The Obedience of Faith

Obedience and submission are necessary in our walk with God.  They are very closely connected.  Many so-called Christians call Jesus “Lord,” but do not obey Him.  They are not submitted to Him. Is it possible to be saved that way? Let’s look at what the Word of God says about obedience and submission.

The Obedience of Faith
The apostle Paul spoke of "the obedience of faith."  Most Christians have probably never heard this expression, much less know what it means, but it’s right in their Bible.

Paul wrote to the Romans, “Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake.” (Rom 1:5)

Luke wrote in Acts, "The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith." (Act 6:7).  This proves that in the early church, the faith was not just a set of beliefs to agree with, but rather the authority of Christ's Lordship to submit to, and His commandments to obey.

The word “obedience” comes from the Greek word – hupakoe - attentive hearkening, that is, (by implication) compliance or submission: - obedience, (make) obedient, obey (-ing).  Comes from hup-akouo - to hear under (as a subordinate), that is, to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority: - hearken, be obedient to, obey.

Paul said, “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,” (Rom 15:18)

That means true faith is always demonstrated by observable obedience.  So you cannot understand Paul’s doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone without properly understanding his doctrine of "the obedience of faith."

“For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”  (Rom 5:19)

It’s through the obedience of the One, Jesus Christ, that you are made righteous. And it will always be through His obedience.  But if you have been made righteous, you will demonstrate the obedience of faith. It will result in your obedience both by word and deed.

“Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”  (Rom 6:16)

Some people have a problem with submission or surrender to God. They feel that in doing so, they lose their individual freedom.  But the truth is that you are either a slave to sin, resulting in death, or a slave of obedience, resulting in righteousness.  So your eternal destiny is determined by whether you remain a slave of sin or become a slave of obedience to Christ.

“For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.”  (Rom 16:19)

The obedience of the Roman disciples of Christ was reported to all.  The Church throughout the world was hearing reports of their obedience.  Likewise, when you have true faith in Christ, the report of your obedience will reach to many people.

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.” (Rom 16:25-27)

Paul said that the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ is a mystery that has now been revealed and which leads to the obedience of faith.  If you are not becoming more obedient, then you don’t have saving faith in Christ.  You can’t have obedience to Him without faith.  And you can’t have true faith in Christ without obedience to Him.

This is what Paul preached everywhere. He said he, "kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance." (Act 26:20)

He told the King that he declared to people wherever he went that they should repent and turn to God, habitually proving their repentance by their deeds. It's not enough to repent. You must prove or demonstrate your repentance by your works, repeatedly performing obedient acts.

“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,”  (2Co 10:5)

Obedience to Christ is the outcome of true spiritual warfare.  All those speculations and all those high things raised up against the knowledge of God are destroyed, and every thought is captured for the purpose of obedience to Christ.

“and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” (2Co 10:6)

You must be on a continuum of progressively greater and greater obedience to Christ. At some point, your obedience must be complete. 

“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”  (Heb 5:8)

Obedience is learned through suffering.  Even Jesus, who never sinned, learned obedience from what He suffered. 

“And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” (Heb 5:9)

At the cross, the obedience of Jesus Christ was perfect, as He became obedient to the point of death (see Phil 2:8).  There He became the source of eternal salvation, but only to those who obey Him. 

The apostle Peter wrote to those who reside on earth as aliens, who are chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.” (1Pe 1:2)

Peter taught that we are chosen to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.  The apostles are in agreement. 

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’”  (1Pe 1:14-16)

Peter taught that if you address God as Father, you must be like obedient children and be holy in all our behavior. He will judge impartially according to each one’s work.  Your behavior and your works do matter to God. Are you living in holiness as an obedient child, or do you only call God Father but live like the world?

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (1Pe 1:22)

God’s Word is Truth and He sanctifies us in it (see Jn 17:17). The Truth will only purify your soul, if you obey it. Many have heard the Truth, but have never been purified, because they have not obeyed it.

