Itching Ears

Sister Lin
Mar 1, 2021
8 min read

Updated: Mar 2, 2021

The apostle Paul taught Timothy and told him:

2 Timothy 4:1-4 - I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Our instruction from God: preach the word; be instant in season, out of season (ready at all times - like minutemen); reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Romans 12:9 - Let love be without dissimulation...

Be real, not false (fake), do not have a deceitful love

True Love of God is not false or deceitful.

Love is truthful and real.

Itching ears?

Before I came to the study of these scriptures, I had been experiencing a few days that my ears were itching almost constantly. They were clean, and there was no apparent reason for them to be itching. I took it to the Lord, and said, “Lord, I don't know why my ears itch so much, but could You please make it stop?”

He put it on my mind to read about itching ears in the scriptures of the Bible. I did and and after receiving this message that I am sharing now, the itchiness went away. God had made His point clear to me and taught me a lesson that I will not soon forget.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 - 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; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

After their own lusts.... this means that many will raise up teachers who will teach them what they want to hear to appease, not disturb, the lust of their heart. This is very strong, but is the true word from the Lord. Many preachers, teachers, pastors are willing to rise up and teach approving and/or justifying things that are sinful in the sight of God, in order to appease the people, to relieve their itching ears. Unfortunately, this has been taught as though it is the love of God. My friends, it is a lie from Satan.

Mark 4:19 - And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

How is it unfruitful? The word of God like any seed has to have soil that it can grow in, receptive soil that allows it to do what it is meant to do. If there are cares of the world and lusts for other things interrupting this process, then it is the same as if weeds got into the garden and are robbing the nutrients from the young plant. This is what causes is to be unfruitful. A weak or malnourished plant cannot be fruitful.

1 Timothy 6:9 - But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

We, as followers of God, must cling to that which is good and not change the doctrine (teaching) of Christ. He said, Go and sin no more (John 8:11).

Galatians 5:16-21 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The Spirit of God and the flesh of man are not in agreement. The Spirit of God is strong enough to overcome the works of the flesh. The works of the flesh bring the condemnation of the law of God on a soul, BUT if we live in the Spirit of God, submitting to the will of God, we will be able to overcome the will of the flesh and Only by the Power of God. Lust after evil things will no longer have the strength in us, because God's Holy Spirit will give us new desires and will write His law on our hearts. When we have His law continually before our eyes and we fully recognize who He is, and who we are in Him, we will have a much clearer understanding of the importance of living a holy life. We will find it is not impossible, as so many people have come to believe it is, because we no longer rely on our own strength to overcome the lusts that war in our members. When we learn to trust in God, then we realize, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). Those who do this will learn to confess faith which yields obedience to Christ, and not weakness of flesh.

Galatians 5:24-25 - And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

We are instructed to:

Crucify the flesh - do not mind (do not pay attention or take heed to) the physical desires; instead, take up the cross and follow Christ
Allow ourselves to be disciplined (set in order) by the Holy Spirit in order to learn to walk in righteousness
Seek holiness – without this, no man will see God (Hebrews 12:14)

Today, however, the true dedication to God in body, mind, and soul, has dissipated so much that many (not all) churches are become nothing more than a community, a club where people can meet up, hear things that make them feel good, and not feel an ounce of conviction to serve the Lord with fear and trembling – abstain from evil – flee even the appearance of evil.

Someone once said: Evil prevails because good men do nothing. I have to say that sadly this has proven true.

Hebrews 1:8-9 - But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.

Jesus' Kingdom is established in righteousness and it has no end. Because He loves righteousness, and hates iniquity, He was anointed with the oil of gladness. Our mouth is filled with laughter and singing, gladness as well when we are guiltless before God (Psalm 32:1-2).

Psalm 11:3 - If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

If the foundation, God's righteousness in the people, be destroyed, what can they do, how will they be able to stand in the day of evil? There is a reason for holiness to be among the people of God.

1 Peter 1:13-23 - Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 Peter 2:1-3 - Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Desire the sincere milk of the word so that you can grow by it. (Milk is the most easily digested and assimilated food, complete with the nutrients the body needs. In reference to the Word, it is the easiest to learn and understand – the basic elements of the Word of God, which become your foundation). Desire Christ. Begin (if you haven't already) to eat/drink from the sincere milk, so you can gain an understanding of the simple things.

Fear God and keep His commandments, this is the whole duty of man.

Those who stay in their former lusts can not grow up in Christ and become more powerful in Him, because they remain full of self and not full of Christ. (One can only grow stronger in the thing to which they are devoted).

1 Peter 2:11-12 - Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Stay away from the lusts, don't invite them into your home, because they will fight against your soul to destroy it (Proverbs 2:10-19).

Proverbs 23:23 - Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

The Truth is Jesus.

Give up yourself for Jesus, let Christ teach you wisdom and instruction, and give you understanding because of your devotion to Him.

Proverbs 2:1-6 - My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:10-13 - When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness.