It had a seasoning of righteousness to it.
The Corinthians had become obsessed with following teachers rather than following Christ. They attached themselves to Paul or Apollos or other leaders, creating factions and divisions. "I follow Paul," some would say. "Well, I follow Apollos," others would counter. They were treating spiritual teachers like we treat public figures today, whether political, media based, or religious in their celebrity status.
It may feel good to follow good and smart teacher. But next to Jesus, every human teacher falls painfully and infinitely short.
The Anchor of Sin
Sin becomes a giant anchor holding the vessel of spiritual growth from going anywhere. Sometimes that sin is obvious—substance abuse, sexual immorality, greed, resentment. But sometimes it's dressed up to look good.
Maybe it's worldly ambition—being busy building your own kingdom rather than God's kingdom. Maybe it's laziness disguised as rest, spending hours scrolling through social media or binge-watching shows while neglecting the things that matter most. Maybe it's following religious leaders or political figures or cultural icons instead of following Jesus.
Whatever form it takes, sin prevents spiritual growth. You cannot mature in Christ while clinging to the flesh.
Who Gets the Glory?
Paul asked the Corinthians a piercing question: "What then is Apollos? What is Paul?"
His answer: "Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."
The sun enables seeds to grow—not the person who planted them, not the person who watered them. The Son enables our faith to grow. All glory belongs to Him.
This is the same problem the Israelites had when they demanded a king from Samuel. God told Samuel, "They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me." We pine for earthly leaders. We want human kings. We want someone visible and tangible to follow.
But we are Christians who follow Christ. Not Catholics who follow the Pope. Not Protestants who follow Martin Luther. Not Reformers who follow Calvin. Not members of any denomination or political party or cultural tribe.
Christians. Who follow Christ.
The Foundation That Matters
Paul described himself as a skilled master builder who laid a foundation, with others building upon it. But he was clear: "No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
Every person who shared the gospel with you, every teacher who instructed you, every mentor who discipled you—they were all building on the foundation of Jesus. Your story is riddled with people who poured into you. That's beautiful and good.
But none of it is possible without Jesus.
He is the foundation. He is the source. He is the one who saves.
Fools to Become Wise
Paul wrote, "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise."
This echoes Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
The irony of the kingdom is that to inherit it, we must be spiritually poor. We must understand that we cannot save ourselves. No human wisdom, no eloquent teacher, no impressive credentials can save us.
We must become fools in the eyes of the world to receive the wisdom of God. We must admit our spiritual bankruptcy to receive His riches.
All Things Are Yours
Paul concluded with a stunning promise: "Let no one boast in men, for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's."
In Christ, we have everything. We have the present—restoration from death to life. We have the future—eternal inheritance, resurrection bodies, a new heaven and new earth where we will reign with Christ.
Why would we settle for ramen noodles when we have steak? Why would we look to Paul or Apollos when we have Jesus?
Moving Beyond Milk
If you are a new Christian drinking spiritual milk, this is nothing to be ashamed of. Drink, grow, and move on to solid food.
However, if you've been a Christian for years and you're still on spiritual milk, this is an issue that must be recognized with an urgent willingness to change it.
Remember too, eating spiritually solid food does not consist of simply hearing more advnaced teaching. Anyone can hear advanced teaching. Eating solid food includes, as well, apllying it in the way you live. Many of us have known Christians who have the write answers, but cease to apply any of them. The great and wise Solomon literally wrote the book on spiritual wisdom yet failed miserably in his application.
Dig into your life and identify the sin issues holding you back. What anchor is keeping your vessel from moving forward? What are you following instead of Christ?
As you grow, you'll become discerning, disciplined, persevering, joyful, loving, peaceful, kind. The fruits of the Spirit will become evident in your life. Your countenance will change. You'll become infectious, beckoning others to follow Christ.
Hell is real. Jesus offers salvation from it. Hell is optional.
And we can help people choose life by being a people who are one—locked arm in arm, unified in Christ, moving together to help others find and follow Jesus.
Not following men. Not building our own kingdoms. Not pledging allegiance to earthly leaders or cultural tribes.
Just following Jesus. Building His kingdom. Bringing Him glory.
That's where spiritual maturity is found. That's where growth happens. That's where milk gives way to solid food.
And that's where the tragedy of stagnation turns into the triumph of transformation.
Imagine a student who begins to learn the piano. They go to piano lessons once a week. They practice multiple times in any given week. They join and attend a weekday piano social club where piano players meet to discuss the piano, music, and techniques. They even begin to commit to memory famous pieces of music to build up a mental cache or of songs that they could play at a whim. Imagine that this students lives this way for four years. What would your expectations of them be after that amount of dedication and time? While you may not expect them to be numbered among the all time greats yet, you would certainly expect a high level of competence and skill regarding not just the piano, but music in general.
Now imagine if after all that time, they couldn't even find middle C amongst the keys? They couldn't even play Hot Cross Buns, Happy Birthday, or Twinkle Twinkle little star.
That would be tragic.
This is the kind of tragedy which plays out in churches across the world. People who have been Christians for years, even decades, remain spiritual infants—still drinking milk when they should be eating solid food.
The Corinthian Problem
The church in Corinth faced this exact issue. Paul had spent a year and a half with them, laying a foundation of faith. Apollos came after him and continued building on that foundation. By the time Paul wrote his letter to them, they had been learning about Jesus for approximately four years.
