Two Exercises

Ecclesiastes 1:13 King James Version

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

Hebrews 5:14 King James Version

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.

The two exercises here are physical and spiritual.

Solomon describes his exercise as a sore travail. Those are physical sensations.

In Hebrews we discover coming to spiritual maturity in discernment, to judge good and evil.

We work in one world and worship in the other.

Which one influences us more than the other?

That is a personal question which can only be answered by each individual. There is no judgment here except to recognize both forces are at work in us all.

An old American Indian proverb says we have two wolves in us and which one is stronger is the one we feed the most. That is natural, not spiritual.

Hebrews 5:14 tells us “by reason of use” which is not a matter of being fed but rather in the use of the spiritual senses we have been given.

We know how to exercise our natural senses but how do we exercise our spiritual senses?

Habakkuk 2:4 King James Version

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

The soul is not upright, it is sensual. Christ in us justifies us so that we can walk by faith.

Romans 3:26 King James Version

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Reproof

2 Timothy 3:16 English Standard Version (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Reproof; Reprove:

re-proof’, re-proov’:”Reprove” in Elizabethan English had a variety of meanings (“reject” “disprove” “convince,” “rebuke”), with “put to the proof” (see 2Ti 4:2 the Revised Version margin) as the force common to all, although in modern English the word means only “rebuke” (with a connotation of deliberateness). the King James Version uses the word chiefly (and the Revised Version (British and American) exclusively, except in 2 Esdras 12:32; 14:13; 2 Macc 4:33) for yakhach, and elegcho, words that have very much the same ambiguities of meaning. Hence, a fairly easy rendition into English was possible, but the result included all the ambiguities of the original, and to modern readers such a passage as “But your reproof, what doth it reprove? Do ye think to reprove words” (Job 6:25,26 the American Standard Revised Version) is virtually incomprehensible. The meaning is, approximately: “What do your rebukes prove? Are you quibbling about words?” In Joh 16:8 no single word in modern English will translate elegcho, and “reprove” (the King James Version), “convince” (King James Version margin), and “convict” (Revised Version) are all unsatisfactory. The sense is: “The Spirit will teach men the true meaning of these three words: sin, righteousness, judgment.”

Written by Burton Scott Easton

Rather than parsing those parts I think are important, I have copied and pasted the whole contents from BLB.ORG which is written by Burton Scott Easton.

Why is this not political in form?

In depth information gathered from different supporting resources, references and comprehensive inclusion of information supported by scripture indicate lengthy studies and dedication by a life immersed in God’s Word.

We are all helped by those who have gone before us and done the work that we ourselves are blessed to have available. What we take from it is up to our individual needs. Take what tastes good and leave the rest.

The last sentence begins with “The sense is:”

What do you sense?