It is amazing how many things we hear and understand and then dismiss as either unimportant or at the very least unrelated to our lives.
This happens with commercial ads. They spend a lot of money to convince us all that we need to use their product to make our lives better.
The truth is, some of the products they advertise, we could and do use, while others provide us no benefit whatsoever. We therefore dismiss all of what they have to say about products that have no purpose or value in our lives. Some of those products are not useful to our goals and purposes while others damage those same goals and purposes.
This reminds me of biblical teaching. In reference to Jesus we are instructed to "Hear ye Him." (Matt. 17:5) He is the One through whom God speaks to man at this point in time. (Heb. 1:1,2) To illustrate how we should respond to this instruction, consider God's example to us. John, the Apostle, says He hears us and in so doing answers our requests. (1 John 5:14,15)
Our point is we need to hear Him, as in listen and give attention to, what He says.
Why should we listen to the words of God? It is useful to our goals. Do we desire His blessings? Of course we do. The most irreverent and irreligious people you know pray to God when a loved one has serious health issues. We all want His blessings.
Moses, speaking of Christ, tells us we must hear Him or be utterly destroyed. (Acts 3:22,23) That destruction is spiritual death described in scripture as the eternal punishment one receives for rejecting the words of God and Christ. (John 12:48; 2 Thess. 1:7-9)
This is the reason Jesus says those who do not heed His words are fools. (Matt. 7:26,27) Do we prefer to listen to men of the world and be punished as fools or can we discipline ourselves to listen to God and receive the ultimate blessing of eternal life? It is a choice we make each and every day of our lives. What will your choice be?
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