319. Meat to Discern Good and Evil
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.
“Strong meat” is the Word of God. The Word of God helps us discern good and evil. The connection between the Word and discernment may not seem obvious at first glance, but a little thought sees the connection. The Word is the revelation of the mind and the will of God. God is perfectly good without taint of anything evil whatsoever. The promise is that we can discern both good and evil better and better with practice and exercise. The inspired Word is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. This makes sense because the manufacturer of the heaven and the earth, the universe in which we live, wrote an owner’s manual about how it works and how best to live in the Creation; but especially the manual instructs us in how best to know God and live in a pleasant relationship with Him.
“Strong meat” is healthy nourishment for healthy living. When we are young spiritual children we need the milk of the Word and are not yet ready for solid food. But it doesn’t take long to mature into the need for solid food. A Christian grows spiritually by having his senses exercised by the solid food of the Word. The more we go to church, attend Sunday school, and study the Bible in groups or personally the stronger we grow in knowledge of God and discernment in living a good life.
“Discerning good and evil” is an interesting phrase because eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is what got us all into serious trouble in the first place. Now Adam and I know both Good and Evil in a relational way and may choose either way; the problem is that we always choose the Evil if I think I get some personal advantage out of it. I, and all people, do not have the ability to choose God or the good (which I always did before the Fall, before I knew evil instead of just God.) So God sent the Redeemer to bring me back to the true and only God, to know Him alone.
Many parents say, “I don’t know what happened to my son; he was brought up to know the difference between good and evil.” But “knowing” the difference does not give one the ability to choose God and Good. Repenting and believing in Christ gives one the desire and ability to choose and do the good and to reject and avoid the evil. It is the desire and ability to discern that distinguishes eating of the “Tree” and eating of the “Meat.” The solid food of the Word of God grows and strengthens the discernment, choice, desire, and ability to actually do the good and shun the evil. That is the promise of what solid food, Law and Gospel, does for us.