Itching Ears
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:2-3 NKJV)
What are Itching Ears?
Some say it has to do with ears that need to be tickled. I think that itching ears need to be made to feel good through preaching that satisfies the itch. In the context, the preaching is not sound, it is not truth and it satisfies the person’s own desires. In other words, people will be looking for preachers who tell them what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.
Do We Live in A Day Like Paul is Describing?
I think we do. People say that they want to go to a church that preaches from the Bible. But it is possible to pick and choose what is preached in such a way that the fundamentals of the faith are not presented. What is presented is partly true, but it is not the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
We Believe What We Want to Believe
When I listen to people during this pandemic, I realize that people are listening to those who are telling them what they want to hear. I frankly don’t know who or what to believe with regard to the best way to handle the virus. I only know that I want to be very cautious since I am an “at risk” person, should I get the virus. But when it comes to spiritual things, I know who and what to believe. I believe the inspired Word of God. I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I believe that He died for sinners and, therefore, that He died for me. Yes, I want to believe that. It gives me peace with regard to the affairs of this life and it gives me a sense of peace about what will happen should I get really sick with this virus. But years ago I had to face the fact that I wasn’t ready to die before I was able to trust the Lord as my savior.
I hope that if you are reading this you understand what I am saying. I hope you are not shopping for someone to tell you that you are alright if you aren’t. Everyone needs to make sure that they have God’s word for the fact that they are saved for eternity.
When someone tells you how to be saved or how to believe, the best thing to do is to ask them to show you from the Bible that what they are saying is true. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Hearing something that makes you feel good down here on earth won’t make you feel good for eternity if you die depending on what man has told you saves rather than depending on what God says saves. Remember the words of John the Apostle, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13 NKJV)”
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of May 10, 2020