StewardoftheMystery
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It is written that faith comes BY hearing, and “hearing” BY the Word of God. Notice the order Paul has laid out here. First we need to to be able to “hear” the gospel message. This “hearing” is not an audible hearing, because some can hear the message and still not “perceive or understand” the message. Which is why Jesus often said “those who have ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit is saying”.
So not all have been given ears to “hear” (perceive or understand) what the Holy Spirit is saying in God’s written words.
So the “hearing” must be “given” to you as “a gift” from God, as it is shown in the above; “hearing” comes BY the Word of God. We are given a sign of this in the children of Israel who were unable to “perceive” in their heart and “see and hear” what the Spirit was saying in the Testimony God gave to Moses.
In Deuteronomy 29:4 Moses said “Yet the Lord has not “given” you an heart to “perceive”, and eyes “to see”, and ears “to hear”, unto this day.”
Paul mentions this spiritual blindness in 2 Corinthians 3:13-16 13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14 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.15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.”
So this vail of the "flesh", or the carnal heart/ mind must be removed in order to see, hear, and perceive the words of God.
But many would audibly hear, but not understand, or perceive…
Isaiah 6:9 “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.”
Matthew 13:14 “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:”
Notice below Jesus connects “the hearing and seeing” problem to the hardness of heart….
Mark 8:17 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye “your heart” yet hardened?
So who removes the hardness of our heart so we can see and hear?
Deuteronomy 30:6 “And the Lord thy God will “circumcise thine heart”, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”
It is this hardness of heart that causes the ear not to receive the Spirit of Truth…
Acts 7:51 “Ye stiffnecked and “uncircumcised in heart and ears”, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”
So we need to have our hearts circumcised by the Lords Spirit in order to hear…
Romans 2:29 “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and “circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit,” and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
Philippians 3:3 “For we are “the circumcision”, which worship God “in the spirit”, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Notice it is God who circumcises your heart…
Ezekiel 36:26 “A new heart also will I “give” you, and a new spirit will “I put within you”: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and “I will give you” an heart of flesh.”
Now notice what Jesus says below…
Mark 4:11-12 11 And he said unto them, Unto you “it is given” to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and “not understand”; lest at any time they should be “converted”, and their sins should be “forgiven” them.
So we must first “be given” ears to hear and eyes to see, and a heart to perceive in order to be converted and have our sins forgiven.
And it is God who makes the “seeing eye” and the “hearing ear” to both see and hear what the Spirit is saying in God’s words
Proverbs 20:12 “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.”
Paul said in Galatians 3:2 “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the “hearing” of faith?”
And again in Galatians 3:5 “He therefore that ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, doeth He it by the works of the law, or by the “hearing” of faith?”
So you see the faith to believe must “first” come by “hearing”, and both the faith and the hearing are “given” to us by the grace of God through Christ our Lord.
There is no boasting on our part, to God belongs all the praise, honor, and glory!
Peace and God bless
So not all have been given ears to “hear” (perceive or understand) what the Holy Spirit is saying in God’s written words.
So the “hearing” must be “given” to you as “a gift” from God, as it is shown in the above; “hearing” comes BY the Word of God. We are given a sign of this in the children of Israel who were unable to “perceive” in their heart and “see and hear” what the Spirit was saying in the Testimony God gave to Moses.
In Deuteronomy 29:4 Moses said “Yet the Lord has not “given” you an heart to “perceive”, and eyes “to see”, and ears “to hear”, unto this day.”
Paul mentions this spiritual blindness in 2 Corinthians 3:13-16 13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14 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.15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.”
So this vail of the "flesh", or the carnal heart/ mind must be removed in order to see, hear, and perceive the words of God.
But many would audibly hear, but not understand, or perceive…
Isaiah 6:9 “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.”
Matthew 13:14 “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:”
Notice below Jesus connects “the hearing and seeing” problem to the hardness of heart….
Mark 8:17 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye “your heart” yet hardened?
So who removes the hardness of our heart so we can see and hear?
Deuteronomy 30:6 “And the Lord thy God will “circumcise thine heart”, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”
It is this hardness of heart that causes the ear not to receive the Spirit of Truth…
Acts 7:51 “Ye stiffnecked and “uncircumcised in heart and ears”, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”
So we need to have our hearts circumcised by the Lords Spirit in order to hear…
Romans 2:29 “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and “circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit,” and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
Philippians 3:3 “For we are “the circumcision”, which worship God “in the spirit”, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Notice it is God who circumcises your heart…
Ezekiel 36:26 “A new heart also will I “give” you, and a new spirit will “I put within you”: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and “I will give you” an heart of flesh.”
Now notice what Jesus says below…
Mark 4:11-12 11 And he said unto them, Unto you “it is given” to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and “not understand”; lest at any time they should be “converted”, and their sins should be “forgiven” them.
So we must first “be given” ears to hear and eyes to see, and a heart to perceive in order to be converted and have our sins forgiven.
And it is God who makes the “seeing eye” and the “hearing ear” to both see and hear what the Spirit is saying in God’s words
Proverbs 20:12 “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.”
Paul said in Galatians 3:2 “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the “hearing” of faith?”
And again in Galatians 3:5 “He therefore that ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, doeth He it by the works of the law, or by the “hearing” of faith?”
So you see the faith to believe must “first” come by “hearing”, and both the faith and the hearing are “given” to us by the grace of God through Christ our Lord.
There is no boasting on our part, to God belongs all the praise, honor, and glory!
Peace and God bless
