Dear 100th Sheep,
There are many voices in this world, all of which are demanding that you listen to them. The key for drawing closer to God is to be careful to whose voice you listen.
The Voice of Satan
The most destructive voice is the voice of the enemy of your soul, Satan. The Bible says that Satan is the “accuser of the brethren.” (Revelation 12:10) It says that he accuses before the throne of God day and night.
You are the 100th sheep because you ultimately listened to and obeyed demonic voices. Now Satan has something on you. You did wrong, and he knows it. Not only does he have a reason to accuse you before the throne of God, but he also accuses you to yourself as well. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin. The devil accuses of sin. There is a vast difference. That you feel the reality of your sin is evidence of the Spirit’s work in your life. If Satan cannot shut out the Spirit’s convicting voice, he will amplify it and add to it. The longer you listen to Satan’s voice, the longer you will remain in bondage.
Other People
Other voices accuse you as well. These aren’t always demonic voices. They are, far too often, the voices of other human beings. I remember when my daughter had a flock of chickens. They had the uncanny ability to identify the weakest chicken. They would then figure out the most vulnerable spot on that pathetic chicken and would begin to peck at the sore persistently. They had no mercy.
Sadly, human beings, far too often, are like these chickens. Don’t look for compassion from other people. It is a sad fact that human beings can be even crueler than animals. It doesn’t matter that people are more intelligent than birds. People that don’t submit themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ are capable of the most horrendous cruelty known to man. Just a brief glimpse into genocidal history bears this out. These are extreme examples, to be sure, but they reveal something insidious about unredeemed humanity.
Other Christians
Other Christians’ voices will not always be ones of love, affirmation, and acceptance, either. The old saying, “Christians are the only ones who shoot their wounded,” did not come out of a vacuum. The Bible is filled with instructions for Christians to love, support, or restore the fallen brother or sister who has sinned. (Galatians 6:1, for example) Sometimes the voices of other Christians can wound more than the voice of Satan or those who hate you.
My Sheep Hear My Voice
There is only One voice and One voice alone you must listen to during this painful time in your life. That voice is the voice of Jesus Christ. In John 10:27, Jesus says,
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” You must discern and listen to the voice of Jesus Christ during this time.
How do you know the voice of Jesus?
1. The Bible reveals the voice of God.
You must go first to the Bible. The Bible is the “word of God.” Far too many people are listening to inner voices that may or may not be the voice of God. God has given his “outer” voice through the Scriptures.
Take time to “hide the word in your heart” so that like David, you “might not sin.” Read the Bible and what God says about sin, repentance, forgiveness, and restoration.
2. God will never speak anything that is in contradiction to the Bible.
There are too many Christians who think that listening to the voice of Jesus is an inward mystical experience. There may be times when God speaks subjectively to our hearts, but this personal word will never be in contradiction to the Bible. He primarily speaks through the Scripture, but His Spirit can and will apply the Bible to your particular and individual situation.
As you start reading His word, you will be able to tell when a voice is not His voice. You now have an objective standard by which you can measure every other voice. If you hear an “inner” or “outer” voice saying something that does not line up with the Bible, you know it isn’t His voice. To listen to any other voice may get you back into the trouble you were in in the first place.
3. His voice brings conviction.
I mentioned this above. Satan, and anyone who is in league with him, brings accusation. The voice of the Spirit of Jesus Christ will bring conviction of sin when you disobey Him. (John 16:8) God is faithful to His own to convict us of sin when we violate His holy law.
4. His voice brings repentance.
Feeling bad about sin is not enough. His voice will bring about repentance. One of the main messages Jesus preached was “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Biblical repentance means a change of direction or a change of mind. It means you were walking in one direction and now you are walking in the other direction.
5. His voice brings forgiveness
If you listen closely to the voice of Jesus in the Bible, you will “hear” Him tell you that you are forgiven of the sin He convicted you of and of which you repented. The Bible has many passages where God assures us of the forgiveness of confessed sin. My personal favorite is
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
6. His voice brings life.
The voice of Satan, and voices that speak his message, brings death. These voices discourage and demoralize you. The voice of Jesus does just the opposite. Jesus’ voice says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
God reveals how we are to live and what He requires of us throughout the Bible. Forgiven people are empowered by the Spirit of God to obey His law. We are not saved by following His law, but we have God’s blueprint of how we should then live once God saves us. (Ezekiel 33:10)
Conclusion
I hope that you have heard the voice of Jesus speaking through this blog post. My prayer is that you have a better understanding of all the competing voices. May you develop your listening skills to hear the voice of Jesus in a more excellent way.
