One of the earliest lessons taught to new believers is that our spirit is good, and our flesh is bad. “No good thing can come from our flesh.” It is certainly an important dynamic and worthy of serious discussion as demonstrated by its frequent mentions in Scripture, particularly in the New Testament.
Rather than present a comprehensive teaching on the topic, (most of us have had or will have plenty of that), I’ll just make a few assertions for your consideration. I’d like to start by saying that I don’t disagree with Scripture:
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” 1 Corinthians 15:50 NKJV
Flesh cannot be sufficiently redeemed to survive the journey from earth to Heaven. Period.
However, within Scripture there remains a few texts we’re all familiar with that suggest that our flesh, though unredeemable, may be harnessed, so to speak, for righteousness. That is put to good use. For example, Jesus’ chiding to His sleepy disciple, Peter:
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 NKJV
Jesus seemed to be telling Peter that watching and praying would somehow protect him from temptation. (Reader take note!) Jesus also said that Peter’s flesh was weak. Not useless, but weak. Conversely, Jesus, who’d just been in the garden watching and praying, was able to direct his flesh to do what needed to be done, though He struggled even to the point of tears of blood.
Here’s another interesting Scripture:
“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14 NKJV
The writer of Hebrews is contrasting spiritual immaturity (still drinking milk) against spiritual maturity (solid food) to demonstrate that spiritual maturity is required to discern the will of God and that maturity can be pursued. In essence the text states that spiritual maturity comes by having our “senses” exercised (trained) through use. Other translations substitute “trained” over “exercised.” Both terms give us the same understanding.
The writer uses examples of physical facts to make his point because they are so easily grasped. I will too. Faith is like a muscle: if a muscle is never used it remains weak. However, regular use builds strong muscles and endurance. Faith is the same. Weak and untrained muscles can prevent us from accomplishing even the simplest tasks, like washing a car, or climbing stairs whereas strong, trained muscles enable us to accomplish almost unlimited activities, like jogging, hiking, swimming, or mountain climbing.
Faith needs to grow, and it must be used in order to grow.
Our text from Hebrews 5 uses the term “senses” to discuss spiritual growth. I believe there is good reason for this distinction. The term “senses” can be applied as easily to our spiritual being as our physical being. In fact, I’m not sure it’s possible to separate completely the physical aspect of our “senses” from the spiritual aspect of our “senses” while we are yet in our fleshly bodies. Which explains why Scripture directs the follower of God to fast. And why Paul buffeted his body to get it to behave.
By experience we learn that Jesus/the Father/the Holy Spirit communicates with us in ways that we often express in terms of feelings. “I felt” afraid, encouraged, peaceful, hopeful, determined, angered, urgency, etc. “I felt, faith…” Or “I felt led…”
Acting on these feelings, or senses, we are trained by their use. If we act on what we sense, our senses mature and our faith grows. If we don’t act, we remain immature. Many of us sense the Lord frequently but fail to act on what we have sensed. Consequently, we are robbed of our assurance that we have sensed well or education when we have sensed poorly. There is a saying among believers: “If you don’t go, you’ll never know.”
Asking God to give you the assurance that your action will result in a wonderful outcome is the best way to miss the opportunity at hand. If God told you everything you wanted to know about something He’s asked you to do before you do it, the action would no longer require faith. You’d be acting on fact and without faith it is impossible to please Him. (Heb 11:6)
Faith enables us to discern, but boldness enables us to act. One is useless without the other. When the early church was persecuted with beatings and jail, they gathered to pray for……… boldness. They already had faith, but they needed boldness to act on what they discerned to be the way. (Acts 4:29)
In Heaven there will be no mix of treasure and earthen vessel, only treasure. But here on earth:
“… we have this treasure in earthen vessels…” 2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV
If I haven’t lost you already with my rambling, let me offer a short digression that I think is helpful to demonstrate the interrelation of our spiritual self with our mind/soul, and our physical body.
We are three-part beings, mind, body, spirit. (Some like to include “soul” as a fourth part. I am not one of those.) They overlap and where they overlap they interact. Let me give you a contrived situation to demonstrate how these “parts” are interconnected.
I you were to tie me up and then bang on my big toe with a stick it would probably hurt my toe (body) a lot. If you kept on banging my toe with a stick for an hour, I might become angry (mind). If you continued banging on my toe with a stick for days, I might become severely despondent, depressed (spirit). If you continued to bang on my toe for months on end, I could easily become despondent, hateful, even desperate (affliction).
Another example: If I were to remain depressed because of a job loss for weeks or months, I could easily develop physical maladies like insomnia, headaches, fatigue, or even spiritual maladies. Each part of our being affects the other two, good or bad.
I believe the writer of Hebrews speaks of our senses because the mature, faith guided interaction of our senses determines whether we are able understand the will of God or not.
All that to say, the believer “trains” his or her senses – the interaction of our flesh, body, and mind – through faith. The more we do in faith the more we grow and the more we’re capable of doing in the future. We live by faith which trains our senses which enable us to perceive the will of God. The unbeliever is unable to train their senses to discern the will of God.
I’m attempting to do what I hear, see, or feel that I sense is from God, whether big or small, to increase my faith and further train my senses so I can discern better and do greater and greater exploits. And I’m asking the Lord daily for the boldness to act on what I discern.
What have you done in faith recently that was difficult for you? What have you done in faith that you didn’t understand? What have you done in faith that cost you significantly?
Why do I ask? Because these are signs that your senses are being trained, and you are growing.
God bless you with boldness to act upon what you discern in faith is the will of God.
Peace on the path