“But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.”  (Rom 2:5-8)

Notice that it is those who persevere in doing good, who will receive eternal life.  And those who do not obey the truth will receive wrath and indignation.  Where it says they “do not obey”, this is apeitheo, meaning “to disbelieve (willfully and perversely): - not believe, disobedient, obey not, unbelieving.” 

The expression “do not obey” comes from “a” (not) and "peitho" (obey). Since we must avoid being among those who do not obey, let’s look at the root word “peitho” that means “obey.”

Obey
The word obey comes from the Greek word “peitho,” which is a primary verb; to convince to rely, agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) content, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield.

Paul instructed us to, “Obey (peitho) your leaders and submit (hupeiko) to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.  (Heb 13:17)

Obedience and submission are closely connected, and this verse in Hebrews demonstrates that.

Submit
The word “submit” comes from the Greek word “hupotasso,” meaning “to subordinate; reflexively to obey: - be under obedience (obedient), put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto.”

James wrote, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.   Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  (Jam 4:7-8)

“Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?”  (Heb 12:9)

The Opposite of Obedience is Rebellion
The opposite of obedience and submission is rebellion. This may surprise some of you, but if you are not obedient and truly submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, then you are living in rebellion. 

The verb “to rebel” comes from the Greek word, “apostrepho,” meaning “to turn away or back (literally or figuratively): - bring again, pervert, turn away (from).” Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, and insubordination like the sin of idolatry (see 1 Sam 15:23).

“Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion (apostrepho), and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him.’” (Luk 23:13-14)

You see, Jesus was accused of rebellion.  But Governor Pilate found no guilt in Him, although he wasn’t even a believer in Christ!

"Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 'And it will be that every soul that does not heed (akouo – hear, harken) that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'  For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning (apostrepho) every one of you from your wicked ways."  (Act 3: 22-23, 26)

Peter preached about two final outcomes that are possible, destruction and blessing:

1. Destruction - Those who do not heed (akouo – hear, harken) the Lord Jesus will be destroyed.
2. Blessing - God sent Jesus to turn you away from (apostrepho – turn away or back) your wicked ways, which is a blessing.

“And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE (apostrepho) UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.’"  (Rom 11:26)

The Lord Jesus Himself will remove ungodliness from us.  He makes us rebel against wickedness.

“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away (apostrepho) from Him who warns from heaven.”  (Heb 12:25)

If you decline or reject Jesus when He speaks, then you are rebelling against Him.  If you do that, don’t expect to escape destruction.

Israel rebelled and wanted to submit to Egypt for help, but it was in vain.  The Lord showed Israel this through the prophet Isaiah and beckoned them to repent and trust Him.

“For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.’ But you were not willing.”  (Isa 30:15)

Ten Blessings of Repentance and Trust
Isaiah prophesied of ten blessings the Lord promises to His people, if they will repent and trust Him (Is 30:15-29):

1. He will save you and give you strength. v. 15.
2. He will be gracious to you and have compassion on you . v.18
3. You will weep no more.  v. 19
4. He will hear your cry and answer you. v. 19
5. You will see and behold your Teacher. v. 20
6. You will hear Him again. V. 21
7. You will defile the idols in your life (pollute them and pronounce them unclean). v. 22
8. He will send rain for your seed and bread for your field.  v. 23
9. He will heal what’s fractured and bruised in your life. v. 26
10. He will give you songs in the night and gladness of heart. v. 29

Putting it All Together
True faith is always demonstrated by observable obedience.  If we have faith, then we will demonstrate something known as “the obedience of faith.”  This is done by both word and deed.  When you have true faith in Christ, the report of your obedience will reach many people.

When you have saving faith, you will no longer rebel against God, but you will rebel against your own ungodliness.   You will repent and trust the Lord. You will turn from your wicked ways.  You will listen to His Word and comply with it.  You will come under the Lord’s authority, He being your Master and you His servant.  And in that place of submission to Him, in which you are under obedience to Him, you will give heed to His voice, and do what He says to do.  You will say what He commands you to say.  It will affect your whole life.

