How Is Your Spiritual Hearing?

I have been getting by with one hearing aid for many years. Recently, I was able to get a pair, so my hearing has been restored. How many people need to have their spiritual hearing restored? How many are deaf to the voice of God?

What are the causes of spiritual deafness? Spiritual deafness is refusing to hear the truth of God’s word and can also be caused by the bondage of deception. 2 Timothy 4:3 says, “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”  

That time is here. Many are listening to the teaching of prosperity theology, or anything that will make them feel at ease and comfortable. People do not want to hear that they are sinners in need of God’s grace. They don’t want to hear that Jesus is the only way to salvation. They don’t want to hear that salvation is by grace alone, but would rather earn it. Many would like to hear that every religion leads to God.

Spiritual hearing must be restored. How will this happen? One has to fall so low in desperation and depression that the only way to look is up to God. Sadly, some will have to go through a physical illness or emotional trauma before they will be receptive to the truth. People must come to recognize that there is something more needed to go beyond the hopelessness, depression, loneliness, and the attempt to find happiness in material wealth and the “society solutions” to one’s problems.

Until these things listed in the above paragraph are done people will continue to have itching ears to hear what will make them comfortable and be continuously deaf to the truth. It is necessary to get away from false teachers. It is better to be deaf to deception then to be deaf to the truth.

I hope you have good hearing when it comes to the gospel, that Jesus Christ came to die for your sins and rose from the dead, that salvation is through grace alone, and that Jesus is the only way to God. You will be free and deaf from deception. Your spiritual hearing will be restored. (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:6, and Acts 4:12).

Just like I didn’t realize how bad my hearing was until I got a pair of hearing aids, deception and spiritual deafness can be very subtle over a long period of time. One does not know how bad their spiritual hearing has been until they respond to the truth.

Once spiritual hearing is restored, it will still be easy to become deaf to the voice of God and truth with all of the noise and activity of daily life. One must make time for silence to simply be open to hearing his voice. Restored spiritual hearing will open up a whole new world created by God with a life of purpose and fellowship with him.