Hear Him Only

It is possible to read Scripture and still carry ideas about God that did not come from Scripture itself

How Our Understanding of Scripture Grows Over Time

Have you ever gotten a deeper understanding of a verse or passage of Scripture? Or maybe realized it meant something totally different?

For many of us, our understanding of Scripture deepens—and sometimes shifts—as we continue walking with God. Over time, beliefs can form through tradition, past teachings, or assumptions about how we think God works.

These ideas can become so familiar that we hardly question them. Yet they can quietly shape what we believe about God, what He will do and what we believe we must do in order to receive from Him.

Sometimes there is a difference between what we have been taught and what the Word of God actually says.

Letting Scripture Interpret Scripture

When we allow Scripture to speak for itself—letting Scripture interpret Scripture—our understanding begins to come back into alignment with what God has truly revealed.

A good example of keeping our focus on the Word, is in the Transfiguration (Matthew 17) with this in mind: Scripture says that Jesus is the Word (John 1:14).

Peter suggests building three tabernacles—one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. But before he finishes speaking, a cloud overshadows them and God Himself declares:

“This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight. Listen to Him.”

The Simplicity of Jesus Only

In that moment the Father establishes something very clear.

Jesus is the one to whom we must listen.

When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces in fear. But Jesus came to them, touched them, and said,

“Get up, and do not be afraid.”

And when they lifted their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

There is a beautiful simplicity in that moment.

Their focus was brought back to one place.

Jesus only.

When Beliefs Add Conditions God Never Gave

This is the same simplicity God invites us into when we come to His Word. Instead of filtering Scripture through assumptions or inherited ideas, we allow the Word itself to define what is true.

When we add beliefs that are not actually found in Scripture, our thinking can become divided.

For example, many people quietly believe they must reach a certain level of perfection before they can receive from God. The thought may not be stated directly, but it often lives beneath the surface: If I could just do better, pray better, or live more perfectly, then God would move.

Yet when we look honestly at Scripture, we see something very different.

What Abraham’s Story Reveals About Faith

Consider Abraham.

Scripture continually points back to Abraham as an example of faith. Yet Abraham himself was far from perfect. At different moments he acted out of fear, made poor decisions, and even attempted to help fulfill God’s promise through human effort.

When the promised son did not arrive when expected, he followed Sarah’s suggestion and tried to accomplish through the flesh what God had promised to accomplish Himself.

That tendency is not unfamiliar to any of us. When something God has promised does not unfold the way we imagined, the temptation is to step in and try to make it happen.

But God’s promises are never fulfilled through our striving.

They are fulfilled through trusting Him.

Faith Trusts What God Has Said

What is remarkable in Abraham’s story is that God did not take away His promise because of Abraham’s failures. The promise remained—not because Abraham was perfect, but because God was and is faithful.

This is why it is so important to let Scripture define our understanding of God.

When we allow the Word to speak clearly, we begin to see that God’s faithfulness is not dependent upon human perfection. Faith is not the result of flawless behavior; it is the result of trusting what God has said.

Returning to the Simplicity of Christ

And that brings us back again to the moment on the mountain.

When the disciples lifted their eyes, Moses was gone.
Elijah was gone.

Jesus only remained.

The same clarity is available to us when we come to God’s Word with the same focus. When we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, and when we hold to what God has actually said, the confusion created by added beliefs begins to fall away.

What remains is simple.

We listen to Him.

And trust what He has spoken.

Jesus only.

And from that place of listening to Him, walking with Him, and trusting His voice above all others—we find the freedom and peace our hearts were meant to live in.

If this has resonated with you today, I would love to hear your comments and reflections below.