Hearing God

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Revelation 2:7

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"He that hath an ear..."

Jesus spoke often about hearing Him, and even many of those who have a natural hearing couldn't hear what He was saying.

At one point, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, the teachers over Israel, and He said this:

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.John 8:42-43

For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. Job 33:14

Considering this statement with what the Apostle Paul said here:

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 8:7"

It explains why not everyone can hear God. In the passage where Jesus said: "Why do you not understand my speech," He finished by saying, "It is because you cannot hear My word."

But even before that, Jesus said, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from Him." Neither came I of myself, but HE sent me."

If they wouldn't hear God, they wouldn't hear Him because He came directly from God.

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. John 12:49

What Jesus said there, neither took away from His divinity nor did it cancel out the written word.

He spoke in terms that we could relate, like our children proceed from us, even though it is God who gives them life.

Jesus proceeded directly from God, and they were always one, so the words that Jesus spoke were and are God's words.

Jesus Himself told us that, "the words that I speak they are spirit and they are life."

So now we see the Father, the Son and the Spirit, and these three are one.

This in no way canceled out God's written instruction.

Jesus said that heaven and earth would pass away but His words would never pass away.

If there were now no need for the scriptures, then there would be no reason for churches, or for bibles or preachers or any instruction at all. All of the churches that Paul worked diligently to build wouldn't have needed to be built since all a person has to do is believe, and suddenly they are completely walking and being led by the spirit as some say. There would have been no need for instruction or maturing in Him.

It is true that we must believe completely in Jesus. But believing in Him, and loving Him with all our hearts mind and strength leads us to seek out His ways and to mature in Him so that we can shine His light out into this dark world and others might see the hope in us, the gift in us, the mercy and peace in us, and want to find that same rest and comfort in Jesus.

Paul taught the gospel of Christ. Which is written, and it didn't begin in the book of Matthew, it began in the book of Genesis, and ends in the book of Revelation.

Everything that God ever said was spoken for a reason, and He even preserved it for us.

For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. John 5:46

And Paul wrote this:

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:14-16

The vail was over their hearts, they couldn't see Christ in it. "For if they believed Moses they would believe Me, for he wrote of Me."

The vail is taken away in Christ, for He proceeded forth and come from the Father, and the things written of Him from the ancient days even to now, are real, true and living.

Paul spoke to the early churches about going from the milk of the word to the meat of the word. He referenced the word (scriptures) very often, not just a few times. He spoke of the Bereans who studied out every matter to see if it were so.

The Bereans wanted to trust God above all else. That is why they search the scriptures to see if what they heard was so.

Jesus referenced the scriptures often as well. Even as a child, when Jesus was speaking with the church leaders, He knew the word and they marveled at his understanding.

Why, because it is HIS word.

Lord, please help us to always listen to You. Please always give us the ears to hear You as we seek You prayerfully in Your word.