What is Hearing Only?

[robert derrick]

There is one main difference between hearing only Christians and obedient Christian saints:

Hearers only agree that the gospel is true, Christian saints hear and obey the truth.

I hear and agree saves no man. I hear and obey saves any man.

Hearers only are not them that hear and reject the gospel as a lie, but are them that only agree with the gospel in word and tongue only.

Hearers only are agreers only, not obeyers at all.

Agreeing God is right, and Jesus is true, is not believing to obey Him in the heart.

They think they are justified with God only because they agree that God is true.

They think they are saved by only agreeing with God, before and apart from obeying Him.

They believe another gospel for hearers only, that they are saved by agreeing only.

 

[robert derrick]

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Hearers only that only agree with the truth, but obey not, are the lukewarm that neither call Jesus accursed nor confess Jesus with the heart to obey Him in all things.

Hearers only need to repent and cease to only agree with the truth, and begin to believe the truth with the whole heart.

We must believe God in the heart, that it is not possible to love our neighbors from the heart, without first loving God with all the heart purified of lust of the flesh.

Until we purify our souls by obeying His word with the heart, we cannot keep the second great commandment to love any man from the heart, much less God Himself.

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.

Thinking to obey the second great commandment without obeying the first, is the lukewarm works for show outwardly only, because our heart remains inwardly corrupt with lust of the world.

 

[robert derrick]

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Agreeing with God only is not confession of God. Confession is from the heart and agreeing is with the lips only.

There is no confession of God unto salvation with the mouth, without obeying God with the heart in righteousness and purity of soul.

There is no confession of sin unto forgiveness of sin, without obeying God with the heart to repent of the sin.

Agreeing that God is true and that sin is sin, is in agreement with the devils, that know God is true and that sin is sin and go still in their sins and trespasses.

Agreers of the faith repent not to do His righteousness, even as He is righteous. Obeyers of the faith repent to do His righteousness at all times.

 

[1stCenturyLady]

There is one main difference between hearing only Christians and obedient Christian saints:

Hearers only agree that the gospel is true, Christian saints hear and obey the truth.

I hear and agree saves no man. I hear and obey saves any man.

Hearers only are not them that hear and reject the gospel as a lie, but are them that only agree with the gospel in word and tongue only.

Hearers only are agreers only, not obeyers at all.

Agreeing God is right, and Jesus is true, is not believing to obey Him in the heart.

They think they are justified with God only because they agree that God is true.

They think they are saved by only agreeing with God, before and apart from obeying Him.

They believe another gospel for hearers only, that they are saved by agreeing only.

This is why justification by faith only is misleading. Someone may have faith IN Christ, but do not have the faith OF Christ from having Christ inside of them with His divine power, Romans 8:9, 2 Peter 1:2-4, instead still outside drawing them with knowledge.

 

[Curtis]

There is one main difference between hearing only Christians and obedient Christian saints:

Hearers only agree that the gospel is true, Christian saints hear and obey the truth.

I hear and agree saves no man. I hear and obey saves any man.

Hearers only are not them that hear and reject the gospel as a lie, but are them that only agree with the gospel in word and tongue only.

Hearers only are agreers only, not obeyers at all.

Agreeing God is right, and Jesus is true, is not believing to obey Him in the heart.

They think they are justified with God only because they agree that God is true.

They think they are saved by only agreeing with God, before and apart from obeying Him.

They believe another gospel for hearers only, that they are saved by agreeing only.

Scripture is actually pretty clear - After James says faith without works is dead, and uses an example of feeding and clothing those in need and taking care of widows and orphans as faith in action, then says to be hearers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Matthew 25 has the example of those who deceived themselves right into hell, as Jesus casts them into hell for not taking care of those in need:

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Mat 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

Mat 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Not helping the needy falls into the category of: to know to do good and not to do it, is a sin. James 4:17.

 

[Robert Gwin]

There is one main difference between hearing only Christians and obedient Christian saints:

Hearers only agree that the gospel is true, Christian saints hear and obey the truth.

I hear and agree saves no man. I hear and obey saves any man.

Hearers only are not them that hear and reject the gospel as a lie, but are them that only agree with the gospel in word and tongue only.

Hearers only are agreers only, not obeyers at all.

