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CHRIST-DAILY
HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD My sheep ever hear My voice, and I ever know them, and they ever follow Me" (John 10:27, Expanded Greek Translation - EGT). Jesus was talking to the Pharisees of the Jews in the discussions recorded in John chapter 10. However, Jesus clearly dropped in a word to clearly let the Church know that these sheep referred also to the Spirit birthed sons in the Body of Christ. Jesus states, "And other sheep ever have which are not of this fold [Israel]; them [the Church] also I must at intervals bring, and they will forever hear My voice; and there will forever be one flock and one shepherd" (John 10:16, EGT). We are told here that birthed sons will forever hear the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Shepherd. The word does NOT say that His sheep might hear – or that some of His sheep would hear. What the Word cleary says is that His sheep ever hear His voice (John 10:16, 27). That is an eternal truth uttered by our Lord, Himself. If I am not hearing His voice, either I am not one of His sheep, or either I am too clouded by sin or the cares of this world to hear His voice. Certainly, there are many other voices to distract us. If we are not ever hearing His voice, there is something that is not of Him in us. We need to know that we are truly His sheep. Our Heavenly Father has sent the Holy Spirit to birth us into the body of Christ and into the family of God. He desires to have a personal relationship and a loving fellowship with us. The whole eternal plan revolves around our Father choosing us "in Christ before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). Our Father put his son in us to be that connecting Person to tie us to him for that love fellowship. His Son in us is our righteousness. His Son in us is our holiness (I Cor. 1:30). His Son in us is the connecting link to our fellowship with the Father. The Holy Spirit came to teach and reveal Christ in us. The Holy Spirit transforms our thought life and renews the mind to the mind of Christ that is ever in us (John 14:26, 25:26, 16:13-15; Rom. 12:2; I Cor. 2:16). The Son in us then reveals the Father (Matt. 11:27). The more we know the Son in us through the Holy Spirit transformed mind, the more Christ's love will be manifested in the mind, and the more we will love our Heavenly Father, and the more we will choose things in line with Him. Our Father sent "the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father!" (Gal. 4:6). To avoid any misunderstanding, God's eternal salvation is not by works. Paul is clear that we are saved by grace through faith, "and that not of yourselves" (Eph. 2:8). It is "not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:9). John said, "But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12,13). The Holy Spirit came to speak of Christ; convict us of our sins in our heart; and lead us to receive Christ as Lord and Savior. Then, how do we obey Him? We believe and receive the Lord and His free gift of eternal Salvation. We simply believe on His Eternal Father that sent Him. Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (Jn. 5:24). Our belief is in our Heavenly Father, who is 100% satisfied with His Son and His sacrifice; and our Father with His power raised Christ from the dead (Eph. 1:20). We need to focus on the Father and hear His voice through the life, Person, and testimony of His Son in us. VWritten by Dwight Davis |
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