GOD, IS IT YOU SPEAKING?
INTRODUCTION: THE PROTESTANT BIBLE CONTAINS SIXTY -SIX BOOKS, CALLED THE OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT. AN OLD SAYING STATES, THE OLD POINTS TO THE NEW. ALL SIXTY-SIX BOOKS POINT TO THE PERSON, WORK AND CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST.
SPIRITUAL INSIGHT: (NASB) 2 CORINTHIANS 10:5 READS, WE ARE DESTROYING SPECULATIONS AND EVERY LOFTY THING RAISED UP AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND WE ARE TAKING EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST.
(NIV) WE DEMOLISH ARGUMENTS AND EVERY PRETENSION THAT SETS ITSELF UP AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND WE TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT TO MAKE IT OBEDIENT TO CHRIST.
SEVERAL EXAMPLES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ALLUDE TO SOME WHO COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE VOICE OF THE LORD. SAMUEL HEARD GOD’S VOICE BUT DID NOT RECOGNIZE GOD’S VOICE. ELI DID! (1 SAMUEL 3: 1-10) GOD GAVE GIDEON A REVELATION BUT QUESTIONED THE REVELATION. HE ASKED FOR SIGNS OF CONFIRMATION. (JUDGES 6: 17-22, 36-40).
JOHN 10:27-28 (NASB) MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE AND I KNOW THEM, AND THE FOLLOW ME; AND I GIVE ETERNAL LIFE O THEM, AND THEY WILL NEVER PERISH, AND NO ONE WILL SNATCH THEM OUT OF MY HAND.
BELIEVERS CAN HEAR CHRIST’S VOICE, CHRIST KNOWS HIS SHEEP, THEY CAN FOLLOW HIM, HE GIVES ETERNAL LIFE. THEY WILL NEVER PERISH. THEY CANNOT BE SNATCHED FROM HIS HAND!
2 TIMOTHY 3: 16-17 (NASB) ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD AND PROFITABLE FOR TEACHING, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, SO THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE ADEQUATE, EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.
APPLICATION: THE PRIMARY KEY TO RECOGNIZE GOD’S VOICE IS TO KNOW HIS WRITTEN WORD.
