The seventh chapter of Dallas Willard’s “Hearing God” is packed and powerful…by far the best chapter I’ve read so far! It is so packed, I’m going to split it into two posts. This first one will deal with the role of God’s Word in hearing His voice. In one place, Willard uses Ephesians 5 to illustrate the Bible’s role in cleansing us from the “impurities and distractions” that continue to plague us even after we have been “born again”:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)
I love this word picture Willard paints…check it out: “Just think for a moment about what happens when you wash a dirty shirt. The water and laundry soap move through the fibers of the shirt material and carry out the dirt lodged within those fibers. When we come to God our minds and hears are like that dirty shirt, cluttered with false beliefs and attitudes, deadly feelings, past deeds and misguided plans, hopes and fears. As we open our entire life to the washing of the Word, it moves into every part of our personality, just like the water and soap move through the shirt’s fibers. God’s word pushes out and replaces all that is false and opposed to God’s purposes in creating us and putting us in our unique place on earth.” Amen to that!!!
I know I keep going back to Romans 12:2, but read it again:
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)
In short, even though we call on Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are likely not ready to hear from and respond to Him. In order for that to become natural for us, our minds must be scrubbed clean by the Word of God. Our minds need washed so badly that we “rarely understand what life would be like if they were cleansed, and many of us do not even sense the need for cleaning”. Amen. Through the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ allows us to be transformed into His likeness. We can think His thoughts, have His attitudes, believe what He believes, see what He sees.
In the process, we are moved from having faith in Christ to having the faith of Christ. We then have the character that makes listening for God’s voice natural, moving us from communicating with God to communing with Him and living in union with Him.
The Word of God is absolutely, positively, completely essential in enabling us to hear, understand and respond to His still small voice. The Word of God changes us from the inside out, transforming our nature more and more into His.
The next post will discuss some thoughts on how to be transformed by His Word…look for it! Meanwhile, here is a question to consider:
2 comments
Lynette says:
March 16, 2010 at 7:44 am (UTC -4 )
I really really enjoyed this posting Tom. I think we can never hear the Romans 12:2 verse too many times. It’s so true and so easy to neglect. I am trying more and more each and every day to have the faith OF Christ and reading the Word each day. I definitely sense the need for cleansing and I CAN imagine my life if my mind were truly cleansed by the washing of His Word; I just hope I can achieve that someday!
Bob J says:
March 15, 2010 at 11:09 am (UTC -4 )
Yes, I do sense a need for cleaning.
Starting this time of year, my windshield wipers have been working overtime, and my washer fluid reservoir needed to be refilled again the other day. Cleaning away the slush and crud off my windshield helps me to see much clearer and make safer turns on the road.
Well, in the case of my personal life, I know it needs to be the same way. By refilling my mind’s reservoir with God’s washing fluid (His word), it helps cleanse away the slush and crud that has splattered onto my life’s windshield distorting my view. I now know, even more, that having a cleaned up windshield helps me see clearer and take BETTER directions for navigating my spiritual life as well. “His good, pleasing, and perfect” directions!