Karate

Even for newer Christians (commonly dubbed "babes in Christ"), we take their inexperience into consideration. However, when one becomes a Christian, there is an immense amount of responsibility that has been accepted; each convert is expected to live a Christ-like life. However, there is still the acknowledgment of a period of growth; no one is expected to know everything.

The Bible explains this stage in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 and Hebrews 5:11-14, which imply that newer Christians should focus on the basics, the elementary principles of Christian doctrine described metaphorically as milk, since they are babes in Christ. But once this doctrinal foundation is laid, then they can move on to more "meaty" subjects and concepts that are difficult to understand. The idea is that you don't give solid food to an infant because he is not ready, and you don't give high-level teachings to new Christians until they are ready.

This should be an encouraging thought for guests and new Christians—to know that God doesn't expect you to know everything at first in order to please Him. There is a need for time to grow and become fully mature. And hopefully this process ends with each Christian being willing to be a teacher to others who then begin right at the same place the instructor first began (Heb. 5:12).

This should also be a reminder to us who have been Christians a long time to be patient with our guests and new brothers and sisters in Christ who are in many ways just a white belt learning what they can. But it should also be a challenge for us; how shameful would it be for us to have been a Christian for years and years and yet never grow? This was the problem that many had in the first century (1 Cor. 3:1-2; Heb. 5:11-14), and it can be a problem today. Though it is understandable to be a babe in Christ for a period of time, this is not where a new Christian should desire to stay. It is our responsibility to grow and mature so that we are not just learners of God's Word, but teachers as well.