The ACTS 2020 January/February
THE FOUR ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF BELIEVING IN THE TRUTH
What are the four essential elements? There must be the presence of “Ears, Eyes, Mouth and Heart” in order to wholly believe in the truth, which cannot be lacking of even one. Let’s study the elements one by one as below:
The First Element Is The Ear
Matt. 12:29 Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Rom. 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Jas. 1:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
Eccl. 5:1 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.
Luke 10:42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.
Rev. 3:22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Prv. 20:12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made them both.
Therefore, there must be the hearing ear to receive the truth.
The Second Element Is The Eyes
Prv. 4:25-27 25Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.
John 4:35L.P. … Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
Heb. 11:24-27 24By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
Phil. 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Jas. 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Matt. 13:16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;
It is essential to have the hearing ears and the eyes that can see.
The Third Element Is The Mouth
Phil. 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matt. 21:16L.P. … And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?”
Luke 19:37-38 37Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38saying: “‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Rev. 19:5-6 5Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” 6And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
Matt. 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Rom. 15:6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom. 14:11 For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”
Rom. 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Words that come from the mouth must also be from the heart and mind.
The Fourth Element Is The Heart
Prv. 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
Matt. 12:35U.P. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, …
Ps. 51:6U.P. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, …
1Sam. 16:7L.P. … For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
Jer. 17:9-10 9“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10I, theLORD, search the heart, test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
Mark 7:6L.P. … This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
Acts 8:21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.
Conclusion
After reading the Bible verses above, we know that we need to have the four essential elements of “Ears, Eyes, Mouth and Heart” to build an acceptable spiritual house to offer up to God.
1Pet. 2:1-5 1Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah. Amen!
(Holy Spirit Times – 1947)