Agreeing God is right, and Jesus is true, is not believing to obey Him in the heart.

They think they are justified with God only because they agree that God is true.

They think they are saved by only agreeing with God, before and apart from obeying Him.

They believe another gospel for hearers only, that they are saved by agreeing only.

Those who know the word of God, but choose not to obey it Rob

 

[robert derrick]

This is why justification by faith only is misleading. Someone may have faith IN Christ, but do not have the faith OF Christ from having Christ inside of them with His divine power, Romans 8:9, 2 Peter 1:2-4, instead still outside drawing them with knowledge.

Very good. Still outside the door knocking!

I was thinking the same thing. They agree it's the Lord knocking, but still don't open the door to Him.

They agree they ought to be doing His righteousness, but they continue making excuses for why they don't.

They themselves say 'Christians' don't have the power to be pure of heart and not sinners of the world, and so are speaking honestly only for themselves as hearers only, who agree they ought to, but do not.

How about this: it's a common practise to tell hearers to 'ask' Jesus into their hearts, to 'invite' Him in, and yet how many times does it work unto salvation? Excuses come up that they didn't 'really' ask from the heart.

But, with this teaching of opening the door by obeying Him, it's much simpler and real: He does not enter because we call out from the inside telling Him, such as, Come on in, the door's unlocked, or the door's open.

Jesus only comes in when the door is opened by us, when we obey Him: do what we know to do. Stop agreeing all the time and just do it.

No man can obey God without faith, because no man would ever do so, except we believe that God is, as Scripture says in Heb 11, but plenty can agree that God is, without obeying Him, such as the devils.

It's the same when Christians go thru all manner of cryings and contortions and back rubbings for the Holy Ghost baptism to no avail: they agree there is a baptism of the Spirit and desire it, but once again, they are misled into how to receive Him:

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

And so, we have truly functional and practical teaching on being saved and receiving the Holy Ghost: just obey Him.

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

People can pray over one another all they want, and rub our backs, and help hold our hands up, and all manner of 'spiritual' tricks and gimmicks with all the sincerity and zeal they can muster, when all that god is looking for is simple obedience with the heart.

The old saying is therefore true: we just do our part and obey Him,a nd He does His part to save and bless us.

The error of He's already done all His and our part at the cross, is the lie of hearers only that agree but do not: they think they are saved by hearing and agreeing only.

 

[robert derrick]

Hearing is not obeying, and agreeing is not believing.

No Scripture speaks of believing God without obeying God, except for one:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Believing without obeying is agreeing only.

Believing is faith with works, which justifies all believers, and agreeing is faith without works, which justifies no hearer only.

Agreeing only is not believing unto salvation.

 

[robert derrick]

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Agreeing only is faith only without works: it is nothing to God to be agreed with, but only obeyed.

God is not searching for agreers with lips, but obeyers with heart.

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Hearers only agree with their mouth only, but obeyers confess Him with the heart.

Confession unto salvation with the mouth is only with obedience of the heart in righteousness.

There is no confession of faith alone, but only agreeable lip service.

 

[1stCenturyLady]

They themselves say 'Christians' don't have the power to be pure of heart and not sinners of the world, and so are speaking honestly only for themselves as hearers only, who agree they ought to, but do not.

Actually, recognizing this fact is the first step in becoming born again in my experience. At least, that's what happened to me 45 years ago. I had to tell God I was giving up trying to be good in my own power; that Jesus was stronger than I was and had to intervene and take away the object of my sin - my lover, a married man. Within a week - He did. Two weeks later we actually had a conversation. He showed me a vision, and then spoke to me 8 sentences! They seared right through me and I'll never forget one word of them. I was so flabergasted that God really existed and was speaking to me I repented for real and was filled with His Holy Spirit. I felt it, and my old nature leave my body. What an experience.

 

[robert derrick]

Actually, recognizing this fact is the first step in becoming born again in my experience. At least, that's what happened to me 45 years ago. I had to tell God I was giving up trying to be good in my own power; that Jesus was stronger than I was and had to intervene and take away the object of my sin - my lover, a married man. Within a week - He did. Two weeks later we actually had a conversation. He showed me a vision, and then spoke to me 8 sentences! They seared right through me and I'll never forget one word of them. I was so flabergasted that God really existed and was speaking to me I repented for real and was filled with His Holy Spirit. I felt it, and my old nature leave my body. What an experience.

