Is
this statement true? “Now we know that God does not hear
sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.”
(Jn. 9:31)
This verse is quoting the blind man Jesus healed in John 9:1-40 and should not be taken as a direct statement from God. In verse 3 Jesus states no specific sin caused the man’s blindness: he was blind “that the works of God should be revealed in him.” In other words God allowed his blindness so Jesus could demonstrate the Father’s works through him. “Sinner(s)”, hamartolos, the adjective of hamartano, to sin, is someone who keeps on missing the mark... keeps on sinning... sins habitually. It is clear from verses 35-38 this man was not in covenant relationship with God since he did not know who Jesus was, and did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God until later -- he was a sinner when he spoke these words. There are at least eight passages in scripture where God answers the prayer of sinners such as the nobleman in Jn. 4:49-53, or the publican in Lk. 18:9-14, so the first part of the man’s statement is not true. Now we cannot say God hears and answers all the prayers of sinners, or that He hears and answers the prayers of all sinners. We only know that God has, on occasion, heard and answered the prayer of a sinner, such as this man who no doubt prayed for healing of his blindness. God’s willingness to hear and answer the prayer of a sinner has a lot to do with the content of their petition and the condition of their heart. Having said that, one could suppose that every would-be saint, at some point in the process of their response to the call of the Father, prays as a sinner a prayer the Father hears and answers.
The second part of this man’s statement puts two conditions on God hearing our prayers, that the petitioner be a worshiper of God, and that the petitioner does the will of God. Note also the results of meeting these two conditions is “He hears them”, implying if God hears a prayer He answers it. We know from 1 Jn. 5:14-15 “If we ask anything according to His will He hears us”, and when “He hears us ... we have the petition that we have asked.” God either hears and answers our prayers, or He doesn’t hear them.
Since Jn. 9:31 is the statement of a sinner we must prove or disprove these two conditions with other scriptures. There are no passages where being a worshiper is stated as a condition to answered prayer. Worship, is, literally, every God directed thought, deed or action, including praise/worship, prayer, bible study, giving, etc., Worship is the very essence of what a Christian is and does, the linkage between all aspects of the Christian life, and the product of the Holy Spirit revealing Christ in us. True worship... worship in spirit and in truth, is submission to the Lordship of Jesus. (Rom. 12:1-2) This is why God is seeking worshipers (Jn. 4:23). “Doing God’s will” is much more than simple obedience -- living our life within the boundaries of the truth we have received. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” (1 Thess. 4:3) To do the will of God is to be set apart and consecrated to a holy life in the Beloved... in Christ: Submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, our body a living sacrifice, dying daily to our old nature, yielding to the implanted nature of our Lord, transformed by the renewing of our mind, abiding continually – heart to Heart -- in Him. The prayers of such a person, a worshiper doing the will of God will most certainly be answered, for they will be the prayers of God’s own heart. “Now this is the confidence that we have...”
This verse is quoting the blind man Jesus healed in John 9:1-40 and should not be taken as a direct statement from God. In verse 3 Jesus states no specific sin caused the man’s blindness: he was blind “that the works of God should be revealed in him.” In other words God allowed his blindness so Jesus could demonstrate the Father’s works through him. “Sinner(s)”, hamartolos, the adjective of hamartano, to sin, is someone who keeps on missing the mark... keeps on sinning... sins habitually. It is clear from verses 35-38 this man was not in covenant relationship with God since he did not know who Jesus was, and did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God until later -- he was a sinner when he spoke these words. There are at least eight passages in scripture where God answers the prayer of sinners such as the nobleman in Jn. 4:49-53, or the publican in Lk. 18:9-14, so the first part of the man’s statement is not true. Now we cannot say God hears and answers all the prayers of sinners, or that He hears and answers the prayers of all sinners. We only know that God has, on occasion, heard and answered the prayer of a sinner, such as this man who no doubt prayed for healing of his blindness. God’s willingness to hear and answer the prayer of a sinner has a lot to do with the content of their petition and the condition of their heart. Having said that, one could suppose that every would-be saint, at some point in the process of their response to the call of the Father, prays as a sinner a prayer the Father hears and answers.
The second part of this man’s statement puts two conditions on God hearing our prayers, that the petitioner be a worshiper of God, and that the petitioner does the will of God. Note also the results of meeting these two conditions is “He hears them”, implying if God hears a prayer He answers it. We know from 1 Jn. 5:14-15 “If we ask anything according to His will He hears us”, and when “He hears us ... we have the petition that we have asked.” God either hears and answers our prayers, or He doesn’t hear them.
Since Jn. 9:31 is the statement of a sinner we must prove or disprove these two conditions with other scriptures. There are no passages where being a worshiper is stated as a condition to answered prayer. Worship, is, literally, every God directed thought, deed or action, including praise/worship, prayer, bible study, giving, etc., Worship is the very essence of what a Christian is and does, the linkage between all aspects of the Christian life, and the product of the Holy Spirit revealing Christ in us. True worship... worship in spirit and in truth, is submission to the Lordship of Jesus. (Rom. 12:1-2) This is why God is seeking worshipers (Jn. 4:23). “Doing God’s will” is much more than simple obedience -- living our life within the boundaries of the truth we have received. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” (1 Thess. 4:3) To do the will of God is to be set apart and consecrated to a holy life in the Beloved... in Christ: Submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, our body a living sacrifice, dying daily to our old nature, yielding to the implanted nature of our Lord, transformed by the renewing of our mind, abiding continually – heart to Heart -- in Him. The prayers of such a person, a worshiper doing the will of God will most certainly be answered, for they will be the prayers of God’s own heart. “Now this is the confidence that we have...”
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