But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
True happiness belongs to those who both listen to what God has spoken and put it into practice, for listening without doing brings no blessing. Listening means taking in practical instruction that awakens conscience and guides holy living, while keeping means making Scripture the rule of life by obeying the commandments and doing the Father's will. No amount of knowledge, profession, or self-sufficient ability can take the place of this obedience as the source of blessing. Such obedience is lived only through Christ's grace, sharing in His self-denying life by turning from selfishness and self-exaltation. It lays a firm foundation for hope and opens the way to eternal life, to entering the kingdom of heaven and the joy of the Lord.
Hearing and Keeping Explained
The blessing rests on those who both hear the word of God and keep it, for hearing the truth alone is not enough but must be joined with doing it and walking in it. Hearing and keeping belong together as the answer to who are the blessed, since all are to listen to God's word and obey it in practical life. Keeping is doing, so that obedience, not mere hearing, is what God requires.
Hearing means receiving instruction in practical godliness that quickens the moral senses and awakens moral understanding to guide holy living and holy activity of soul. God in the gospel speaks for this purpose, not merely to develop mental capacity or mental ability. Keeping the word therefore means receiving and applying God's practical instruction and living by it. Christ turned attention away from needless curiosity and from learning pursued merely to satisfy curiosity, refusing to gratify desire for things not necessary to the proper conduct of His disciples' work and duty and service. Instead He opened new channels of thought and gave much-needed instruction in practical godliness to be used, directing minds toward instruction needed for right conduct and God's work rather than toward knowledge that does not serve God's work or knowledge pursued merely for its own sake.
The word of God so heard and kept meets the soul's deepest need, feeding the hungering soul as the bread of life and quenching the thirsty soul as the water of life. As bread satisfies hunger and water quenches thirst, so God's word alone satisfies spiritual hunger and thirst. Keeping means living as doers of the word, making the Bible the rule of life by keeping the commandments and doing the will of the Father in heaven. This doing includes whole-hearted obedience to a Thus saith the Lord, not profession alone, with obedience shown in serving God, overcoming selfishness, greed, disaffection, envy, jealousy, and criticism, and working to build others up rather than tear them down.
Blessed Life of Obedience
Blessedness does not come from knowledge or profession, but from obedience to what God has spoken, to a Thus saith the Lord. Even knowledge that leads to self-exaltation and self-sufficiency does not bless, for nothing can take the place of obedience in doing the will of the Father and keeping the commandments. This obedience is possible only through Christ's grace, for He lived God's law in human life. Acceptable obedience is the obedience He offered to the Father, sharing His self-denial and self-sacrifice by turning away from selfish plans, self-pleasing, self-exaltation, self-sufficiency, and injury to God's work.
Keeping the word as part of serving God means overcoming selfishness, greed, disaffection, envy, jealousy, and criticism. It means working to build others up rather than tear them down. Keeping the commandments includes showing sympathy and compassion in deeds for the poor, the suffering, and the unfortunate. Such benevolence relieves others and brings happiness and health of soul and body to those who practice it.
Such obedience gives a firm foundation for hope. It is the condition for entering the kingdom of heaven and inheriting eternal life, for having right to the tree of life and entering through the gates into the city. Those who live by God's word will be saved when Christ appears, receive the crown of life, and enter the joy of the Lord. Hearing and obeying the word are central to true education and spiritual life. Knowing God and doing what He requires is the central concern, guiding the moral life and the work of helping others find the path of righteousness. Teaching children obedience echoes the call to keep what God commands.
True happiness belongs to those who both listen to what God has spoken and put it into practice, for listening without doing brings no blessing. Listening means taking in practical instruction that awakens conscience and guides holy living, while keeping means making Scripture the rule of life by obeying the commandments and doing the Father's will. No amount of knowledge, profession, or self-sufficient ability can take the place of this obedience as the source of blessing. Such obedience is lived only through Christ's grace, sharing in His self-denying life by turning from selfishness and self-exaltation. It lays a firm foundation for hope and opens the way to eternal life, to entering the kingdom of heaven and the joy of the Lord.
Hearing and Keeping Explained
The blessing rests on those who both hear the word of God and keep it, for hearing the truth alone is not enough but must be joined with doing it and walking in it. Hearing and keeping belong together as the answer to who are the blessed, since all are to listen to God's word and obey it in practical life. Keeping is doing, so that obedience, not mere hearing, is what God requires.
Hearing means receiving instruction in practical godliness that quickens the moral senses and awakens moral understanding to guide holy living and holy activity of soul. God in the gospel speaks for this purpose, not merely to develop mental capacity or mental ability. Keeping the word therefore means receiving and applying God's practical instruction and living by it. Christ turned attention away from needless curiosity and from learning pursued merely to satisfy curiosity, refusing to gratify desire for things not necessary to the proper conduct of His disciples' work and duty and service. Instead He opened new channels of thought and gave much-needed instruction in practical godliness to be used, directing minds toward instruction needed for right conduct and God's work rather than toward knowledge that does not serve God's work or knowledge pursued merely for its own sake.
The word of God so heard and kept meets the soul's deepest need, feeding the hungering soul as the bread of life and quenching the thirsty soul as the water of life. As bread satisfies hunger and water quenches thirst, so God's word alone satisfies spiritual hunger and thirst. Keeping means living as doers of the word, making the Bible the rule of life by keeping the commandments and doing the will of the Father in heaven. This doing includes whole-hearted obedience to a Thus saith the Lord, not profession alone, with obedience shown in serving God, overcoming selfishness, greed, disaffection, envy, jealousy, and criticism, and working to build others up rather than tear them down.
Blessed Life of Obedience
Blessedness does not come from knowledge or profession, but from obedience to what God has spoken, to a Thus saith the Lord. Even knowledge that leads to self-exaltation and self-sufficiency does not bless, for nothing can take the place of obedience in doing the will of the Father and keeping the commandments. This obedience is possible only through Christ's grace, for He lived God's law in human life. Acceptable obedience is the obedience He offered to the Father, sharing His self-denial and self-sacrifice by turning away from selfish plans, self-pleasing, self-exaltation, self-sufficiency, and injury to God's work.
Keeping the word as part of serving God means overcoming selfishness, greed, disaffection, envy, jealousy, and criticism. It means working to build others up rather than tear them down. Keeping the commandments includes showing sympathy and compassion in deeds for the poor, the suffering, and the unfortunate. Such benevolence relieves others and brings happiness and health of soul and body to those who practice it.
Such obedience gives a firm foundation for hope. It is the condition for entering the kingdom of heaven and inheriting eternal life, for having right to the tree of life and entering through the gates into the city. Those who live by God's word will be saved when Christ appears, receive the crown of life, and enter the joy of the Lord. Hearing and obeying the word are central to true education and spiritual life. Knowing God and doing what He requires is the central concern, guiding the moral life and the work of helping others find the path of righteousness. Teaching children obedience echoes the call to keep what God commands.