Seeking Jesus First - Aug. 26, 2023
How do you know if you belong to God?
If you hear his voice, you are one of his.
You will know his voice and follow Him.
This is a promise. You will know His voice.
“But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”” (John 10:26–30, NKJV)
Jesus promised, “My sheep hear and know my voice.” We will know His voice. All we have to do is listen. A few chapters later, we read concerning Holy Spirit, “And you will know Him because He will be with you and in you.” This a promise. You can have confidence in the fact that you will know His voice.
The voice of God is the loving truth.
The voice of God inspires faith, hope and love.
The voice of God carries righteousness, peace and joy.
When God is speaking to us:
- Love will manifest in and around us
- Faith will come alive in our hearts
- Peace will enter our souls
- Truth will be revealed to our minds
- Direction will be given to our wills
- Joy will flood our emotions
- His righteousness will draw us into it
- His goodness and kindness will show us the way to think like Him
- True Godly sorrow, without condemnation and shame, will work out a complete change in our lives
- We will know and love His voice and we will not follow anyone else.
Reading The Scriptures over and over is a great way to get to know God’s voice. When you read the loving word of God, read it with Holy Spirit. Make sure you receive the loving word of God in your heart. The loving word of God does not cause division among God’s children. The loving light of God’s word should divide us from any darkness that abides in our own soul, but it should not divide us from other believers. It is possible to think differently about many Scriptures and still place our faith in Our Heavenly Father and in Christ Jesus whom He sent to deliver us from evil. He is a Good Father and knows how to correct his children that He loves unconditionally.
We don’t get to decide who is His. He does.
Preachers, just preach the loving truth of the gospel. Holy Spirit will draw all that belong to God. Plant the seed of The Word of God, Water it, and Harvest what you can. If they do not hear, you do not have to worry or fret about it. Just shake off the dust from your feet, so to speak, and move on.
Jesus told the pharisees that they did not believe because they did not belong to Him. Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice. If someone hears you preaching with the voice and words of Jesus, they will either respond or reject it. Some will put it off but it is not your responsibility. As long as we are using His loving voice to preach the good news, we are carrying His message to those who need to hear it. John 16:8 says that Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement. Paul said that one man plants and another waters but it is God who gives the increase.
God is love so don’t turn people away with hateful and condemning words. Condemnation does not save. Faith in Christ Jesus saves. Those who belong to God will receive faith to belief in God when God’s anointed and loving word is preached.
The planter scatters the seed of the word to everyone he can. Some falls on good ground and produces thirty, sixty or a hundred fold. Disciple the ones who receive it and teach them to follow Christ’s example of Sonship like you do.
The waterer waters with Spirit and Word to everyone he can. God looks at the heart and draws his children to Him.
We don’t get to decide who is His. He does.