Understanding Faith Part 2: Repentance & Hearing the Voice of God
By Rodney Kirkpatrick
July 30, 2009
Faith, as the Lord has intended it, naturally draws us into a deeper relationship with Jesus by making His complete trustworthiness clear to us. The more we walk in "Faith towards God" (see Hebrews 6:2) the stronger the foundation our lives are built on becomes. Our lives are largely a function of our decisions and the question we must answer is: Do we make choices based on what we believe Christ is directing us to do or are we led by other forces that produce the "dead works" that are easily shaken and break down when adversity and challenge comes?
One major component to living a life truly led by Faith is to get to the place of clearly hearing of the voice of the Lord. Romans 10:17 (NASB) says,
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Hearing "the word of Christ" comes through a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in a variety of areas like: Dreams/Visions (see Acts 9:10-12 and Acts 2:17), prophecy (see 1 Corinthians 14:1-5), and even Nature (see Psalms 65). Certainly one of the most important ways God speaks to us is through the scripture or written word. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB) tells us,
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
2 Corinthians 3:6 (NASB) continues,
6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Scripture is the perfect representation of the Lord and contains Christ's direction for our lives. However, without the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, "the letter" of scripture can be twisted to justify courses of action that are categorically opposed to the heart of God. Consider the myriad of religious cults that have improperly used scripture to justify their mis-guided deeds!
Jesus made one of the most important observations concerning hearing His voice in Matthew 11:15-19 (NASB) which says,
15 "He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
16 "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children,
17 and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
18 "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!'
19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."
This description is of a people who have completely mistaken the purpose of both Jesus and the man that was used to help prepare the way for His coming, John the Baptist. Later Jesus confirmed that much of the nation of Israel had missed the purpose for Him coming to earth as a man (see Matthew 23:37). This begs the question: What in the world could have rendered people in the midst of the love, wisdom and power that Jesus constantly displayed without "ears to hear?" Simply put: Jesus didn't "dance" in the way most of the people wanted and were expecting. The people of Israel wanted above all else a natural king to lead them to prominence in the earth while Jesus came to bring a kingdom not of this world (see John 18:36). Their self-centered agenda kept them from hearing what Christ was trying to tell them.
James 3:14-16 (NASB) tells us,
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
"Selfish ambition" was not only a problem facing Israel during Jesus time, it is a primary barrier to Christians hearing the voice of God today. Not only will we will never walk the path the Lord has for us if we try to do it on our own terms, we won't even know the direction we are supposed to go in! Repentance from our own selfishness is the first step down the path of hearing the voice of Christ and thus walking by faith in our daily lives.