249. If any man hear my voice. That this signifies he who attends to the precepts of the Lord is evident from the signification of hearing, as being to attend; that is, to see with attention, and to hearken, or to obey. For those things that enter by hearing are not only seen by the understanding, but are also obeyed, if they agree with man's affection; for interior affection adjoins itself to things thus heard, but not to things merely seen. This is why hearing and hearkening in common discourse have the two following significations, that of hearing and hearkening, and that of being a hearer and listener to some one; the latter denotes to obey, but the former to perceive; and hence to be a hearer denotes to be obedient, and to be a seer merely denotes to be intelligent (that there are such significations in common discourse originates in the spiritual world, in which man's spirit is, as may be seen above, n. 14 and 108); and from the signification of my voice, or the voice of the Lord, as being the truths of the Word, of doctrine, and of faith therefrom; thus the precepts of the Lord (concerning this see Arcana Coelestia, n. 219, 220, 3563, 6971, 8813, 9926).
[2] It is said, he who attends to the precepts of the Lord; which means whoever is willing to know truths, and to investigate them from the Word; this no one can do who is in evils of life, and who has confirmed himself in falsities of doctrine. Those who confirm themselves in falsities of doctrine attend to nothing in the Word but what favours their false principles; other things they either pass by as if they were not seen, or they pervert and falsify them; whereas those who are in evils of life do not concern themselves about truths, and if they hear them still they do not hear them. Thus they receive with the one faculty of hearing, which is to see and perceive what they hear, but not with the other faculty, which is to hearken to or obey those things. But those who desire to know truths, and to investigate them from the Word, are those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, and who love truth because it is truth. And those alone are in that affection who desire to live according to truths from the Word, thus according to the precepts of Lord. These are they who are meant by, If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
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