They Hear Thy Words

Before I was born again I went to the Word of God. When I was down or I was moody, I would say, just send me to spend time with the Lord(aka then that meant to read my bible). It made me feel better, it encouraged me, it made me in a better mood. I had "joy" from reading it. How would it encourage me and make me in a better mood if I wasn't already saved?

Because this was me...

Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
(Ezekiel 33:30-32)

I would tell people, come, hear the Word of the Lord! I would come to the Lord as His people, and sit before Him as His people. I would hear His Words. BUT I would not do them! I would show much love with my mouth BUT my HEART WOULD GO AFTER MY COVETOUSNESS. To hear the Word of the Lord was as a very lovely song to me, one that had a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument, for I heard His Words, BUT I DID NOT DO THEM.

He shows mercy to those who love Him and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS (Exodus 20:6). Oh, that is Old Testament, you say. Well, Jesus says, if you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15). And Jesus yet again, he that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21).

And commandments are not just a mere outward action in the flesh. It is of the heart, as Jesus said, if you lust after a woman you have already committed adultery with her in your heart. He sees the heart, not the outward appearance. If He looked on outward appearance, He would not have condemned the Pharisees. The Pharisees looked perfect on the outside, following all commandments, but He calls them white washed sepulchers. They look great on the outside, nice and clean and pretty, but on the inside dead man's bones.

And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19-20)

It is not about showing much love with your mouth, the Pharisees also did this, in whom He condemns and gives eternal woes to. Your mouth can show much love, all the while your heart can be going after your own covetousness, as mine did. What was in my heart was much different from what people outwardly saw. I looked very religious, very Christian-like, yet my heart was ugly and sinful. Only God saw it.

I heard His Word, it was as a lovely song to me, yet I did not do it. Also another trait of the Pharisees, who Jesus said, do the things the Pharisees say (because they taught the Word of God) but don't do as they do!! They did not keep any of the things they said. (Matthew 23)

I was a hypocrite, a Pharisee. Judgment was coming upon them whom Ezekiel was warning. They were a stiff-necked people, the Lord sent Ezekiel to a rebellious nation who He knew would not turn from their ways, but He sent him anyway. That was me. Is it you too? Do you do all these "righteous" things yet your heart goes after covetousness, jealousies, contentions, gossiping, lusts, selfishness, vain glory, lying vanities, hatred or anything like it? This is not the fruit of a new heart, this is the bad fruit of a man not having the Spirit of God, not having a new heart. Is this you? We are called to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. In God's mercy He has given us another day. Is it you?