Four years of church services. Four years of fellowship. Four years of hearing the gospel preached and taught. Four years of praying together and singing together.
And yet Paul had to write these sobering words: "But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not ready."
It's not an issue when Paul writes "I fed you you with milk not solid food" speaking to when he first started His missional work in Corinth. The problem is when he states "even now you are not ready." After all that time, they are still not ready.
The Root of Stagnation
Here's what makes spiritual stagnation particularly insidious: we often think of it as simply being lazy or apathetic about our faith. We imagine someone who just isn't trying hard enough to do good things: Someone who isn't reading their Bible enough, who isn't praying enough, who is engaged in enough fellowship.
But Paul identifies something deeper and more troubling. The Corinthians weren't stagnant because they were doing nothing—they were stagnant because they were stuck in the flesh. Their sin was getting in the way of their spiritual growth.
And their sin wasn't even obvious. It had a seasoning of righteousness to it.
The Corinthians had become obsessed with following teachers rather than following Christ. They attached themselves to Paul or Apollos or other leaders, creating factions and divisions. "I follow Paul," some would say. "Well, I follow Apollos," others would counter. They were treating spiritual teachers like we treat public figures today, whether political, media based, or religious in their celebrity status.
It may feel good to follow good and smart teacher. But next to Jesus, every human teacher falls painfully and infinitely short.
The Anchor of Sin
Sin becomes a giant anchor holding the vessel of spiritual growth from going anywhere. Sometimes that sin is obvious—substance abuse, sexual immorality, greed, resentment. But sometimes it's dressed up to look good.
Maybe it's worldly ambition—being busy building your own kingdom rather than God's kingdom. Maybe it's laziness disguised as rest, spending hours scrolling through social media or binge-watching shows while neglecting the things that matter most. Maybe it's following religious leaders or political figures or cultural icons instead of following Jesus.
Whatever form it takes, sin prevents spiritual growth. You cannot mature in Christ while clinging to the flesh.
Who Gets the Glory?
Paul asked the Corinthians a piercing question: "What then is Apollos? What is Paul?"
His answer: "Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."
The sun enables seeds to grow—not the person who planted them, not the person who watered them. The Son enables our faith to grow. All glory belongs to Him.
This is the same problem the Israelites had when they demanded a king from Samuel. God told Samuel, "They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me." We pine for earthly leaders. We want human kings. We want someone visible and tangible to follow.
But we are Christians who follow Christ. Not Catholics who follow the Pope. Not Protestants who follow Martin Luther. Not Reformers who follow Calvin. Not members of any denomination or political party or cultural tribe.
Christians. Who follow Christ.
The Foundation That Matters
Paul described himself as a skilled master builder who laid a foundation, with others building upon it. But he was clear: "No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
Every person who shared the gospel with you, every teacher who instructed you, every mentor who discipled you—they were all building on the foundation of Jesus. Your story is riddled with people who poured into you. That's beautiful and good.
But none of it is possible without Jesus.
He is the foundation. He is the source. He is the one who saves.
Fools to Become Wise
Paul wrote, "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise."
This echoes Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
The irony of the kingdom is that to inherit it, we must be spiritually poor. We must understand that we cannot save ourselves. No human wisdom, no eloquent teacher, no impressive credentials can save us.
We must become fools in the eyes of the world to receive the wisdom of God. We must admit our spiritual bankruptcy to receive His riches.
All Things Are Yours
Paul concluded with a stunning promise: "Let no one boast in men, for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's."
In Christ, we have everything. We have the present—restoration from death to life. We have the future—eternal inheritance, resurrection bodies, a new heaven and new earth where we will reign with Christ.
Why would we settle for ramen noodles when we have steak? Why would we look to Paul or Apollos when we have Jesus?
Moving Beyond Milk
If you are a new Christian drinking spiritual milk, this is nothing to be ashamed of. Drink, grow, and move on to solid food.
However, if you've been a Christian for years and you're still on spiritual milk, this is an issue that must be recognized with an urgent willingness to change it.
Remember too, eating spiritually solid food does not consist of simply hearing more advnaced teaching. Anyone can hear advanced teaching. Eating solid food includes, as well, apllying it in the way you live. Many of us have known Christians who have the write answers, but cease to apply any of them. The great and wise Solomon literally wrote the book on spiritual wisdom yet failed miserably in his application.
Dig into your life and identify the sin issues holding you back. What anchor is keeping your vessel from moving forward? What are you following instead of Christ?
As you grow, you'll become discerning, disciplined, persevering, joyful, loving, peaceful, kind. The fruits of the Spirit will become evident in your life. Your countenance will change. You'll become infectious, beckoning others to follow Christ.
Hell is real. Jesus offers salvation from it. Hell is optional.
And we can help people choose life by being a people who are one—locked arm in arm, unified in Christ, moving together to help others find and follow Jesus.
Not following men. Not building our own kingdoms. Not pledging allegiance to earthly leaders or cultural tribes.
Just following Jesus. Building His kingdom. Bringing Him glory.
That's where spiritual maturity is found. That's where growth happens. That's where milk gives way to solid food.
And that's where the tragedy of stagnation turns into the triumph of transformation.