Hard of Hearing
Psalms 79–80, Romans 11:1–18
Key Verses: Romans 11:7–8
Ever hear of “selective hearing loss”? I don’t know if the condition is medically valid, but at times I have seen it. Here is what it looks like: a person hears some things but not others. What he hears is not due to volume or clarity but want. He hears what he wants to hear and tunes out the rest—selective hearing loss.
Now, have you ever heard of “spiritual hearing loss”? Again, it’s not a diagnosis found in medical texts, but it is in the Bible. And while we may smile at “selective hearing loss,” there is nothing humorous about “spiritual hearing loss.” Here is what it looks like: if anyone hears the truth and does not respond to it, the time may come when he will be incapable of responding.
Jesus spoke of it when He said, “‘They hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes’” (Matt. 13:15). Paul wrote of it here in Romans 11:7–8. What he says about hardening should be sobering to all, for the principle is universal. Those who reject God’s grace, trying instead to work their way into heaven, thinking they can make themselves righteous, may one day be incapable of responding to the free gift of salvation. Faith in Christ is sufficient; man’s substitutes for faith are insufficient.
It is good that you are reading the Bible daily. But remember that what makes a person a Christian is not his good deeds but faith in Christ. Keep reading, but be sure you have accepted Christ. “Spiritual hearing loss” is a sobering truth. If you have not done so yet, respond today to God’s grace.
