Letter to the Hebrews Volume 45

 Spiritual Immaturity Part 3

Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. KJV Note: CEV=Contemporary English Version

In this natural world, babies are not expected to understand the things that make this world function or operate, yet babies are a cherished and relished part of this world adored and loved all around the world. However, as a baby grows up into adolescents and teenagers, they are expected to begin to be  knowledgable of things that are required in understanding how the world works. Then by the time the baby has passed through the teenage years into adulthood, he or she must know and understand the key elements of the world in order to become a full grown functional member of society. Likewise, in the spiritual realm, the writer of Hebrews now wants those Hebrew Christians back then (also it is for all Christians now and at all times) to excersise their/our  new man or new woman that they/we are when we were born again of incorruptable seed by the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23) in yielding to God the Holy Spirit that we may allow Him to alluminate truth to us from the Word of God which will grow us up spiritually, as he declares with these words, "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:14) (KJV). The English phrase 'strong meat' used by the writer here in the beginning of this verse has no actual reference to physical food, but it is a comparison of food or meat to the Word of God, that is, the writer here is declaring the Word of God to be the spiritual nourishment, nutriment, and nutrition required for every 'babe in Christ' to grow up into full spiritual maturity, just as physical food is needed to sustain someones body in the natural realm, so is the Word of God needed to sustain the child of God spiritually.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corithian Church (in his 1st letter) declaring to them that they were such babies in our Lord Jesus Christ that he could not speak to them as full grown spiritual adults 'in Christ', as it is written here, "My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That's why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned. So I had to treat you like babies and feed you milk. You could not take solid food, and you still cannot, because you are not yet spiritual. You are jealous and argue with each other. This proves that you are not spiritual and that you are acting like the people of this world. Some of you say that you follow me, and others claim to follow Apollos. Isn't that how ordinary people behave? Apollos and I are merely servants who helped you to have faith. It was the Lord who made it all happen. I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. What matters isn't those who planted or watered, but God who made the plants grow." (1 Corinthians 3:1-7) (CEV). The English phrase 'to them that are of full age' is translated by the Greek word teleios meaning complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); completeness. It simply makes a comparison of the full grown adult man or woman in the natural realm to be the same of the full grown mature man or woman in the spiritual realm as a member of the Body of Jesus Christ (the Church). The English phrase 'even those who by reason of' is translated by the Greek word dia which is a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal or occasional). The English word 'use' is translated by the Greek word hexis (used this one time only in the entire New Testament) meaning habit, that is, (by implication) practice: - use.

In other words, the man or woman in the Body of Christ (the Church) who makes feeding on the Word of God a process, a pattern, or his/her practice doing so habitually will over time grow up into spiritual maturity and what follows next is the critical reason why the babe in Christ must make it his or her practice, priority, and purpose because if not then they/we will be subject to what the Apostle Paul details here with these words to the Ephesian believers, "Christ chose some of us to be Apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, so that His people would learn to serve and His body would grow strong. This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like Him. We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place." (Ephesians 4:11-14) (CEV). In this last part of Hebrews 4:14, the writer here states the reason why it is so vital for every child of God to grow up into spiritual maturity and that is to be able to recognize good vs evil. The English phrase 'their senses' is translated by the Greek word aisthētērion (used this one time only in the entire New Testament) meaning properly an organ of perception, that is, (figuratively) judgment: - senses. The English word 'exercised' is translated by the Greek word gumnazō which means to train (figuratively): - exercise. The English word 'discern' is translated by the Greek word diakrisis meaning judicial estimation: - discerning, disputation. The babe in Christ (as Paul declared to the Ephesian believers above) is much more easily deceived by evil masquerading itself to be good, whereas, the mature believer is much more able to distinguish between the two. This is exactly what happened to the Corinthian Church and it caused the Apostle Paul much anguish over them.

First, this is what he said to them concerning them, "Please put up with a little of my foolishness. I am as concerned about you as God is. You were like a virgin bride I had chosen only for Christ. But now I fear that you will be tricked, just as Eve was tricked by that lying snake. I am afraid that you might stop thinking about Christ in an honest and sincere way. We told you about Jesus, and you received the Holy Spirit and accepted our message. But you let some people tell you about another Jesus. Now you are ready to receive another spirit and accept a different message. I think I am as good as any of those super apostles. I may not speak as well as they do, but I know as much. And this has already been made perfectly clear to you." (2 Corinthians 11:1-6) (CEV). It may be a shock to many to learn from the Word of God that the enemy (Satan) is capable of transforming himself into an angel of light in order to deceive many into thinking what he is declaring through these false teachers, (i.e. all those who declare a properity gospel and many others like Mormanism), are actually a part of 'The Church', when they are ministers of Satan pretending to belong to the One True God Jesus Christ, so the Apostle Paul declared these words next to the Corinthian Church who were being deceived by these false apostles, "As surely as I speak the truth about Christ, no one in Achaia can stop me from bragging about this. And it isn't because I don't love you. God Himself knows how much I do love you. I plan to go on doing just what I have always done. Then those people won't be able to brag about doing the same things we are doing. Anyway, they are no more than false apostles and dishonest workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. And it is no wonder. Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. So why does it seem strange for Satan's servants to pretend to do what is right? Someday they will get exactly what they deserve." (2 Coritnhians 11:10-15) (CEV).

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of this verse 14 of Hebrews, "The deeper mysteries of religion belong to those that are of a higher class in the school of Christ, who have learned the first principles and well improved them; so that by reason of use they have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil, duty and sin, truth and error. Observe, (1.) There have been always in the Christian state children, young men, and fathers. (2.) Every true Christian, having received a principle of spiritual life from God, stands in need of nourishment to preserve that life. (3.) The Word of God is food and nourishment to the life of grace: As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. (4.) It is the wisdom of ministers rightly to divide the Word of Truth, and to give to every one his portion - milk to babes, and strong meat to those of full age. (5.) There are spiritual senses as well as those that are natural. There is a spiritual eye, a spiritual appetite, a spiritual taste; the soul has its sensations as well as the body; these are much depraved and lost by sin, but they are recovered by grace. (6.) It is by use and exercise that these senses are improved, made more quick and strong to taste the sweetness of what is good and true, and the bitterness of what is false and evil. Not only reason and faith, but spiritual sense, will teach men to distinguish between what is pleasing and what is provoking to God, between what is helpful and what is hurtful to our own souls."   

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…