Obedience to Christ is learned through suffering.  It’s the outcome of true spiritual warfare. As you suffer and fight the good fight, you must be on a continuum of progressively greater and greater obedience to Christ.  If you are not becoming more obedient, then you don’t have saving faith in Christ. 

You can’t have true faith in Christ without obedience to Him.  And you can’t have obedience to Him without faith.  He is the source of eternal salvation.  We’re made righteous through His obedience.  But He is only the source of salvation for those who obey Him.  Your eternal destiny requires that you become a slave of obedience to Christ. God’s chosen people were chosen to obey Christ.

Those who do not obey the Truth will receive wrath and indignation. Those who reject the Lord’s voice will be destroyed.  But the ones who listen to Him, repent, trust Him, and obediently come under His authority will be saved.  It's not enough to repent. You must prove or demonstrate your repentance by your works, repeatedly performing obedient acts.  Then He will save you and give you strength. He will be gracious to you and have compassion on you. You will weep no more.  He will hear your cry and answer you. You will see and behold your Teacher. You will hear Him again. You will get rid of the idols in your life. Then He will send rain for your seed and bread for your field.  He will heal what’s fractured and bruised in your life. And He will give you songs in the night and gladness of heart.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. The "Wise and Foolish Builders" and "Thy Will Be Done" paintings © 2012 are by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  I invite you to visit these related articles of mine: Is Obedience Optional?, Obedience by the Spirit, Obedient to the Heavenly Vision, Righteous Deeds and White Robes,  Doing What is Right, Faith Works!, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, You Must Be Born Again, and The New Covenant. Remember that we are not endeavoring to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

One thing

Have you ever felt like life is too complicated?  If so, that’s not unusual.  There are probably millions of other who feel the same way.

But actually life is not complicated. We make it that way.   When you are in Christ, life is actually simple.  But it requires faith.  That means trusting the Lord.

There’s only one thing we need to focus on, and when you do so, it’ll greatly simplify your life.  I’d like to share with you what it is.

David desired one thing
The Lord called King David a man after His own heart.  And David desired only one thing.  He said:

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple." (Psa 27:4)

David’s one desire was to dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of his life, so that he could behold the Lord’s beauty.  The other reason he wanted to dwell there was so that he could inquire of the Lord. 

During David’s lifetime, the temple was not yet built.  They simply had a tent of meeting, called a tabernacle, where they met with the Lord.  This was the place where the Lord manifested his presence.  That’s where David wanted to remain.

In the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is the temple.  He plainly said so.  When the religious leaders asked him for a sign to prove His authority, “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.” (Joh 2:19-22)

So for those under the New Covenant, our one desire should be to remain in Jesus Christ all the days of our life.  It should be to seek the Lord and behold His beauty. 

All who are led by the spirit are sons of God.  We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  The apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1Co 3:16). 

Christ’s body is the temple.  We are the Body of Christ and He is the Head of the Body.  It could not be any clearer that He and those of us who are His disciples are the temple.  So if we desire the one thing David desired, it’s to abide in Christ moment-by-moment and day-to-day.

Mary desired one thing
Another person who had this singular focus was Mary, the sister of Lazarus.  When Jesus came to visit the home, where she and her family lived, she was interested in just one thing.

“Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’" (Luk 10:38-42)

Many people are like Martha.  They feel like life is complicated. Martha was stressed out.  In the presence of the Lord, she felt the pressure of all the tasks she thought she needed to do.  If that’s how you are, then you are probably distracted like Martha was.  She found it hard to settle down and focus on the Lord.

In fact, this kind of mindset led Martha to want to control people.  She needed to recruit her sister to help her fulfill all that she thought needed to be done for the Lord.  And when she could not control Mary, she tried to get Jesus to force her to help. 

