Hearing

If one hears a rumour, how much reliance can be placed upon it? Is it the truth? The answer is no. The same is also true in spiritual matters. You may hear many things but unless they are based upon the word of God they are of no value to you or anyone else. As a matter of fact, believing error could cause you to be lost eternally.

To begin with, we should want to know the truth above everything. Error may tickle our ears but it will not save us. There may be many things that you would like to do, but unless you are guided by the truth your deeds will be in vain.

What is truth? Christ said in speaking to God, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). So, that which God has spoken is the truth and Christ adds “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

We should not listen to man but to God, to Christ, to the scriptures. God said,“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matt 17:5). Again we read, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken also unto us by His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1,2). Now at one time God spoke through Moses and the pophets, but in these last days He spoke to us through His Son. Are we living in the last days? (Acts 2:16,17). Yes, so we are near to him. How are we to hear Him? Through a small voice? By a vision? In reading the creeds of men? No, but by accepting those things that are written in the scriptures. John wrote, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30,31).

There are several methods of hearing the truth. One may hear by reading the scriptures. In other words one may hear Paul, Peter, John and other preachers by reading the Bible, or having the Bible read. Next, one may hear the will of the Lord by listening to a faithful gospel preacher proclaim the word. But even then he should not accept the preacher’s words but should always return to the scriptures to see if the truth is really being preached. And then again, he may hear the message of salvation by reading gospel tracts, pamphlets and leaflets.

Realizing the importance of hearing the truth and only the truth, Christ said “Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). Again, Paul said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman … rightly dividing the word of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). We read that the people of Berea were more noble than those of Thessalonica because they searched the scriptures daily to see if those things they heard were true (Acts 17:10,11). In every case of conversion in the New Testament, the people first of all had to hear the truth of God. On hearing the truth, faith was produced in their hearts: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). This is still the way it is done today.

Although it is essential to hear, we must keep in mind that it is equally important to hear the truth. Again, it is not enough just to hear. Many have heard the truth, but are not saved; why not? Because to be saved, action must be taken about what has been heard. A person may hear that he will receive a new house if he will go by a certain business office to claim it, but if he never goes, he will never get it.

A man may hear of salvation through Christ but unless he applies what he has heard, then it will do him no good. Be eager to hear but weigh carefully what you hear. Don’t accept a thing just because it sounds good. Ponder it, investigate it and if you find it really is the truth, accept it, treasure it and obey it. As Paul says: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us: looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1,2).

Bro Joseph Oppong (Shama, Ghana)