^“23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: ²⁴ For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. ²⁵ But whoso looks into the perfect Law of Liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:23-25

The ear is the organ of response.  It is the ear and not the mind that hears God’s Word.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 8:17

Those who have ears to hear, the spiritually discerned, will hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying His People. For those whose Lord is Christ Jesus, we have been equipped with the spiritual organ needed to hear God’s Voice; that still small voice which orders our footsteps when we so seek.  The Voice which illuminates the Scriptures gives us understanding of the Word of God.

“To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the Word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.” Jeremiah 6:10

It is with our ears that the choice of obedience or disobedience is made.  The Word of God will always bring us to a point of decision. The carnal ears perceive with the mind and see only the external; the shiny cup with the filthy inside, and cannot properly evaluate one’s self.  They are hearers but not doers of the Word and they deceive their own selves.

The Word of God, properly revealed to the ear that hears, will reveal one’s own heart.  Our response to the revealed condition of our heart by the Word of God drives us to the choice of humility, which softens the heart, or pride, which hardens the heart.  We hear and we do or we hear and we do not.  The more we ‘do not’, the harder our heart becomes and eventually, we will no longer have ears to hear.  Hearing we hear not and obedience to our Lord becomes disobedience when the Word of God reveals the condition of our heart and pridefully reject.

To be sure, the modern church and it’s seeker sensitive gospel will never bring us to a point of decision when our heart’s condition is revealed but will instead attempt to make us comfortable in our condition by means of humanistic psychology cloaked in Scripture. What we should really be doing when the Lord reveals to us the condition of our heart is thanking the Lord for this revelation, asking Him for forgiveness and seeking Him for deliverance.

^“23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

²⁴ And He said unto them, Take heed what you hear: with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

²⁵ For he that has, to him shall be given: and he that has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has.” Mark 4:23-25

The only way the Word of God can be obeyed is for the Believer to place his or her faith exclusively in the Cross of Christ Jesus.  It is there, that we look into the ‘perfect Law of Liberty and continue therein‘ (James 1:25).  2000 years ago at Calvary’s Cross, the veil was rent and we were given access to the Throne of God through the Blood of Christ Jesus.  It is by and through the Blood of Jesus that we are liberally afforded the Wisdom of God to all who ask (James 1:5).

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:2

Once bound by the Law of Sin and Death, the Believer whose faith is set solely and exclusively in the Cross of Christ, is set at liberty by the Law of the Spirit of Life IN Christ Jesus.  Continuing therein, IN Christ Jesus, the perfect Law of Liberty (the rightly divided Word of God),  is quick and powerful…it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

For those who have ears to hear, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified will drive us to a choice.  Decide THIS day in whom you will serve.  Choose Holiness.  Be a doer and not a hearer.  Choose Jesus Christ and Him crucified; be determined to know nothing else among you.

-Donna Clark Warren.