Jesus said, my mother and my brethren are these who hear the word of God and do it.–Luke 8:21.
Looking at things which are not seen keeps the soul from fainting and invigorates it to every holy duty. Do I believe Christ now thinks of me and is this moment pleading my cause in heaven? how then can I live estranged from him on earth? "True," replies one, "if I did but know that Christ loved me." How do you expect to know it? Do you believe he loved his mother and his brethren after the flesh? It cannot be doubted. See then how near and dear to Christ, in a spiritual sense, are all who hear the word of God and do it. They are no less intimately allied to him by faith, and in spirit, than his mother and his brethren were by blood.
To hear the word of God implies, to have such an understanding of it, faith in it, hope from it, and love to it, as to cause our souls to delight in God, and our affections to cleave unto him. Paul speaks of tasting the good word of God. Heb. 6:5. There is a precious savor in the word. To hear it is to have a spiritual relish for it. Just as food is savory to the palate, so is the word of God to the soul.
The word testifies of the word; the letter of the word, of the spirit of the word: the written word, of the essential Word: even the Lord Jesus. In the word God speaks of Christ, by Christ, and of himself in Christ. Therefore to hear the word of God, is to receive Christ into the heart by faith, to know the Father's love in him, and to expect full and final salvation by him.
There is also a still and small voice, in which our beloved speaks internally the words of his Gospel. He says, "My sheep hear my voice." We know the voice of our Shepherd. It is the delight of our souls to hear him. Is this all? Do we only hear? Blessed be God, we are born again by the word of God. 1 Pet. 1:23. Therefore we not only hear the word of God, but do it. What is implied in this? That God's precepts are regarded by us as well as his promises. The one being fulfilled in us, causes the other to be dear to us. In one word, where there is a heart to hear the word of God, there is a desire to do the will of God. These are inseparable.
Let us not deceive ourselves. "This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another." 1 John 3:23. In believing we have everlasting life. John 6:40. In believing we enjoy the blessings of it. 2 Cor. 6:6. In doing the will of God we evidence that we are born of God. I John 2:17. O may "the word of Christ dwell in us richly, in all wisdom." Col. 3:16.
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