Recognizing When God Speaks
Your search to know the voice of God is a clear indication that you believe there is a God. This is the very first prerequisite to actually hearing his voice!
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 KGV
“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.
The next thing to consider is that God is actually calling you to himself:
It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” John 6:44 KJV
The context of this verse is that the crowd was questioning the deity or authority of Jesus Christ.
Jesus, the incarnation of God, simply replied that it was God himself who drew them and they could not come to him unless they were drawn by God.
The obvious conclusion then is our spirit is first drawn by God; otherwise, we wouldn’t even be asking questions about God.
Now that this truth has been established, we can know he is speaking to us. The first and most important step to hearing the voice of God is faith.
The death of the spiritual relationship with God leads to a carnal mind.
The fall of Adam revealed the sinful nature of man and caused the death of the spiritual relationship he had with God. Man has been ruled by his carnal nature every since that time.
The Bible states that the carnal mind is enmity against God. KJV
“The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God:
It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God.… “ Romans 8:6-8
Through scripture, we have established that the condition of our carnal nature is hostile toward God yet he draws us to himself.
New birth leads to spiritual understanding of the kingdom of God
Another important scripture to consider is the 3rd chapter of John which covers the discourse between Jesus and Nicodemus.
Nicodemus was a prominent religious ruler who came secretly to see Jesus. He believed Jesus was from God and wanted to have a greater understanding.
Jesus revealed some crucial truths that Nicodemus wasn’t aware of even though he was a Master of religious doctrines.
There is a fleshly birth and a spiritual birth, and a man must be born again of the spirit to understand and enter into the kingdom of God.
That Jesus must be crucified to save mankind, even as in Moses’ time, the serpent had to be lifted up to save the Jews from judgment.
Whoever believes in Jesus Christ will be saved.
That men love darkness and reject truth lest their evil deeds be revealed.
What does this have to do with us understanding how to hear the voice of God?
We must come with an open heart of faith if we are going to hear God
We must come with an open heart of faith if we are going to hear God. He will call us to him, but we must be willing to accept the truth and walk in it.
The first step is the call, then comes repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name and being born again of the Spirit of God. Jesus said, “Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5 KJV
Many people have an experience with God as he is drawing them and moving in their lives, but become offended when a Christian tells them they need more to be saved.
Rather than becoming offended, let’s dig deeper and see, as Nicodemus did, that God may be revealing a deeper dimension of the truth.
Nicodemus, a recognized and respected Rabbi, had to sacrifice his pride to hear and obey Jesus. So did Apollos in Ephesus (Acts 18), Cornelius, a Gentile proselyte (Acts 10), and the disciples of John the Baptist (Acts 19).
Therefore, we see that having a tender, teachable spirit is imperative to recognize the voice of God.
If we want to draw close enough to God to recognize his voice, we must be willing to receive instruction without offense.
If we want to draw close enough to God to recognize his voice, we must be willing to receive instruction without offense. God wants you to hunger and thirst after righteousness so he can lead you!
Learning to hear God is a process. There is nothing mysterious about it. He has set parameters to keep us from going astray. We must trust and be patient to experience the process.
Jesus promises to send the Spirit of truth, the same Spirit we receive when we are born again, as in John 3:16, and the Spirit the disciples received on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:3 KGV
Simply put, God draws us, gives us new life through the Gospel (repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and infilling of the Holy Ghost), and leads us. As we willingly, with a teachable, humble spirit of obedience, follow and grow in relationship with him, we learn to trust in the leading of his Spirit.
How do we know the Spirit is leading us?
God has given us his infallible word, the Bible.
We must not just hear someone talk about the Bible, but we must study it and be willing to compare everything we hear to it.
Assurance and confidence in his voice come as we validate his voice with the written Word.
He elevated his words above his name and has settled it eternally. The world will pass away, but his word is forever settled in heaven.
Read Psalm 119.
There is no other way to know that God is speaking to you other than to look to the Bible for validation. God has chosen to reveal his plan, his character, and his love through the Bible.
He doesn’t deviate or send a revelation that contradicts what he has already established in the Bible.
Let’s take inventory:
Our carnal nature doesn’t even consider God unless he draws us.
We must believe that he is and search for him diligently.
Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again of the water and the Spirit to understand or enter into the kingdom of God.
Once we have received the Holy Ghost, which is the Spirit of truth, he will lead us into all truth.
As we are tender and teachable, God will begin to speak into our lives. The assurance that God speaking will be validated through the Bible, which is his infallible word.
If you would like further information on how to effectively study God’s Word, visit the Resources page.
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