Who fears God?

A sinner is an ungodly person and an ungodly person is an unrighteous person – and consequently a believer is a righteous person and a righteous prayer is heard by God in accordance with His promises (Proverbs 15:29). The offer (prayer) of the unrighteous is an abomination to God (Proverbs 15:8). The Pharisees did not understand this divine logic, although they were “religious” in a manner. Their “offerings” were however self-righteous and their prayers hypocritical and thus an abomination before God (Matthew 23:14). A self-righteous person does not consider himself a sinner (or just a little), he does not consider himself lost and headed for the abyss. Whoever prays to God, must do so in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). One of the Biblical truths is that man is an irredeemable sinner, thus someone in whom there is nothing good according to God's standards, nothing good which can stand before God – especially not as a religious zealot. Without true repentance and true faith, nothing about man will ever change. The result would be an unredeemed eternal life – that is the manifested godlessness – eternal damnation. Thus the harvest of what one has sown – refusal to believe in the forgiveness of sin. Whoever omits this in his “faith” can pray as often and as much as he wants, God will not hear him. We read in Proverbs 28:9 “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” The instruction in this case is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also through apostasy (hardened disobedience) one can remain unheard – as, when one knows about God, yet remains indifferent to what HE wants, it is not much better than unbelief. The best (worst) example for this is the nation of Israel, who practised spiritual harlotry.

God used the Prophet Isaiah to tell them: “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil.” (Isaiah 1:15-16)! Whenever a person (or nation) think they can expect something from God and demands this blindly and arrogantly (also with pious words and gestures) or assume themselves privileged (have foolish presumptions) their prayers fall on deaf ears. Such a person is either ignored – unbelief – God cannot hear, or humbled – faith – God punishes disobedience – (Isaiah 2:11-12). Sincerity is more important to God than any prayer (regardless of how well-formulated it is) coming from a high and mighty heart which contains a form of righteousness, however lacks true humility and insight. God does not want to “finish” us and demand trembling subservience, on the contrary, the more we want to and do bow before God, the more blessed and joyful we will be with regard to our salvation and eternal life. The Psalmist wrote: “I cried unto Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.” God does not hear the sinner because He doesn't know him. Those who have been redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ, are heard by God. But, here too our attitude must be unquestionable. God gives grace to those who humble themselves – this applies all the more so to those who are able to become children of God. Amen.

Jörg Bauer