I have heard some say that christians can only hear God's voice through scripture and that any who claim to hear God's voice inwardly are deluded and false.
But this is wrong. All believers hear God's voice in their hearts.
Consider how Abraham heard God's voice. He did not have scripture yet.
While scripture is all given by inspiration of God, scripture can only be known and understood by the spiritual man not the natural man (1 Cor 2).
"11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."(1 Cor 2:11-14)
When Jesus spoke to the religious people and pharasees he said things like this,
John 8 - 43. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.”
They may have heard him physically speaking but they did not hear his word in their heart.
We read
John 5 - 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life... 37. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
To hear God’s voice was not to simply hear Jesus speaking to them physically. All heard him speak this way. No they had to hear in their heart and receive his word inwardly in the heart. The seed is the word of God sown in the heart (Luke 8).
Jesus said they had not his word abiding in them. They had scriptures and thought they heard Gods word. But they did not have his word in their hearts and they did not recognize the living Word made flesh standing in front of them.
Many today’s might think they only hear God through scriptures but they are mistaken and may be in danger of being like the Pharisees who did not see with spiritual eyes or hear with spiritual ears. While God can speak through scriptures as we read them. The witness is inward in the heart. Otherwise the pharisees would have life and hear God's voice by simply reading scriptures as they did. They trusted in the scriptures to give them eternal life, but the scriptures testified of Jesus whom they did not hear right in front of them.
The word is working in those who believe as Paul said ,
1 Thessalonians 2 - 13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
Consider these spiritual verses also
Hebrews 4 - 12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Luke 8 - 11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”
Deuteronomy 30 - 10. If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. 11. For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13. Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14. But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”
John 8 - 47. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”
Just reading scripture as the Pharisees did or even hearing Jesus speak as they did did not mean they were of God. They needed to hear his word in their heart and believe.
Men can even have God work in their hearts and the work of the law as well even if they did not have the written scriptures this is God's natural way of dealing with all men, as we read,
"14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another ) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel"(Romans 2:14-16 KJV)
Paul also said that God manifest what can be known of him inwardly to men, and all can feel after him and find him no matter where they are
"18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them."(Romans 1:18,19 KJV)
"26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:"(Acts 17:26,27 KJV)
But this is wrong. All believers hear God's voice in their hearts.
Consider how Abraham heard God's voice. He did not have scripture yet.
While scripture is all given by inspiration of God, scripture can only be known and understood by the spiritual man not the natural man (1 Cor 2).
"11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."(1 Cor 2:11-14)
When Jesus spoke to the religious people and pharasees he said things like this,
John 8 - 43. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.”
They may have heard him physically speaking but they did not hear his word in their heart.
We read
John 5 - 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life... 37. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
To hear God’s voice was not to simply hear Jesus speaking to them physically. All heard him speak this way. No they had to hear in their heart and receive his word inwardly in the heart. The seed is the word of God sown in the heart (Luke 8).
Jesus said they had not his word abiding in them. They had scriptures and thought they heard Gods word. But they did not have his word in their hearts and they did not recognize the living Word made flesh standing in front of them.
Many today’s might think they only hear God through scriptures but they are mistaken and may be in danger of being like the Pharisees who did not see with spiritual eyes or hear with spiritual ears. While God can speak through scriptures as we read them. The witness is inward in the heart. Otherwise the pharisees would have life and hear God's voice by simply reading scriptures as they did. They trusted in the scriptures to give them eternal life, but the scriptures testified of Jesus whom they did not hear right in front of them.
The word is working in those who believe as Paul said ,
1 Thessalonians 2 - 13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
Consider these spiritual verses also
Hebrews 4 - 12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Luke 8 - 11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”
Deuteronomy 30 - 10. If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. 11. For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13. Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14. But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.”
John 8 - 47. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”
Just reading scripture as the Pharisees did or even hearing Jesus speak as they did did not mean they were of God. They needed to hear his word in their heart and believe.
Men can even have God work in their hearts and the work of the law as well even if they did not have the written scriptures this is God's natural way of dealing with all men, as we read,
"14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another ) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel"(Romans 2:14-16 KJV)
Paul also said that God manifest what can be known of him inwardly to men, and all can feel after him and find him no matter where they are
"18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them."(Romans 1:18,19 KJV)
"26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:"(Acts 17:26,27 KJV)
