He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Hearing From God
The opponents of Jesus lack the ability to hear God’s words, which is only given to those who are His (John 10:4-5). As Barclay states, “it is quite possible that a man may lack the something essential which will enable him to have the experience. A man who is tone deaf cannot ever experience the thrill of music. A man who is colour blind cannot ever appreciate a picture … unless the Spirit of God is in a man’s heart he cannot recognize God’s truth when he sees it. And it also means that if a man shuts the door of his heart against the Spirit of God, if he so follows his own ideas and desires that the Spirit cannot gain an entry into his heart, then, even when the truth is full displayed before his eyes, he is quite unable to see it and recognize it and grasp it and make it his.”
John 10:4-5 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger’s voice.”
The devil knows this and puts a lot of effort into keeping people from spiritually “hearing” the words of Christ (2 Cor 4:4), but those who know God listen to God and His message (1 John 4:6).
2 Cor 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
1 John 4:6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognise the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
God wants to speak to us. (John 10:27)
John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
We can hear His voice.
The most often repeated phrase of Jesus in the Bible is, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear” (with variations of “an ear” or “have”) He is quoted as saying this 15 times. The last 7 times (in Revelation) He adds “what the Spirit is saying” because Jesus is now in heaven and it is the Spirit Who is doing the talking.
How do we hear God?
- Make hearing God’s voice a priority in our lives
Like a mother who hears her baby crying in the night - Shut out the unimportant things
Like the person who lives next to a busy railroad tracks - Practice makes perfect
- Have a clean heart
How do we know it is Him?
- His approach
Gentle, kind, loving, seeking our best, not condemning (Rev 3:20, John 10:1-2)
Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
John 10:1-2 “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. - What He says lines up with scripture
- Because of the results
What He tells us will come to pass; we will experience peace, encouragement, hope, understanding. We will be drawn closer to Him.