Amen.

I was doing the same in all matters of outward holiness, and yet I still had lust in the heart, that I would practise with my eyes, though not with the body, which I would need daily ask forgiveness for over and over again.

One evening, being dead tired, rather than go thru the usual drawn out begging for forgiveness, a new thought came to mind: confess the sin as written and just accept His forgiveness as he said He would, and so instead of burying my head in a pew for half an hour, I just lift up my hands to thank Him for forgiving me, and He anointed me with oil of the Holy Ghost from the tips of my fingers down my head into the heart of my breast, and I was born completely new.

He told me to 'shut up and let me do this', and I could feel the very warmth and reviving power of it.

That is when I understood what a pure heart was and a completely clear mind of any condemnation: not because He 'overlooked' the sins and could not 'see' them, but because the lust of the world was no longer there but was purged from my soul and heart.

I had been seeking the Holy Ghost baptism while living an outward life of holiness, and was doing so through the usual machinations of crying out for it, lifting hands until dead tired, trying to speak in tongues, etc..., but not until I simply took Him at His word as written and obeyed Him did He do so, that it might be by grace and not by works of my own will and efforts.

The difference is not between faith and works, but between works of our own will and righteousness and obeying Him in the works of His righteousness.

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

When we obey Him in the heart to purify our hearts of lust and our minds of thought for sins of the flesh, He gives us gladly His Spirit and power to do so:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

God is ready and waiting to give power from on high to any that believe on His name, but He will not do so, until we obey Him in the heart for His love's sake:

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The grace of God is only for help to obey Him, not for help to not be judged rightly by Him for continued sins and trespasses with a heart of lust in the world.

 

[robert derrick]

Until we obey the first great commandment and purify our hearts of lust and so to love Him with a whole heart, we are hearers that only agree Jesus is the Christ, and are making our own Christian religion to live by.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Keeping ourself unspotted by the world begins in the heart, to keep our soul untouched by the lust of the world:

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

 

[1stCenturyLady]

Amen.

I was doing the same in all matters of outward holiness, and yet I still had lust in the heart, that I would practise with my eyes, though not with the body, which I would need daily ask forgiveness for over and over again.

One evening, being dead tired, rather than go thru the usual drawn out begging for forgiveness, a new thought came to mind: confess the sin as written and just accept His forgiveness as he said He would, and so instead of burying my head in a pew for half an hour, I just lift up my hands to thank Him for forgiving me, and He anointed me with oil of the Holy Ghost from the tips of my fingers down my head into the heart of my breast, and I was born completely new.

He told me to 'shut up and let me do this', and I could feel the very warmth and reviving power of it.

That is when I understood what a pure heart was and a completely clear mind of any condemnation: not because He 'overlooked' the sins and could not 'see' them, but because the lust of the world was no longer there but was purged from my soul and heart.

I had been seeking the Holy Ghost baptism while living an outward life of holiness, and was doing so through the usual machinations of crying out for it, lifting hands until dead tired, trying to speak in tongues, etc..., but not until I simply took Him at His word as written and obeyed Him did He do so, that it might be by grace and not by works of my own will and efforts.

The difference is not between faith and works, but between works of our own will and righteousness and obeying Him in the works of His righteousness.

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

When we obey Him in the heart to purify our hearts of lust and our minds of thought for sins of the flesh, He gives us gladly His Spirit and power to do so:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

God is ready and waiting to give power from on high to any that believe on His name, but He will not do so, until we obey Him in the heart for His love's sake:

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The grace of God is only for help to obey Him, not for help to not be judged rightly by Him for continued sins and trespasses with a heart of lust in the world.

What I have found since joining my first Christian forums group years ago is how few know this and have experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Behold]

Hearers only agree that the gospel is true, Christian saints hear and obey the truth.

The Devil believes in Jesus., and it does him no good.
He has faith, and should.... as He knew the Christ in Heaven, when Jesus was pre-incarnate and existed as "Let us make man in OUR image".
See that "our"? That is God and the Word, who became Jesus the man, virgin born.