I think this is all too common among believers.  It can happen in a household, as well as the church.  Many times a leader has his own, great “vision” of what needs to be done for the Lord.  And to fulfill his vision, he needs to recruit others into service.  When they do not volunteer to serve, and do not align with his vision, he uses other means to control them like manipulation and coercion.  I’ve seen leaders like this become so distracted by many things.  Yet they don’t seem interested in abiding in Christ.  They don’t seem to enjoy just abiding in Christ, worshipping Him and enjoying His presence.  Instead, they are always thinking about the next thing they are going to say or the next task that needs to be completed.

But look at what Jesus said to Martha.  The Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”  (Lk 10:42) According to Jesus, only one thing is necessary, and Mary had chosen it.  She was sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to His Word.

That’s the one thing that is still needed today.  We need to sit at the Lord’s feet and listen to His Word.  In that place, we commune with Him and adore Him.  We put distractions aside, and focus on Jesus.  We meditate upon His Word.  We listen to His voice.  Our desire is simply to be with Him.  It’s all about Jesus.

Love the Lord your God
When Luke wrote about the story of Martha and Mary, it was in the context of a conversation Jesus had with someone about the one thing needed to inherit eternal life. 

“And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And He said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; Do this and you will live.’" (Luk 10:25-28)

The message is the same.  Jesus taught this lawyer that one thing is necessary, and that is to love.  Our love for God must be with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.  We should love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  And Jesus illustrated this love with the story of the Good Samaritan to show what He meant.

Seek first His kingdom and righteousness
The temptation is to worry about what we will eat or drink or what we will wear.  There will never be a lack of things to worry about, which will vie for our attention.  But Jesus taught us to “Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you." (Mt 6:33)

Focus on Jesus
The writer to the Hebrews also taught that we must have a singular focus.  He wrote: “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.” (Heb 3:1). 

Again he wrote, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:2). 

When you fix your thoughts on someone, they are the center of your attention.  When you focus your eyes on someone, everything else fades out of focus.  Our focus should be on Jesus.

Putting it All Together
What’s your focus? Food, clothing, money, success, possessions, fame, popularity, making a place for yourself in history, numbers, buildings, man-made traditions, external appearances, titles, collecting people?

David desired one thing, and that was to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, to gaze upon His beauty and inquire in His temple.  Mary chose that one thing also. She sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to His Word. 

We need to love the Lord with our entire being. We should fix our thoughts on Jesus, focusing our eyes on Him.

Let me encourage you today to focus on Jesus, dwelling in His house all the days of your life.  There you can gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and seek Him in His temple.  That’s the one thing that’s needed.

When you live like this, life will be simple. But it requires your complete trust in the Lord.  It requires faith, without which it is impossible to please God.  Will you commit yourself to do this?



Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, especially "Inquiring of the Lord." You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Hearing the Lord's Voice

Do we only know how to recognize and listen to the voice of a man, such as a pastor, preacher, or blogger? Or do we know how to recognize and listen to the voice of the Lord? What have we been trained to do?

One of the most important aspects of seeking the Lord is hearing His voice. Every disciple needs to learn to do this as an essential part of making Christ central. Let's turn to the Scriptures and let the Word of God speak for itself.

Jesus said His sheep would know His voice
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (Joh 10:27). If you are one of His sheep, Jesus said you would hear His voice. It comes with being a sheep, and sheep are not very smart. So don't feel like this is beyond your ability to do.

Moses heard the voice of the Lord
The Lord spoke to Moses on top of a mountain in a burning bush. "When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 'I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.' Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look." (Act 7:31-32)

Peter heard the voice of the Lord
There was a time when God was about to direct Peter to begin taking the gospel to the Gentiles. Up to that point, they were only preaching to Jews. But God first spoke to a Gentile man, named Cornelius, who sent his servants to get Peter. "On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he *saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, 'Get up, Peter, kill and eat!' But Peter said, 'By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.' Again a voice came to him a second time, 'What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.' This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky." (Act 10:9-16).

