“Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity… For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come…” (Hebrews 6:1,4-5).
Notice the phrase “have tasted the good word of God.” To taste something means that you have had a living up-to-date experience of it manifested in the senses world. When I taste a cup of tea, I can tell what type of tea was used to make it, because I have tasted good tea and can tell all the others in varying degrees.
To “have tasted of the good word of God” means to have put it into action in your life. This phrase reminds us of “O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Also Psalm 119:103, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” And I will quote Jeremiah 15:16, “Your words were found, and I ate them; and your word was to me the joy and gladness of my heart.”
All the Word of God is good. In respect to the administration of grace we are now enjoying, the Word says it is “… a more excellent ministry… built upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). We have put it into action, we have tasted of it, we have seen that it works. Because of this we should desire to know how we can more effectually put it into action in our own lives.
Adapted from chapter 3 of the book “Exploring God’s Amazing Word” by Peter Wade, to be published late October 2010.
How wonderful that God coaxes us to see how much he loves us! He works within us, encouraging us to put his truth to the test to see the manifestation of spiritual reality in the physical world!