GRACE TO HEAR by Roger Roth Sr.
These are words for your ears and for His purpose in you and because, quite frankly, most, in modern Christianity, have not had their ears trained to hear. “Why do you speak in parables Jesus? Because unto you is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God but unto them it is not given.” This is not because they were bad people, indeed for the most part, they were desirous enough that they went to see Him and to hear Him. The difference was that Jesus’ disciples were given grace and keys to hear His words above a first dimensional understanding, and the others were not.
God has given the grace and administration to know the mysteries of the Kingdom. To everyone? Yes grace has been given to everyone, but the administration of this grace depends on each of us positioning ourselves to hear. So it is possible and probable that we will hear at different levels, at different times and with different depths of understanding—depending on our preparation, our faith and our desire. The day of casual participation is over; the day of active pursuit is begun.
“And with many such parables spake He the word unto them, as they were able to hear it;” Mark 4:33. “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word;” John 8:43. “Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people:” Ezk 12:2. There are at least 3 groups of people who are limited in their hearing. For the latter two groups, the scriptures in John and Ezekiel apply—it is because the condition of their heart toward God or toward people makes it impossible to hear.
I’ve been there, perhaps you have also—where your anger or judgment or self righteousness make it impossible to hear what God is saying. But when you allow God to cleanse your heart, all of a sudden it is like the wax was taken out of your spiritual ears. The first group, as in Mark chapter 4, are not like these. They desire to hear God and they do hear God. But their ability to hear the full depth of what He is saying is limited. This is because it requires a level of ’ understanding’ and a level of ‘relationship’ to hear the deeper things of God. For example; first graders desire to learn math. They can understand 2+2=4, but they cannot yet understand negative numbers. A fifth grader may understand addition and multiplication and negative numbers but they do not yet understand geometric theorems. This is because to understand some things, there first must be a base of knowledge and relationship upon which to form greater understanding.
Now in the Spirit, this base of knowledge comes in part with biblical knowledge, but more importantly with relationship. Some things that God is doing in our day can only be understood and participated in by relationship with Him through the Body.
It will not come just because of gifting, personal ministry or study. This is why some are “ever learning but never able to come to a knowledge of God.” It isn’t because they lack effort or ability, but because they lack relationship. They don’t see themselves in the Body because they really do not understand the Body or its operation. They will forever be adding and subtracting numbers, thinking this is all there is to mathematics, because their lack of relationship blinds them from the possibilities of Trigonometry, Calculus and beyond.
Leave a Reply