A new convert is one that has just recently been born again, i.e., born of water and of Spirit. Being born of water is baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and being born of the Spirit is receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Spiritually speaking, a new convert is a baby; just newly born.

Just as a human baby requires much care, attention, and affection if it is to be healthy, even so must a spiritual baby receive huge amounts of the same if it is to survive.

Who gives birth and then leaves the baby on its own until next Sunday? No proper parent would ever do such a thing. That baby cannot cope by itself. It is just a baby.

A baby needs milk. You cannot give solid food to a new born. It cannot eat or digest it. Solid food could seriously endanger an infant. The Scriptures, in building upon this obvious truth says in I Peter 2:2, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."

Newborn babes need the milk of the Word. The milk of the Word is the very basics of the Bible, the foundational truths of the Gospel, the facts of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the knowledge of the mercy and grace of God, the plan of salvation, and the revelation of Jesus Christ as both God and our Savior. See Hebrews 5:12 where "milk" is defined as the first principles of the oracles of God.

Babies need milk, not meat. According to I Corinthians 3:2 babies cannot bear meat. It says, "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it." Babies need a regular diet of the basic principles of God's Word. What does a newborn's diet consist of? Milk, milk, milk. Every day, several times a day- milk, milk, milk. There is no variety, and the baby never grows tired of it.

Babies need to be cleaned up many times both day and night. They need to be cleaned, powdered, and freshly diapered frequently, and this is normal. Proper parents may have to change thousands of diapers for a single baby, but they do it regularly because it is necessary. And we must not grow tired of cleaning and restoring spiritual babies to the place of freshness and sweetness when they mess up and get off track.

Finally, babies need love, lots and lots of love. Babies need to be held and rocked and talked to, and played with. Babies need lots of hugs and kisses and words of love. Babies need, require, must have, ongoing continuous love and attention.

In the church, this speaks to all that are mature in Christ. Spiritual mothers and fathers stay involved and busy raising spiritual babies into mature Christians.

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."