Editor’s note: This article is a section from Andrey’s book Come With Me Into His Presence.
But solid food is for the mature, for those
whose faculties have been trained by
continuous exercise to distinguish
good from evil.
– Hebrews 5:14 (CJB)
The author of the book of Hebrews writes about mature believers in Yeshua, whose faculties have been trained and developed. Here the Greek word for “faculties” means “capacities for spiritual apprehension.”
The letter to the Hebrews was written to the first generation of Messianic Jews. This book is an exposition and an exhortation at the same time. Because the Messianic Jews were persecuted, and suffered loss of their possessions (Hebrews 10:32-34), they were about to turn away from Yeshua and again follow Judaism. The writer encourages them not to give up but to continue pressing on in their faith in Yeshua, remembering all Yeshua had done for them and who He is!
Sometimes it’s not easy for us to keep pressing on in our faith in Yeshua. Our flesh, the world we are living in, and Satan are against us. However, God is preparing us for something better, something more glorious. He wants to entrust us with His kingdom. Right in the midst of modern day turmoil, God is raising up His children with the spiritual capacity to discern between evil and good – a mature people, who will lead others into the Kingdom of His beloved Son.
The test for real spirituality is not measured by how many hours we spend in prayer or how well we know the Bible, but instead, by the decisions we make after we spend time in prayer or reading the Bible. Difficulties and challenges we face everyday can help us to grow into mature spiritual children of the Living God. Do you want to be a mature child of God and a person God trusts with His Kingdom purposes? Our daily challenges are chances for us to grow in our faith.