In the Epistle to the Ephesians Paul reminds us of three vital things, That you heard the Word of truth, That you believed, and that you were sealed (Ephesians 1:13). It is for certain that a man is not going to believe truth until he hears it. And it also appears that this “sealing” is effected around the matter of hearing and believing. In Matthew 13, our Lord spoke to them in parables and concluded by saying, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (v.43). You say, “But every one has ears.” Not the kind our Lord speaks of, He speaks of ears in the soul. Some men hear us from Lord’s Day to Lord’s Day with those gristles on the sides of their head, but never hear in their souls. You may think yourself a good attentive hearer. Maybe as a child you tried to learn the way of salvation, but you were spiritually blind and deaf and could not see it nor hear it. As a sinner you have heard that you are to look away from yourself and look to Christ. Maybe you’ve read your Bible earnestly over and over. Maybe Christian parents have taught you. You’ve heard the Gospel line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; yet the Word of the Lord has not come to you with power. The power of the Holy Spirit must be present; He must open your ears and guide the message of salvation to your soul. You’ve heard “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16); “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 45:22); “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15); but you have not understood what that believing is. You cannot understand what faith means. When God opens those ears to hear, to really hear with the ears of the soul, you will believe; you’ll know what believing means. You’ll hear truth preached and the light of the glorious gospel will shine and open your deaf ears. Now you are blind and deaf and you think the light has never shone. The light is shining, but there has been no power and work of the Spirit to your deaf ears to hear and receive it. The ear of your soul has not been sensitive to the Divine call. You have not heard. Do not continue to rest in your righteous works. Do not continue to think keeping the law to the best of your ability is what is necessary, you cannot keep it and the soul that keeps it not must die. Look to Christ Jesus and His mighty power, “...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Seek the Savior and He says you will find Him. Oh how I pray that the One who alone can make men hear, will be pleased to open the ears of the soul that men may believe the Word of the glorious Gospel of His grace.
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