Opening Our Ears to Hear (Protestant/Evangelical Caucus and Devotional)

Ligonier Ministries ^ | 4/24/2016

[Gamecock]

God said to Isaiah: “Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed” (Isa. 6:9–10, NIV).

This type of judgment is articulated by Paul in Romans 1: “Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done” (v. 28, NIV).

The worst punishment that can befall us is to be given over or abandoned to our sin by God. This anticipates God’s verdict at the final judgment: “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile” (Rev. 22:11, NIV).

Every time God’s Word is proclaimed it changes all of those within its hearing. No one ever remains unaffected by God’s Word. To those who hear it positively, there is growth in grace. To those who reject it or are indifferent to it, calluses are added to their souls and calcium to their hearts. The eye becomes dimmer and dimmer, the ear heavier and heavier, and the mystery of the kingdom more and more obscure. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Coram Deo

Ask God to open your ears to hear His voice, to clear your spiritual eyes, and to let you understand with your heart.

Passages for Further Study

Isaiah 6:9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: d“ ‘Keep on hearing,3 but do not understand; keep on seeing,4 but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull,5 and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Romans 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

[Gamecock]

Ping!

[.45 Long Colt]

To be “given over or abandoned to our sin by God” is a frightful thing to consider. Yesterday I saw four different lost seniors. Three of them are likely in that abandoned state. No matter how plain the gospel is made, they can’t hear or understand it. They will listen, but they aren’t interested. There is no sign of spiritual life. Of course we can’t know, so while there’s physical life, we pray and hope for spiritual life.

One of the four, however, who at 88 happens to be the oldest of the four, may be hearing the gospel. He weeps over his sin, knows he’s lost, yet can’t bring himself to trust Christ yet. Perhaps he believes he’s been too bad for too long. I’ve run into other seniors who thought that way.

We must “seek the Lord while he may be found.”