If a born again christian remains a babe and never grows up in Christ what will be the consequence in terms of reward and final destiny?

Question

Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, [12] to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Philippians 2:14-16 NIV Do everything without grumbling or arguing, [15] so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky [16] as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

2 Peter 1:3-11 NIV His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [4] Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. [5] For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; [6] and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; [7] and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. [8] For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. [10] Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, [11] and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. …

Galatians 4:1 CSB Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the owner of everything.

Galatians 4:6-7 NIV Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba , Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. …

Galatians 4:19 NIV My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

John 1:12-13 NIV Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Romans 8:19 NIV For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

Hebrews 5:11-14 CSB We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. [12] Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God's revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. [13] Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. [14] But solid food is for the mature-for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 CSB For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. [2] I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, [3] because you are still worldly.

If we remain as babes and dont grow up to maturity as sons of God what do we miss out on? And what will be our eternal destiny / reward?

Answer 1

1 Corinthians chapter 3 (regarding "babes in Christ") is about works for reward. Paul is admonishing the Corinthian church a bit, as they are not growing in the faith due to their struggle with "envying, strife, and division" (1 Cor 3:3).

The "work" that is spoken of is that of the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18). If the gospel has been presented with the correct foundation of Jesus Christ and withstands the 'test by fire', a reward is then gifted. If an incorrect foundation was laid and the result does not stand the test of fire, a reward is lost. The soul of the individual, however, is still secure "yet so as by fire".

This will occur at the Judgement Seat of Christ for believers, not to be confused with the end-times White Throne Judgement. Paul was warning the Corinthian church that they needed to 'grow' in faith in order to become a more effective witness. If they did not, they could miss out on receiving an eternal reward (other than salvation).

1 Corinthians 3:9-15 KJV

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Answer 2

The answer to your question depends a great deal on whether you believe in eternal security or eternal insecurity.

My tongue-in-cheek way of expressing the binary "security/insecurity" issue stems from my being an "eternal security" believer since childhood. I am now 74 years old and have still not changed my stance regarding the eternal security of all true believers.

I consider myself to be a four-and-a-half-point Calvinist, with my personal sticking point being on the letter U, or unconditional election. Like author and Bible teacher Arthur W. Pink, I believe that God's election and man's volition pose--or comprise--an antinomy. Like all good paradoxes, that antinomy is not fully resolvable, at least this side of heaven.

As Nick Cady observed in his blog, Theology for the People (on September 27, 2018), an antinomy is not a contradiction. Cady then quotes Charles Simeon of Cambridge, who said,

‘As wheels in a complicated machine may move in opposite directions and yet subserve a common end, so may truths apparently opposite be perfectly reconcilable with each other, and equally subserve the purposes of God in the accomplishment of man’s salvation.’

In short, I believe that many of God's open invitations to people to repent and believe lose their legitimacy if those who are called are incapable of repenting and believing.

Why do some people respond positively to God's invitations, while other people do not? Frankly, I do not know. I do know, however, that ultimately only God knows those who are going to be his and those who are not. As for us, we will never know, at least this side of heaven (see 2 Timothy 2:19).

By the way, that does not relieve church leadership of the responsibility to discipline a member who claims to be a Christian and yet is not living as a Christian. That discipline, such as disfellowshipping (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-5), should always be done with their ultimate repentance and restoration in mind, not their conversion.

In conclusion, a true Christian who fails to mature in their faith and subsequently dies having borne very little spiritual fruit (the gold, silver, and precious stones the apostle Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 3) will miss out on rewards at the bema, the Judgment Seat of Christ. A pre-trib millennialist once told me, jokingly I assume, that someone has to collect garbage in the Millennium!

In other words, while fruitful Christians will be serving their Lord in perhaps exalted positions of authority and administration in the Kingdom of God, some less fruitful Christians will be serving in less exalted positions. Paul says as much in 1 Corinthians 6 where he says that some believers will judge the world and will judge angels (verses 2 and 3).