When someone seeks a local church to unite with, he should seek one where the Bible is faithfully preached and taught. This will be a primary consideration for those who are serious about God. Simply belonging to a Bible-believing church is not enough. You can’t grow in your knowledge of the Word of God merely by association.
Jesus’ disciples asked Him why He spoke to the people in parables. “I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand,” Jesus replied (Matthew 13:13, NASB). Let me interpret that for you. Jesus spoke to the people in parables so those who lacked understanding could not grasp what He was saying!
But why would He do that? Is He not the Teacher of teachers? And is it not the goal of any teacher to communicate in such a way that his or her audience can grasp what he is saying?
Yes, but a greater issue was at hand in this case. And it gets at the heart of why some churchgoers today struggle to understand the Bible. Here is why Jesus took the approach He did:
“For the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.”
Matthew 13:15, NASB
Jesus was referring to those in His audience who came to hear Him but who came with callous hearts, ears dull of hearing., and eyes closed. Their attitude displeased the Lord. He purposely spoke in parables so they could not grasp what He was saying.
God Wants Your Heart
Some people who attend church today are the same way. They regularly hear the Word of God, but they are merely religious. Their heart and their ears are far from God. So, when they hear the Word of God, the same mystery that existed when Jesus spoke in parables still exists. That’s why some churchgoers find it hard to understand the Bible.
The Lord is the same yesterday and today. He only illuminates the understanding of those who incline their ears and heart to Him. Those who do otherwise will stay in the dark with regard to understanding biblical truths. That does not mean they can’t understand on the surface what God is saying through His Word. They can do that. But they can’t understand the depths of what the Lord is saying. They don’t have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.
This reality speaks to the spiritual distinction of the Word of God. “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor. 2:14, NASB).
What a blessing it is to belong to a local church where the Word of God is faithfully preached and taught. This is essential to spiritual growth. On the other hand, no practical value exists for God to bless those whose heart and ears are far from Him to understand the Bible. For these are not doers of the Word but hearers only.
However, when the person turns His heart to God, the veil will be taken away (2 Corinthians 3:1).
Copyright © 2024 by Frank King. All rights reserved.