September 6th 2015
Are
You Still An Infant, Not Knowing Good From Evil?
Hebrews 5:12-14 (NIV)
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Most Christians I know deny that they have any Spiritual gifts, and thus, they do not feel empowered by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they refuse to be a leader in their church, except in the areas of commercial operation of the facilities and in areas of finance. They do not feel qualified to teach Bible Study classes, or other such studies. Most importantly they do not feel qualified to evangelize, as they do not believe they know enough to defend the Bible when someone may question it during their attempts to tell the Good News! Does this possibly define you?
Do you feel like you are seeking God that is, do you believe that God will support your attempts to evangelize? The writer of Hebrews wrote something that has always intrigued me, and made me wonder if I do service in His name, if I can trust Jesus to support me for such service? Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6) Do you feel that way too? The real question here comes to how strong is your faith? Do you really grasp this idea of you being righteous?
Paul wrote about this idea of where does our righteousness come from, it cannot be from our sinful nature! God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Paul also wrote this idea of those who have accepted salvation have become changed, they are different, or they can choose to be a new creation. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17) I say choose in the sentence above, as it seems we can accept salvation, but then still choose to not really be changed. All of us members on mankind can choose to ignore Jesus in our normal lifestyles, but somehow, yet we may be saved.
Isaiah wrote about how people acted or reacted before Jesus came as the Savior of the world, and it somehow does not seem like much has changed in this world. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (Isaiah 5:20) This same kind of reasoning exists today, even though, Jesus has come. This comment written by Isaiah could be heard today, us many maybe most people, call good bad and bad good. In this modern day cheating is only sinful, if you get caught. While cover up is still considered as a very bad thing, again it only becomes bad, if you get caught.
The writer of Hebrews wrote about how people may react in this New Testament time, but it seems a bit confusing to me. My confusion is, does this apply to all of mankind, or is it directed to those who have accepted salvation? No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Hebrews 8:11-12) The last sentence is the tipoff to me that this applies only to those who have been saved, as it says, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." As forgiveness is only for those who have accepted Jesus’ salvation!
But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. (Hebrews 10:12-18)
The writer of Hebrews gives us some real hope of our being able to identify right from wrong, and to be able to avoid sinning with this knowledge, and this great hope. Of course, this priest being written about is Jesus. It tells us about this perfect sacrifice that Jesus made for us, “because by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy.” Do you begin to feel perfect? Do you know Jesus, or do you just know about Jesus? You can know Him, because he has promised “I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Do you ever question the promise Jesus made through His sacrifice for all who accept His salvation, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.”
Did you get that promise from Jesus? He is really big on this idea of “forgive and forget,” which we humans cannot usually ever conquer! We usually have trouble forgiving someone who has hurt us, but then, to also forget it, to truly forget it, is almost impossible for us.
The question this commentary starts with may make you (us) wonder how strong is your faith. Please remember your faith needs to be in Jesus, and what He did to save your immortal soul. It should never be placed in your ability to be righteous, but because of Jesus we can have a form of righteousness, which we inherit from Jesus, He is the Last Adam, and has replaced the first Adam, thus we can attain some degree of knowledge of right from wrong!
Are you still an infant, not knowing good from evil? You can give a truthful answer of “NO!” to this question, because Jesus died to allow you to actually know what is sin, and thus, the Holy Spirit, who Jesus left behind for you, you can have confidence to also be able to avoid committing many sins. I do not believe we are perfect; we are only able to claim righteousness! That is not a bad start! Believe it, and then go tell someone that Good News!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Hebrews 5:12-14 (NIV)
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Most Christians I know deny that they have any Spiritual gifts, and thus, they do not feel empowered by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they refuse to be a leader in their church, except in the areas of commercial operation of the facilities and in areas of finance. They do not feel qualified to teach Bible Study classes, or other such studies. Most importantly they do not feel qualified to evangelize, as they do not believe they know enough to defend the Bible when someone may question it during their attempts to tell the Good News! Does this possibly define you?
Do you feel like you are seeking God that is, do you believe that God will support your attempts to evangelize? The writer of Hebrews wrote something that has always intrigued me, and made me wonder if I do service in His name, if I can trust Jesus to support me for such service? Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6) Do you feel that way too? The real question here comes to how strong is your faith? Do you really grasp this idea of you being righteous?
Paul wrote about this idea of where does our righteousness come from, it cannot be from our sinful nature! God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Paul also wrote this idea of those who have accepted salvation have become changed, they are different, or they can choose to be a new creation. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17) I say choose in the sentence above, as it seems we can accept salvation, but then still choose to not really be changed. All of us members on mankind can choose to ignore Jesus in our normal lifestyles, but somehow, yet we may be saved.
Isaiah wrote about how people acted or reacted before Jesus came as the Savior of the world, and it somehow does not seem like much has changed in this world. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (Isaiah 5:20) This same kind of reasoning exists today, even though, Jesus has come. This comment written by Isaiah could be heard today, us many maybe most people, call good bad and bad good. In this modern day cheating is only sinful, if you get caught. While cover up is still considered as a very bad thing, again it only becomes bad, if you get caught.
The writer of Hebrews wrote about how people may react in this New Testament time, but it seems a bit confusing to me. My confusion is, does this apply to all of mankind, or is it directed to those who have accepted salvation? No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Hebrews 8:11-12) The last sentence is the tipoff to me that this applies only to those who have been saved, as it says, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." As forgiveness is only for those who have accepted Jesus’ salvation!
But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. (Hebrews 10:12-18)
The writer of Hebrews gives us some real hope of our being able to identify right from wrong, and to be able to avoid sinning with this knowledge, and this great hope. Of course, this priest being written about is Jesus. It tells us about this perfect sacrifice that Jesus made for us, “because by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy.” Do you begin to feel perfect? Do you know Jesus, or do you just know about Jesus? You can know Him, because he has promised “I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Do you ever question the promise Jesus made through His sacrifice for all who accept His salvation, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.”
Did you get that promise from Jesus? He is really big on this idea of “forgive and forget,” which we humans cannot usually ever conquer! We usually have trouble forgiving someone who has hurt us, but then, to also forget it, to truly forget it, is almost impossible for us.
The question this commentary starts with may make you (us) wonder how strong is your faith. Please remember your faith needs to be in Jesus, and what He did to save your immortal soul. It should never be placed in your ability to be righteous, but because of Jesus we can have a form of righteousness, which we inherit from Jesus, He is the Last Adam, and has replaced the first Adam, thus we can attain some degree of knowledge of right from wrong!
Are you still an infant, not knowing good from evil? You can give a truthful answer of “NO!” to this question, because Jesus died to allow you to actually know what is sin, and thus, the Holy Spirit, who Jesus left behind for you, you can have confidence to also be able to avoid committing many sins. I do not believe we are perfect; we are only able to claim righteousness! That is not a bad start! Believe it, and then go tell someone that Good News!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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