March 20, 2022 -- Hebrews 5:12-14 -- Desiring solid food: the Word of Righteousness

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:12-14 ESV

These are harsh words. They are deserved. Believers who have known the Father because of the work of Jesus Christ and the testimony of the Spirit (Who illuminates the Word so that the Triune God can be known) ought to be growing. This solid food which the passage speaks of is the study of the word. It is listening to the public reading of the Bible. Solid food is receiving the sacraments as a means of grace. Feeding on the solid food of the Gospel means that Jesus is so precious that what has an appearance of good, clothed in light, can be distinguished from that which is a difficult path, but truly is good and coming from the Father of Light.

Training in distinguishing good from evil is also an important part of attending church. The focus of meeting with other brothers and sisters in Christ is not to make you feel good. It is not for the purpose of critiquing the music, seeing if it matches your taste or preferences. No! Believers gather together in order to receive the solid food of Gospel. Believers gather in order to become mature in this precious faith and to be trained in distinguishing good from evil. It is not easily done. One must constantly be honed in service to the King of Glory. One must constantly be stripped of pride which so easily clings to your thoughts and assessment of yourself. To be training in the Word of righteousness is to have the Spirit of God opening to you the terrible beauty of God’s just judgments, His wrath and His mercy.

Father in heaven, thank You for appointing Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest, Who prays for believers. Thank You, Father in Heaven and Jesus our Priest, for the gift of Your Spirit, through Whom believers are trained in righteousness. Forgive Your people for the laziness which leaves the Word closed and the heart flabby and disinclined to know good from evil. Triune God, reawaken in Your people, a holy desire to grow in righteousness, to grow in discernment and to grow in holy zeal which carries the Gospel forward to the ends of the earth. Amen.

https://youtu.be/KtxE20nMZyk
 

Copyright © 2022 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.