2nd Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
The instructions and warnings given to Timothy in this passage of scripture applies to all preachers, teachers, and televangelists, who take on the very sacred responsibility of disseminating the truths of God's word to the multitudes. The reason why we are counseled to be brave in presenting the unadulterated truth, is because the masses of people generally tend to prefer smooth things presented to their ears, teachings which do not disturb the conscience nor call for repentance. A preacher of righteousness is always faced with the prospect of stepping on someone's toes, and therefore a conscious decision is often made whether to preach a plain "It is written" or whether to water down the word in order to enjoy popularity with the masses.
This problem of itching ears is one of the main catalysts in the presentation of pleasing fables, to which too many of us have subscribed. It takes an honest and sincere listener to receive the word of God objectively, without any bias or animosity on account of the plain truths thus presented, but in our day many of us are clamoring for teachings, which do not call sin by its right name, but rather lull us into carnal security, by promises of eternal life on our own terms. This phenomenon is not new, even though it is predicted to reach a boiling point during the last days in which we are now living. Let's read:
Isaiah 30:1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: 8 Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: 9 That this is a rebellious people, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: 10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: 11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
The time here spoken of has fully come, and one of the smooth doctrines being currently taught by many preachers and televangelists, is the natural immortality of the soul, a doctrine which proposes to place most people in heaven at the point of death. What this deadly teaching does is to remove the sobering reality of the judgment, in which our characters and actions will be weighed in the balances of God, before a final determination is made for our fitness to enter heaven. Thus when the multitudes are taught to expect the heavenly reward at death, the next logical conclusion to arrive at, is that it's no longer necessary to live according to what is written in the scriptures, since the reward is automatically received at death, and because of this soul-destroying doctrine, millions are going down into Christ-less graves every day, hoping to be saved in God's kingdom, when in reality a very rude awakening awaits them at the judgment bar of God. Let's read:
John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
This truth is not what the majority of people will like to hear, for it shows plainly that we are to be held accountable for the deeds done in the body, and therefore, if we expect to be saved, the necessary reforms and changes required, will need to be accomplished through the grace and power of God during our probationary period here on this earth, and not at some later time, as is currently taught by many false prophets. In our day and in our own personal experiences, we need to be very careful of the many fanciful interpretations of scripture which abound, and we also need to cultivate an attentive, objective, listening attitude, so that when the truths of God's word are presented or read, we will not pick and choose those things which are pleasing only, while refusing those truths which expose our sins and our need of The Savior.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to be objective listeners and readers, for if we cultivate this habit, it will serve us a good purpose, as far as our salvation is concerned. Let's read:
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
May the grace of God and the fellowship of The Holy Spirit enable us to refrain from indulging the sin of "Itching ears", but let us rather receive the word of God without the many additions and subtractions, which lead us into paths of unrighteousness. God bless!