Discerning

There is a real difference between listening, hearing, and understanding. While the Jews referenced below struggled, people with the indwelling Holy Spirit, find hearing and understanding an easier task. Christians should learn from history. The Roman church was uprooted when all Jews were expelled from Rome about AD49 by Emperor Claudius. The Jews went probably throughout the world, cf. Rom. At this, the church became completely Gentile. After about 5 years, Nero began to rule and the Jews were allowed to return. The Jewish Christians returned to a completely different environment. There was great tension to understand how these believers were to become integrated again. Now. there were Jews who did not believe in Christ, Jews who did believer, and Gentiles who were viewed as unclean by most Jews. These groups started arguing with each other, Paul interrupted: Being in disagreement with one another, they were dismissed after Paul had said one message, “The Holy Spirit accurately spoke to our fathers through Isaiah the prophet,  ‘Go to this people and say: You shall certainly hear, but never understand; and you shall certainly see, but never perceive; for the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them." Acts 28:25-27 (Modern English Version). This is the context for the letter to the Romans. Unbelievers, believers, and Gentiles attempting to follow their beliefs. Today, we can view a similar conundrum around us. Believers need to hold on to that conviction and follow their unique individual spiritual journey as the Holy Spirit leads them. We need to discern what is good and honorable. We need to reach out to others as best we can, but we must realize, the decision to follow Jesus is ultimately their own.