The prayers of sinners...
praise_yeshua > 01-21-2017, 03:46 AM
John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
I was recently remind of this verse. I was also remind of just how some people just can't see anything beyond the theology of others.
John 9:31 in no way says that God doesn't hear the cry of sinners.....
First, Jesus didn't say or teach John 9:31. None of the apostles said or taught John 9:31. The one that spoke the words in John 9:31 was simply a man that was healed by Jesus and was facing ridicule from Pharisee because Jesus had healed him on the Sabbath....
Second, in contest.... the man was simply making the argument to the Pharisees..... that there is no way God heard the prayer of a sinner insomuch as to heal the blind such as himself. Other words, God must not have been displeased with what Jesus had done on the Sabbath day.
Third, the blind man wasn't trying to establish some fact that God never hears the prayer or praise of sinners. It was all about the miraculous manner of the healing that no one but Jesus could perform. Surely, the manner of power in healing the blind..... was self evident of God's approval of Jesus.
Does God hear sinners? The answer is Yes. Now, that doesn't mean that God answers the prayer of sinners to the point He grants their desire for healing a blind man such as recorded in John 9.
However, God does whatever He pleases. To that end we shouldn't confine God to our theological box based on a phrase taken of context from a recently healed blind man recorded in John 9.
Does God not hear the prayer of the sincere innocent that don't know enough about Him to begin to address Him properly in a personal relationship? I have to believe He does. Such is His nature.