Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” (John 6:44-45 NKJV).
Every salvation experience is the result of God reaching out to a lost person and teaching him about the reconciliation that is available in Jesus Christ. Every person who hears God and learns from Him goes to Jesus. And Jesus saves everyone who turns to Him (John 6:37). Based on these facts from Scripture, I can say without any doubt that every Christian has heard God’s voice and has learned from Him.
This is the best place to start learning how to distinguish God’s voice from all others. If you are having difficulty doing this, then think back to the circumstances that led to your salvation. Somewhere in there, you should be able to identify God drawing you to Him and creating a desire to be reconciled with Him. God was the one who convinced you that you are a sinner in need of salvation. God was the one who taught you that Jesus is willing and able to save you from your sins. And God was the one who convinced you that calling on Jesus is the way of salvation.
When you think back on the events that led to your salvation, you will probably remember some of the people and some of their words that God used you to draw you to Him. But you also should be able to identify that still small voice that convinced you that their testimony was true, that gave you a sense of urgency to act, and that comforted you that the path to Jesus was the path of safety.
That still small voice is God’s voice. Though it is not audible to our ears, we hear it nonetheless. As the Scriptures say:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV).
When you find that still small voice who wooed you to Himself, then you have identified God’s voice. And you have begun to distinguish God’s voice from all others.
To be continued…