Does God Hear Sinners?
A few days ago I walked by a woman who said “hello” to me. I greeted her in return and then gave her a gospel tract seeing this as an evangelism opportunity. She wasn’t certain of going to heaven but believed the gospel. After offering to pray with her, this woman claimed God heard her prayers every night. She got defensive after I told her one must know Jesus to get into heaven. During our conversation, I kept thinking of what John 9:31 says, “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.” The Amplified Bible clarifies the meaning of this better… “ We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.” There is a difference between hearing and listening. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines hearing as “the faculty of perceiving sounds.” That same dictionary defines listen as “give one’s attention to a sound.” ...