"Don't Talk to Strangers"

Hebrews 5.13-14 NASU

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

Milk is introductory food for the newly born. Milk helps a baby grow strong. Solid food is for older children and adults who have developed the capacity to chew and digest food with substance. The plan is growth. No one stays on a strict diet of milk for long.

Believers are supposed to grow up. Brand new converts will not immediately partake in “the word of righteousness.” They are not expected to grasp Scripture beyond the basic truths of the person and work of Jesus, personal salvation, and the fellowship of believers in the body of Christ (see Hebrews 6.1-2). 

But there is more… There is the on-going battle with the enemy of our souls. Mature Christians will face temptations, trials, and times of testing. We are targeted for destruction by the devil. We will be tried to the breaking point and pressured to quit the church, lose our faith, and say “yes” to sin. Therefore, as strong, growing, healthy believers we must...

• Press into the word of God.
• Become “accustomed to the word of righteousness.”
• Partake of “solid food.”
• “Practice” their faith daily.
• Train “their senses... to discern good and evil.”
• Read the Bible.
• Obey the Bible.
• Prepare to suffer. 
• Pray.
• Persevere.
• Trust Jesus in all things.

Children are targets of predators who commit heinous crimes. These lost souls know children are naïve and readily fooled. A child’s senses are not yet “trained to discern good and evil.” A bad person with evil intentions can easily confuse or trick a child into believing a lie that could cost the child’s life.

As adults, we understand this awful potential so we train our children not to talk to strangers, and accept neither rides or candy from them. As our kids grow up, they naturally develop a sense of right and wrong. Through practice, trial and error, and the experience of age-appropriate, natural consequences, children learn to correctly distinguish good from evil. It is not necessary to remind an older teenager not to speak to strangers. An adolescent can sense ‘stranger danger’ and, if he or she has matured sufficiently, will choose to avoid suspicious people and questionable situations.

Young adults can sidestep the pitfalls of the ‘hard life’ if they listen to the wisdom of loving parents and their “word of righteousness.” Similarly, we must train our senses to hear and apply “the word of righteousness” found in the pages of Scripture. We are designed to grow up and partake of solid spiritual food. We learn by “practice” to “discern good and evil” so we can make right decisions and stay away from the alluring voice of demonic strangers.

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word

of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who

because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

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School food clip art in this post was created by illustrator Mark A. Hicks. Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery for use by teachers on the Discovery Education website (http://www.discoveryschool.com/).