You can read the words of Jesus, who said..>>"i saw Satan fall as Lightning".
Most dont realize that this is Jesus talking about Himself, before He came down here......and became One of Us, to die for all of Us.
So, when Jesus, as the "WORD" who "is God", in John 1:1, saw Satan "fall", He was not yet "Jesus", the virgin born Son.

 

[robert derrick]

The Devil believes in Jesus., and it does him no good.
He has faith, and should.... as He knew the Christ in Heaven, when Jesus was pre-incarnate and existed as "Let us make man in OUR image".
See that "our"? That is God and the Word, who became Jesus the man, virgin born.

You can read the words of Jesus, who said..>>"i saw Satan fall as Lightning".
Most dont realize that this is Jesus talking about Himself, before He came down here......and became One of Us, to die for all of Us.
So, when Jesus, as the "WORD" who "is God", in John 1:1, saw Satan "fall", He was not yet "Jesus", the virgin born Son.

True. Until the God of Israel came down from heaven to be made flesh, He was only known by His name Yehovah in heaven, but now is only known by His name Jesus on earth and in heaven again.

 

[Behold]

True. Until the God of Israel came down from heaven to be made flesh, He was only known by His name Yehovah in heaven, but now is only known by His name Jesus on earth and in heaven again.

God became one of us to die for all of us.

 

[1stCenturyLady]

God became one of us to die for all of us.

One of us, but without sin... That is completely different than sinners. Jesus lived a life from the beginning that was the same that we experience and live once born again of the Spirit - the same seed of the Father. 1 John 3:9, and why Jesus never sinned, and has freed those who are born again from sinning.

 

[Behold]

One of us, but without sin... the same seed of the Father. 1 John 3:9, and why Jesus never sinned, and has freed those who are born again from sinning.

Thank you for stating the obvious.
You only made one error, .. you stated that the reason Jesus didn't sin is because of His Father's Seed.
This is not true., as ""Jesus was TEMPTED in all points like we are, yet without sin"
Did you ever read that?
Its in a NT....
What does that mean? It means that He had to resist sin, all the way to the Cross...as well as when he was ON IT.
Understand?
So, Christ the Redeemer had no free easy ride, as you are falsely teaching....as if because He is God's only begotten, temptation was nothing.

See, He had to deal with temptation, just like everyone, "YET without sin".

 

[1stCenturyLady]

Thank you for stating the obvious.
You only made one error, .. you stated that the reason Jesus didn't sin is because of His Father's Seed.
This is not true., as ""Jesus was TEMPTED in all points like we are, yet without sin"
Did you ever read that?
Its in a NT....
What does that mean? It means that He had to resist sin, all the way to the Cross...as well as when he was ON IT.
Understand?
So, Christ the Redeemer had no free easy ride, as you are falsely teaching....as if because He is God's only begotten, temptation was nothing.

See, He had to deal with temptation, just like everyone, "YET without sin".

Because of the Seed in Jesus and in me as a born again Christian, temptations that would cause some to dwell on them, goes off us, Jesus and me, like water off a ducks back. Have you ever understood it like that? That's why He naturally resisted the temptation.

 

[Behold]

Because of the Seed in Jesus and in me as a born again Christian, temptations that would cause some to dwell on them, goes off us, Jesus and me, like water off a ducks back. Have you ever understood it like that? That's why He naturally resisted the temptation.

Jesus was God, so that was the Father's Seed, yet, He was a man....and HE had to resist temptation.

Remember.....Jesus is the 2nd Adam......So, the 1st Adam was just like Jesus.
The 1st Adam committed a willful rebellion, because that is how it is to be a : Human who can fall under the influence of Temptation and DO THE DEED.
Jesus, as the 2nd Adam, was just as inclined to be involved in Temptation as the 1st Adam, YET He was without sin, because He did not give into the temptation.
Jesus could have sinned,.......as He was a human in this evil lustful enticing world.
But because Jesus resisted temptation, and lived a holy/righteous life, and died as God's Sacrifice for us... so that His Holy Life is accepted by God on our behalf so that God can accept us and keep us...= We are blessed beyond measure to have this FREE offer of regained spiritual Union with God, that JESUS earned for us that is the gift of salvation and the gift of Righteousness that God offers the world here:

John 3:16
Romans 5:10
2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Our part is to BY FAITH receive this Grace of God, and be born again, by God's Holy Spirit.