My sheep hear My voice…

The song and the Lord say, “My sheep hear my voice” and declare that God’s people do not know or follow the voice of strangers. Reflecting on this, my experience makes a distinction between God’s sheep who listen only to Jesus, and the old nature who definitely knows and follows the voice of the world and even the devil. Each time I do a selfish or sinful thing, it is because I am not listening to the Lord, but to those desires of the flesh… which died with Christ and is separated from communion with God, but nevertheless remains with ears to hear lots of junk.

Today’s reading begins with: “When we have heard the call to surrender and have confessed that the Lord is our God and that we will walk in His ways and keep His commandments, He declares us to be His peculiar people and promises to make us holy.”

I believe this is backwards because “I” cannot hear the call of God until God has given me faith to believe and declared me His child. Only then do I become one of His sheep and am able to hear His voice and yield to His desires.

The reading says, "From that moment He takes full possession of us. What can He do but take possession of the soul that surrenders itself to Him? And of course He sanctifies that which is His own. Everything given to God becomes, by that very act, holy and set apart for His use alone.”
Again, this is backwards. I did not and would not be able to give myself to God until He first called me and made me His child.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16)

It has to be in this order for the Bible declares over and over that flesh cannot and will not choose or even seek God.

As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:10–20)

Two ways are viewed: the power of God to change sinners and the free will of man to choose or reject God. The problem, with the second view is that it exalts “I” and the human will instead of Jesus. It also dismisses biblical teaching that everyone will reject God unless God works in our hearts to change the way we think. He is the Savior. Without Him, no one would believe. In our ‘free will’ we pick our own way, not God’s way. (Isaiah 53:6)

The devotional speaks of the danger of an “I” religion without seeming to realize that ‘free will’ is at the root of it. When Jesus said, “Not my will but thine be done” there was no sin in His will, yet He yielded it to the Father. To be like Jesus, I’m to do the same, but without the mind of Christ, I would never say that because, as the Bible says, I would never seek God.

Why cling to the idea of free will? Such is the power of sin. It leads the human heart to want to be in control, the very opposite of what faith in God entails. He exists and is sovereign. I’m basically unable to do anything apart from His mercy and grace.

PRAY: Lord, it is right to exalt You and to give You glory for anything right that happens in my life. I’m helpless and without spiritual life or fruit without You. I acknowledge You as the Author and Finisher of my faith and of my very life and breath. I need You and Your grace every moment and am grateful that You died for my sin, rose again, and give me Your life, even Your mind and Spirit that I might surrender and live as Your sheep who is able to hear Your voice and do what You say.