Ephesians 1.11-14 (5)
Pray Psalm 119.49, 50.
Remember the word to Your servant,
Upon which You have caused me to hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life.
Sing Psalm 119.49, 50.
(Wycliff: All for Jesus)
LORD, remember all the good Word You have spoken unto me!
For I ever hope in You, LORD as I serve You joyfully.
This my comfort in affliction, this my comfort in all strife:
that Your Word is my redemption, giving me eternal life!
Read Ephesians 1.11-14; meditate on verse 13, the word “heard”.
How does hearing work? Do we hear only with our ears? Are there levels or degrees of hearing? When do you know that you have “heard” something God intends for you to hear?
Preparation
1. How does hearing God’s Word affect our relationship with Him?
2. What is the relationship between “hearing” and “believing”?
Meditation
Theologians historically have identified three marks of a true church: the faithful preaching of the Word, the faithful administration of the sacraments, and the faithful use of church discipline. Calvin concurred, except that he clarified and gave more weight to the first mark by making it “the faithful preaching and hearing of the Word.”
The Westminster Larger Catechism asks (Q 160), “What is required of those that hear the Word preached?” In other words, what does it mean to hear the Word faithfully? The Catechism answers with a standard for all who read, study, teach, preach the Word of God, and all who otherwise hear the Scriptures—a standard for true hearing of the Word: “It is required of those that hear the Word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; and examine what they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.”
We are only hearing the Word as God intends—and to our benefit—when this is how we hear it, from listening to processing to embracing to comparing with other Scripture to hiding it in our heart to obeying unto fruitfulness in the Lord. When we hear like this, whether when the Word is being preached or we are reading it for ourselves, we hear in a way that opens more of our great salvation to us in joy and rejoicing.
Jesus said to the churches in Revelation, “Let him who has ears, hear.” We must make it our aim always to hear the Word, and to call on Him for grace to enable us to do so.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Does this mean that everything we “hear” from all pulpits is true?
Hearing demands discernment; so, each listener must be familiar enough with the Word of God to know truth from fiction. Any time a pastor begins tinkering with the Word, we must be astute enough to know it. The devil’s first, and continuing, lie is this, “Has God indeed said…?” (Gen. 3.1).
Paul and Silas, arriving in Berea, found the believers there far more astute than those in Thessalonica:
“These were more fair-minded (“of more noble character”, NIV) than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men” (Acts 17.11, 12).
It is the truth, and only the truth, that will set us on the path of life.
Jesus said, “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8.31, 32).
But we must abide in God’s Word.
We must hear His Word daily, straight from Him.
Otherwise, it is merely hearsay.
Wisdom/Jesus says, “Hear instruction and be wise; and do not disdain it.
Blessed is the man who listens to Me,
watching daily at My gates,
waiting at the posts of My doors.
For whoever finds Me finds life, and
obtains favor from the LORD;
but he who sins against Me wrongs his own soul;
all those who hate Me love death” (Prov. 8.33-36).
“But whoever listens to Me will dwell safely, and will be secure,
without fear of evil” (Prov. 1.33).
The church in Antioch was also fair-minded and noble. When Paul and his fellow travelers arrived there, they went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down ready to worship. “And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, ‘Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.’ Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, ‘Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen…’” (Acts 13.14-16).
Do we fear God? Then we should hear Him speak from His Word daily. Listening intently and carefully.
Does our pastor fear God? Does he take seriously the whole counsel of God? The Law, the Prophets, and all the books of the Old Testament; along with all the books of the New Testament. Do you ever hear things that don’t jive with what you know to be true, dear believer?
All the requirements of the New Testament hang on all the requirements, covenants, and promises of the Old (Matt. 22. 37-40). The only difference being, we have a Savior in Jesus Christ the Messiah, Who has made a way for us to be saved through His death and resurrection. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8.1).
“But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9.26).
Just like sanctification, correct hearing is our job. Do not be deceived (Gal. 6.7).
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt. 11.15).
“Let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2.7). Stop, look, and listen. Your life depends on it.
Reflection
1. How would you explain to a new believer how to listen to a sermon?
2. What can you do to improve your ability to hear the Word of truth in preaching?
3. The Word of truth awaits you in your Bible reading. Explain.
It is no small praise for the Ephesians that they have heard not preaching as such but “the word of truth.” Remember that we read in another letter [1 Cor. 2.4] that there is a great distance between preaching and the word of truth. Jerome (347-420), Epistle to the Ephesians 1.1.13
Pray Psalm 119.51-56.
Plead with the Lord to enable you to hear His Word day by day, to embrace, obey, and remember it in all your ways, and to teach the Word to others.
Sing Psalm 119.51-56.
(Wycliff: All for Jesus)
Though the proud deride and taunt me, I will trust Your faithful Word.
Let Your judgments from of old be all my comfort, holy LORD.
Indignation grips me, Savior, for those who forsake Your Word.
All Your statutes, all Your favor, I will sing with joy, O LORD!
In the night Your Name attends me, and I keep Your holy Word;
let Your precepts all befriend me, as I keep them, glorious LORD.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we begin looking at commerce from a Kingdom perspective. Our Read Moore podcast continues readings from the book, Such a Great Salvation. Our Crosfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert finds the saint beginning his second voyage to find The Promised Land of the Saints. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
