by T. Austin-Sparks
First published in "A Witness and A Testimony" magazines, 1950, Vol. 28-1 - 28-6.
There is a sense in which the whole spiritual life and spiritual history hang upon spiritual hearing. Between the two extremes of death and life, between listening to Satan and having an ear only for the Lord, there are many aspects of spiritual hearing.... We must be sure that we are not only hearing outwardly, but that the thing is going deep inside, that it is making a difference. You can say things again and again to some people, and they know what you say, and will retort, 'I have heard you say that before'. But it makes no difference – they have not heard with the inward ear. Life depends upon that kind of hearing inside – using the ear that we have for what the Spirit saith.
