TRAINING OUR SPIRITUAL EARS

“Blessed Are Your Ears"...

Revelation 2:7a, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

John closes each letter with this exhortation, and it is a wonderful and great privilege to be able to have an ear to hear what the Spirit saith. It is likely to say too many people do not have a spiritual ear. Because of that we hear many voices – voices of our mind or human spirit but not the Holy Spirit.

We read in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God."  Jesus told His disciples: "blessed are your ears, for they hear or you are able to understand what you hear "For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them" (Matthew 13:16-17).

The repetition in Revelation says, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." As it was then, so it is now. The thing that brought the falling was their refusing to hear what the Spirit said. Instead, they were hearing what the flesh said, what the ministry said, or what the so-called church said.

A.     Operating  the  spiritual  ‘ EAR’.

Four voices speak in us:

1.      Voice of the mind.  (Unbelieving mind)

2.      Voice of the flesh.

3.      Voice of the human spirit  ( inner  voice)

4.      Voice of the Holy Spirit.

1.      Opening up the spiritual ‘ear’ to hear is very crucial in our Christian life.  In Roman chapter  8: 4 – 5  (NIV)

⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

2.      Closing the spiritual ear against the Devil.

Romans 8: 7;    Galatians 5:17

Satan cannot read our minds, he can influence our thoughts. Thus, the Bible instructs us to “put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Eph.6:11 NIV). Spiritual warfare is waged against invisible beings that personify the extremities of evil; and their weapons are spiritual, not physical. While they cannot bite us physically, violate us sexually, or cause us to levitate, they can tempt us to cheat, steal, and lie.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor.10:4–5 NIV).

3. Sharpen the spiritual ‘ear’. -  Romans  12: 2  New International Version

^2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Our mind needs to be renewed daily by the Spirit of God and the Word of God and allow God to think through us and speak His thoughts. The voice of the unrenewed mind is a judgmental voice.

Some common signs of a mind that is not renewed:-

a.      Unbelief

b.      Rationalization.

c.      Diversion

d.      Ignorance.

B.      How To Identify  the Voice of the Spirit.

1.      Ascend into the manifested presence of God to hear in the spirit. Worship causes to draw the presence of God into our lives. That will allow us to hear from God and interpret His Voice.

2.      Set your mind on the spirit by meditation of the word. The Word will speak to us. It is sharper than the two edge sword piercing the marrows and bones into your spirit.

3.      Observe the characteristics of the state of your mind.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8

4.      OBEY the voice of the Holy Spirit.

“We ought to obey God rather than men” - Acts 5:29

5.      SPEAK from the Spirit as you minister.

I  Cor. 2:10, 13 - (NIV) ¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

C.      How To Identify the  voice of  the  flesh.

1.      When the flesh is speaking the Holy Spirit is not heard. They are against each other.  Concerning the flesh, Paul said,“I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh ...” - (Rom. 7:18).

We are also told, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” -  (Prov. 14:12).

 In our natural state, we are described as “alienated and hostile in mind” -  (Col 1:21). 

When referencing Gentiles without the Law, Paul speaks of “their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” (Rom. 2:15).  Everyone constructs an internal value system.

2.      The flesh is manifesting actively in you when condition is like Galatians 5: 19 –21 and 

Colossians 3: 5 – 8.  (NIV)

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[a] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  How to do it?  Story of  two wolves living inside us. Feed the good wolf to eat the bad one. Feed the Spirit to subdue the flesh in us.

3.      You  can  stop  the thoughts and feelings immediately at the power of  your  will  and turn towards the  spirit. (Romans 8:5)

^“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” 

4.      Flesh carries the nature of sin.

“For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”   NIV.

New Living Translation

The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

5.      When flesh is speaking there is an open door to the influence of darkness. The bible says the flesh is an enmity to God.  They always oppose God and His ways. The flesh kills but the Spirit gives life.