Christian Living

Hear It All

by paul hoffmaster
04/24/22
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It seems that many Christians look at God’s Grace through the observing of Scripture instead of a relationship with the author and finisher of their Faith.  We can know the address of Biblical Truth but fail to address its implications.  It is one thing to know who the author is, but another to have a living relationship with Him.  People want Biblical revelation, but fail to realize they have a responsibility to interact with the Truth.  There are many “nomad” Christians who wander about looking for a body of Believers that would fit their predetermined expectations.  The problem is they will never find that “perfect” assembly.  Some want a Biblical “chef” that will present them with Biblical nourishment to fill their hungry souls.  When they fail to digest what is being served, the Truth will have little effect on their spiritual growth. 

Let me illustrate what I mean.  The Disciples, which included twelve Apostles, journeyed with Jesus for over three years.  They saw, and even experienced, miracles, signs, and wonders.  They saw the blind, dumb, deaf, sick, diseased, and demon-possessed healed; and even people raised from the dead.  There were times that Jesus commissioned them to be an extension of His ministry.  They knew the Truth, saw the Truth, and believed the Truth, at least to a certain degree.  The one thing that mattered the most, His resurrection, caused their blocks of spiritual growth to come tumbling down.  Not one of the Disciples/Apostles anticipated His promised resurrection.  When He rose from the dead and angels appeared unto some women, verifying the reality of His resurrection, they “trembled and were amazed.” (Matthew 28:8)  The women returned to the eleven and reported what they had seen, but they did not believe it. (Luke 24:11)  When Mary Magdalene brought the news of Jesus’ appearance, they dismissed her with their unbelief and continued to mourn and weep. (Mark 16:10-11)  John and Peter, though, decided to check out the story and went to the tomb, and only upon seeing the grave empty did John “believe, for as yet they knew not the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” (John 20:8, 9) Two men on the road to Emmaus encountered Jesus and experienced His revealing Truth.  They returned to the group of Disciples/Apostles and told them what had happened, but they did not even believe their report! (Mark 1:13)

To put an end to their depression, Jesus appeared to the doubting group and “upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” (Mark 16:14)  Three years of Truth, thirty-six months of tutorage, one hundred sixty-six weeks of witnessing the Kingdom of God in action, one thousand one hundred sixty-two days of Divine exposure!  Yet, the one thing that validated the Truth, the Resurrection, was not even considered.

Today, people are in search of the Truth.  We must learn to hear the whole Truth.  The Apostles failed to hear the times Jesus shared that He would be crucified and the third day rise again!  How many teachings do Believers miss because of their screening of the Truth!  Instead of rereading our underlined verses, let us look at what we didn’t “color,” for maybe we missed what really mattered.  Stop wandering, settle down, and hear what the Lord is saying.