The Hearing Ear and the Believing Heart
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life. 1 John 1:1
John wrote: We have heard. John begins his epistle by appearing to our senses to support certain truths concerning Jesus Christ. The word heard in the original is
akouw (ak-oo-o).
To hear is important because what we hear is physical evidence of truth that we receive. John is saying, we not only knew Jesus, but we heard Him. We have heard, but it goes beyond just hearing with the ears: We have perceived in our souls inward communication from God, something all of us should experience as we study God’s Word and as we HEAR it preached and taught. It goes beyond physical hearing indicting some kind of a response. The response reveals that hearing has taken place.
In Acts 4:19, the leaders commanded Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Listen to their response: Whether it be right in the sight of God to HEARKEN unto you more than unto God, judge ye. The Word HEARKEN is our word “akouw,” indicating obedience.
It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me (John 6:45).
Here, Jesus is explaining how the sinner comes to God. It is through the truth of God’s Word that God the Father inwardly communicates to the soul and draws the sinner by His Word. A person hears and learns and then responds. Salvation is impossible apart from hearing the Word of God. The hearing of John 6:45 is an inward hearing.
Be honest with yourself here for a lot of us hear and yet we do not hear. Most of you know what is being said here. When the Word of God is preached and hearing takes place, there is SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATION. It is hearing what God has said. We know when someone has truly heard Him for there will be a corresponding response, some change revealing obedience to God’s Word. We also can know by the presence of the indwelling Spirit of God leading the believer in obedience to what was heard (Acts 5:32).
There are times when the Word is taught or preached when we honestly have not heard. There was something wrong with our spiritual antenna. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing (Hebrews 5:11). So then faith cometh by HEARING, and HEARING by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
The next time you are in the Word of God, listen for the voice of God to speak to your soul. Sunday, during the Sunday School lesson and the preaching services, listen to the preacher as he preaches the Word of God and then listen beyond the preacher for the Spirit of God to interpret the Word to your soul. Listen, which is to say attend closely, pay attention, heed and of course, obey.
George Stiekes serves as a Lay Pastor at Bethany Bible Church in Hendersonville, NC. See here for a more complete bio of brother Stiekes extensive ministry. We republish his material by permission.
Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash