Hearing God

Posted on Mar 27, 2008 under Doctrinal Studies |

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: 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.
(Revelation of John 3:20)

How many times has this verse been used to put the authority and power of salvation into the hands of dead men. Many would encourage their listeners to open the door to Jesus as He stands outside knocking and waiting. But what so very many sincere advocates of this belief miss is the context first of all. What is the context of this statement? Is this statement directed to the whole world to be used as a tool for evangelism? Or is this declarative conditional statement directed at the church? The words of our Lord continue two sentences later with, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Revelation of John 3:22) Therefore the first point to understand is the fact that this statement, although used to admonish either the church of Laodicea alone or all seven of the churches, may not be biblically and contextually appropriate to direct towards the world in evangelism. It may be more appropriately applied to our churches today and especially the majority of the churches in the United States of America, as most would come under the heading of a Laodicean description.

With the context of this method of evangelism now questioned, let us now consider the main point of this discussion, that before you open the door, you must hear the voice of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And he makes reference that it is possible not to hear his voice by saying “if any man hear.” So how do we hear? How do we recognize His voice? How do we become able to hear and thus open the door after recognizing His voice? Well, most religious people will put the power into your hands that you must do this or that in order to be able to hear and open the door. In other words, these men state that you must do some sort of work in order to be saved.

What does the Bible say? A good start would be to get to know Him, as He is revealed in the only objective standard that He left for us, the Bible. How can a man recognize the voice of one whom he does not know? And Jesus, Himself, verifies that we must know God as John records the following:

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)

Now that it is established that God says we need to know Him, how do we hear Him? In the Bible, notice that there are two ways of perceiving God’s Word.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man, which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit, which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (I Corinthians 2:11-12)

There is the physical, literal, or intellectual way, the way of man. Then there is the spiritual way. And the two are not mutually exclusive, but Jesus makes clear that only those that have spiritual sensation can and will perceive the works and salvation of God.

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. (Matthew 13:10-17)

Now specifically, take the following two verses from Mathew’s account:

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
(Matthew 13:13-14)

Jesus is clearly stating that you can see Him but not see Him in such a way as to believe Him. And one can hear physically Him as He talks, but not really hear Him as with understanding. And many religionists again will agree with these things, as they are in the Bible and then command their listener to hear and obey Christ. And therefore, to the religionist, those who do not perceive the gospel and obey as Christ has commanded deserve the eternal punishment for refusing to hear and see Jesus. And this is true, but the question is raised, how do men hear and see spiritually? Can a man command another man to see and hear so as to understand God in His spiritual revelation? Can every single person that hears and sees Jesus have the spiritual perception so as to believe on Him? Are all men with equal ability to do this task?

By the authority of the Bible, man can and must command men to hear God. God clearly commands men to hear God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The following are three examples:

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: (Mark 12:29)

And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
(Luke 9:35)

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
(Revelation of John 2:7)

Does God command the possible or impossible? Is it possible for all men or any man to hear God?

Well Jesus made the following rather ridiculous claim. (Ridiculous to our understanding as men.):
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. (John 5:25)

He just said that dead men will be able to hear His own voice, and those who are able to hear shall live. How can this be!

His own disciples knew that Jesus was out of the line of natural means in His prescription for salvation. After telling the rich young ruler, who had stated that he followed all the commands, to rid himself of his financial wealth, the young man walked away in utter despair. Then Jesus proceeds to describe how hard it is to be rich and be saved. Then the following lines of text:

And they (the disciples) were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. (Mark 10:26-27)

Jesus is saying that salvation is impossible for any man. But with God all things are possible namely salvation in this direct context.

Now that it is established that God commands the impossible by any man, let us focus on His command to hear.

Jesus would indicate that there are two kinds of men. Some are able and some are not able to hear. He divided them as to sheep and goats, children of the father and children of the devil. Obviously He is using spiritual language, as man is man not a four-legged fury animal that cannot speak intelligibly. Nor is man born of the devil physically; he comes from a man and a woman. But the heart. The heart is the issue! And how the heart is identified is by its master. God or the devil.

And at this point most will agree. Now for the hard sayings of Jesus concerning the hearing of His Word.

Back to the knocking on the door as Jesus told John in his revelation, we must hear Him to be saved. We must hear Him to know it is He and open the door. But remember this may be an impossible command by our Lord. How can we hear Him, being dead in trespasses and sin? (Eph 2:1) How can we hear him since no one seeks after God? (Rom 3:11) How did Lazarus hear Jesus tell Him to “come forth.” And likewise how do we hear His command to us to “come unto me.”

Well, Jesus plainly states that he has others to be saved which have not yet heard the gospel either because of location or time (i.e. not yet physically born into this world.) And these sheep will hear Him. There is no question that they will follow their shepherd though they are not yet of “this fold.”
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:16)

And Jesus further makes this concrete to His audience by the following statement:
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)

So it is well established that God’s sheep will hear His voice. They will not refuse to hear, nor will they follow some devilish wolf unto their own destruction. He says:

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:28-29)

And in the same passage of scripture we see that those who do not believe are unbelieving because they are not His sheep. Jesus says the following:

But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. (John 10:26)

Note that He did not say you are not my sheep because you do not believe, but rather the lack of belief is because they are not already His sheep.

Incase the religionist is getting uncomfortable and thinking that scripture is being taken out of context or misapplied, then he must consider Jesus’ words to the Pharisees earlier in John’s gospel. He tells them why they cannot hear (in the spiritual understanding way) His words.

Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. (John 8:43)

But obviously they could hear his words physically. They were not deaf to man’s voice, but they were deaf to His voice, and Jesus continues to tell them why they hear Him not:

He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
(John 8:47)

Now Jesus has made it abundantly clear. Man cannot hear God unless he is already of God. And how does someone become “of God.” Is he talked into it by a good preacher? Can he just read the Bible and by his own intellect hear and obey God? Some methods have been developed like being baptized, or completing these five steps or nine steps or two steps of “God’s plan of salvation” (not a Biblical quotation).

Well, what does the Bible say?

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

And faith is the means of salvation, not the source.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(Ephesians 2:8)

Grace is the source.

So then how does God give us faith to follow Him? Well the scripture says two things. And they are not mutually exclusive, but rather they are perfectly compatible with an almighty and soverign God. One, faith comes by hearing the word of God and two, faith is a part of the “gift of God” that Paul referenced in Ephesians 2:8.

Therefore, since faith is a gift or part of the gift of God that is not of ourselves and it only comes by the hearing of God’s word, then the hearing of God’s word must itself be part of the gift. If the hearing of God’s word were something that we could do outside of God’s intercession, then it would become a work we were able to do on our own to merit the faith, thus rendering “by grace through faith” untrue. But again we must remember our standing spiritually. We are dead in trespasses, unable to see or hear God until He is pleased to reveal Himself. (Gal 1:12-16) Therefore the hearing of God’s word must be an ability given by God to enable the dead man to awaken by hearing his Maker.

So now we see that to be a sheep or a child of God brings on the gift of hearing so that we can have the faith so that we can be accounted righteous with our spiritual ancestor Abraham. (Rom 4:5)

So the question rises, how do we become God’s children, or one of the sheep of the flock of Jesus?

Well we know that Jesus must find us. He only came to save the lost sheep. And where were we but outside the flock, lost in the wilderness.

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
(Matthew 15:24)

And we know that Jesus Himself must bring us (once lost sheep) into His one flock.

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:16)

And we know how well Jesus protects the sheep.
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:28-29)

But How do we or did we become one of His sheep?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:3-14)

God says we are “predestinated unto the adoption” “according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace.” Therefore, to become one of His children we must be predestinated according to His will, so that His grace be praised, not our decision, or works, or hearing, or anything we do. So that He is praised. Not us.

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. (Psalms 115:1)

Yes we heard the word of truth! And yes after hearing the gospel of salvation we believed being sealed with the Holy Spirit! But it is all to the praise of the glory of His grace.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

It is by His grace, not our faith, not our belief, not our baptism, not our obedience, not our good intent, not anything that we do. It is by God’s almighty grace that we are saved, through faith, and that faith is not even of ourselves. It, the grace and faith, is the gift of God. And there will be no boasting of our works in heaven and there should be none here. What do we have that we have not received from above? (Jn 3:27)

God commands us the following and we must do the following: we must hear the word of truth, and we must have faith in the God of that word of truth, and we must believe on Him who was sent as the only means of attaining mercy. And we will do these things if we are of His flock and if we are His children having been adopted. The Christian realizes that he has no hope in himself at all. He cannot work with God as in along side of God, nor can he work apart from God’s intercession. The child of God, the Christian knows that he must rest completely in God’s almighty mercy and grace.

We have nothing to contribute. We have no righteousness in ourselves. (Rom 3:10) All our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa 64:6). We do not seek Him apart from Him seeking us (Rom 3:11). In fact we only are enabled to seek him if He is drawing us to Him (Jn 6:44). We must cease from our labors and burdens. We must rest (Heb 4:9-11). We must give up. We must cry out for mercy to the one and only God who is merciful to the sinner and spurns the self-righteous. Is Jesus the author and finisher of our salvation? (Heb 12:12) To him be the glory.

These are hard teachings on the word of God. In fact they can be offensive. But to the child of God, these things should be or in time become a lullaby to put the ever-working man to rest on the one true pillow of God’s power and might. Those of the world are offended here, and I dare say many in the church today are offended as well. But the question comes, does this offend you as to cause you to walk away? To leave this Holy God?

John tells of the hard sayings of Jesus in the sixth chapter of his account of the Gospel. Jesus tells his disciples (more than twelve at the time) about the spiritual application of the taking in and consuming every word out of the mouth of God in the form of the Son. Jesus is the word in flesh. And he has just taught that for eternal life one must consume, eat and drink, His body and blood. Just like all the other examples of hearing, many of His very own disciples heard and were offended by these things because they did not understand the spiritual application. (Remember I Cor 2:11-12 as concerning the spirit of God revealing the things of God.)
See John’s account at this point:

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. (John 6:60-66)

Please note that Jesus reiterates what was said earlier in John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” And it is at this very point as he reiterates God’s initiating work towards His own sheep, that “many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

Arguably the hardest part of Jesus’ teaching here is the fact “that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father.” since the disciples depart at this very time. This idea that God is the one wholly responsible for our salvation is powerful and with that power offensive. Ever since Adam and Eve desired to be like God by over-ruling His decree, thus making themselves gods, mankind has struggled with God’s absolute sovereignty. But the child of God has been humbled; he has heard and seen a glimpse of himself and God’s holiness as revealed in the scriptures. And again this only is by His sovereign grace.

As Jesus just said in John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.” God must awaken us. God must make us able. God is the giver of all life and especially of eternal life. God gets the glory. Man does nothing of his own. A last visit to I Cor 2:11-12, what can man do but what he knows, and what does he know but the things of a man. But having received the spirit from God, man now will hear the true Father that he had never yet known.

Now let all things be to the praise of the glory of His grace.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. (John 5:25)

He that is of God heareth God’s word (John 8:47a).