Sometimes the Lord speaks to both parties, in order to prepare them for something extraordinary. In this case, He spoke to Cornelius and Peter to prepare them for what He was about to do in their lives, before they even met each other. I've seen the Lord do this over and over in my own life. For example, before and after we were married, the Lord has spoken to both my wife and I about many things, including ways He was directing us to serve Him.

Paul heard the voice of the Lord
When the apostle Paul was on the road to Damascus, sent with authority to persecute the disciples of Christ there, the Lord met him on that road in a vision and changed his life. "And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.'" (Act 9:4-6).

When the Lord speaks to you, sometimes He will ask you a question. He already knows the answer, but wants you to discover it yourself. So don't be surprised if the Lord asks you a question.

We must not harden our hearts when we hear the Lord’s voice
The writer of Hebrews stated: "He again fixes a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, 'TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.'" (Heb 4:7)

This teaches us that when the Lord speaks, you have a choice. You can either humble yourself and receive what He tells you. Or you can harden your heart. Be careful not to harden your heart. In order to avoid that, you will need to have faith and believe what the Lord is saying.

God’s Word is active and living
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Heb 4:12)

God's Word is alive. So when He speaks to you, it penetrates deep down inside of you, reaching places that even a surgeon could not reach if he were to cut you open with a knife. The Word is sharper than any scalpel. It's able to get into our soul and spirit and separate the two. It's able to show you your own thoughts and motives.

Israelites perished because they didn’t listen to the Lord’s voice
"For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey." (Jos 5:6)

It's true that thousands of Israelites perished in the wilderness, because they did not listen and obey the Lord's voice when He spoke. So we need to be careful that we are not merely hearers, but also doers of God's Word.

The voice of the Lord is powerful and majestic
"Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array. The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, "Glory!" The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace." (Psa 29:1-11)

When the Lord needs to utter His voice, He can make it loud and clear, if He needs to. It's powerful and majestic, and shakes the wilderness. So no matter where you are at, trust more in His ability to speak to you than in your ability to hear from Him.

Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord
Isaiah the prophet had an amazing vision of the Lord. Here is what the Lord said to Him at that time. He wrote: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'" (Isa 6:8)

You see how the Lord asked him a question, as He did with Paul? The Lord was looking for a voluntary commitment from the heart, and Isaiah willingly offered Himself to the Lord for His service.

Samuel heard the voice of the Lord
Perhaps one of my favorite examples in Scripture of someone hearing from the Lord is Samuel. When he was just a boy, serving in the temple with Eli, the priest, "the LORD called Samuel; and he said, 'Here I am.' Then he ran to Eli and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' But he said, 'I did not call, lie down again.' So he went and lay down. The LORD called yet again, 'Samuel!' So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' But he answered, 'I did not call, my son, lie down again.' Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor had the word of the LORD yet been revealed to him. So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' Then Eli discerned that the LORD was calling the boy. And Eli said to Samuel, 'Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, "Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening."' So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, 'Speak, for Your servant is listening.'" (1Sa 3:4-10)

As a little boy, when he first heard the Lord's voice, it sounded familiar, and he thought it was the person in the other room. But he quickly learned that it was the Lord speaking. When you go before the Lord, you should pray with an attitude like Samuel, "Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening."

The Lord has enabled us to know the mind of Christ
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ." (1Co 2:16)

Who has ever heard of someone knowing what God is thinking? Yet that's exactly what happens when we are a disciples of Christ. We actually have His mind, and through prayer we can discover what the Lord desires in a given situation.

John heard the voice of the Lord
The apostle John recorded his experience on the isle of Patmos. He wrote: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, 'Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.' Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength." (Rev 1:10-16)

John clearly heard the Lord's voice as loud as a loud trumpet, and like the sound of many waters. He also saw visions from God. We have the book of Revelation today because of it. All that happened to him while he was in a lonely, desolate place, being persecuted for his faith in Christ. So when you feel alone, remember that the Lord may want to speak to you during that time when you are free of distractions.

When everyone is hearing the Lord, there is a common sense of expectation for God to move
The prophets Elijah and Elisha both knew God was about to take Elijah. :And it came about when the LORD was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, 'Stay here please, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.' But Elisha said, 'As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So they went down to Bethel." (2Ki 2:1-2)

Not only Elisha and Elijah knew, but the prophets at Bethel also knew God was about to take Elijah. "Then the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, 'Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?' And he said, 'Yes, I know; be still.'" (2Ki 2:3)

Because Elisha knew the God was about to take Elijah from him, he followed Elijah, so that he could be with him when it happened. "Elijah said to him, 'Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.' But he said, 'As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So they came to Jericho." (2Ki 2:4)

Even the prophets at Jericho knew the Lord was about to take Elijah from Elisha. "The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, 'Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?' And he answered, 'Yes, I know; be still.'" (2Ki 2:5)

Elisha insisted on staying with Elijah, knowing God would soon take him. "Then Elijah said to him, 'Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.' And he said, 'As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So the two of them went on." (2Ki 2:6)

I just want to point out that when all these people -- Elisha, Elijah, the prophets at Bethel, and the prophets at Jericho -- were all hearing from the Lord about the same thing, they had a sense of expectation. And the same is true today in the Church. When the Body of Christ is listening to the Lord's voice, we will all be hearing the same thing. Then we'll have a mutual sense of expectation for what the Lord is about to do.

Elijah heard the Lord’s voice in a gentle breeze
The prophet Elijah fasted for forty days after eating and drinking. "So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God." (1Ki 19:8)

The Word of the Lord came to him while fasting for forty days. "Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'" (1Ki 19:9)

He spoke to the Lord of his zeal saying, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." (1Ki 19:10)

The Lord was not in the wind or earthquake. "So He said, 'Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.' And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake." (1Ki 19:11)

The Lord was not in the fire, but in the gentle breeze. "After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'" (1Ki 19:12-13)

At that time, the Lord's voice was not in the tornado, and it was not in the earthquake or the fire. It was in a gentle breeze, and what Elijah heard was a still, small voice. Many times this is the way the Lord will speak to you. It's not dramatic. It's just a still, small voice in your heart. You need to learn to distinguish it. Often fasting will help you hear more clearly what the Lord is saying to you.

Putting it All Together
Moses, Peter, Paul, Isaiah, Samuel, David and John heard the voice of the Lord. So did the Israelites, but they perished in the wilderness, because they didn’t listen to the Lord’s voice.

When everyone is hearing the Lord, there is a mutual sense of expectation for God to move. Elijah and Elisha both knew God was about to take Elijah, as did the prophets at Bethel and Jericho. Because Elisha knew the God was about to take Elijah from him soon, he insisted on staying with him.

The voice of the Lord is powerful, majestic, and shakes the wilderness. John heard it as loud as a loud trumpet, and also said his voice was like the sound of many waters.

The Word of the Lord came to Elijah while fasting for forty days. The Lord was not in the wind or earthquake. The Lord was not in the fire. Elijah heard the Lord’s voice in a gentle breeze.

Jesus said His sheep would know His voice. That means you can hear the Lord's voice. It's not that difficult. The Lord has enabled us to know the mind of Christ. Many times the Lord’s voice sounds like our own thoughts. It will come to us as we quiet ourselves before the Lord in prayer and worship and reading the Word.

God’s Word is active and living. But we need to believe the Lord is speaking to us and act upon what we hear. If we don’t believe, we will not act. If we don’t believe or act, we will harden our hearts. We must not harden our hearts when we hear the Lord’s voice.

Let me encourage you today to listen for the Lord's voice. Get alone with him and quiet yourself. Worship and read His Word, and then wait upon Him to speak. He will be faithful to do it, and it will always agree with the Scriptures. Then just be sure to do whatever He tells you.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading The Voice That Changed Everything, Inquiring of the Lord, Led by the Spirit - Part I, and Led by the Spirit - Part II.  You may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.