Help someone else today not because you heard a voice say to do it, but because you want to do it. This is normal Christian living. Jesus comes to live in us and to be us in all we do. You decide whether to let your light shine, do not wait for a voice from heaven to tell you.
Of course there are times when God does speak to us with a clear voice or through an angel as seen in the book of Acts, but Jesus clearly taught that we are the Light of the world. He said, Let your light shine that all may see and glorify your Father in heaven.
On the other side of this is the freedom to say no. God is not a manipulator and he does not want you to be pushed around either. Voices that come from outside our spirit – from the soul or from another spirit will try to get you to do this or do that. The voices will try to move you to obey them. I am not talking about doing bad things, but good things.
2Co 11:14 And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ISV
When we still do not know who we are in God, we are looking to hear a voice tell us what to do. Some people are asking all day long, “What do I do?”
God does not want us to live like that. Living that way is sure to lead you astray. When you obey voices, even one you think is God’s voice, you are living with a separation mindset. You see your self as being separate from God and in need of God to tell you what He wants you to do. That is how the Old Testament Law worked. But you are in a New Covenant if you have believed upon Jesus and received His Spirit.
The revelation given to Paul concerning the New Covenant is rooted in what God said about it through the prophets under the old covenant.
Listen to what God had to say under the old covenant… and shudder..
Jer 11:2 “Listen to the words of this covenant,[old covenant]and convey them to the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.
Jer 11:3 You are to say to them, ‘This is what the LORD God of Israel says: “Cursed is the person who does not listen to the words of this covenant
Jer 11:4 which I commanded to your ancestors on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace. I said, ‘Obey me and do everything that I commanded you. Then you will be my people and I’ll be your God.’
Jer 11:5 As a result, I’ll fulfill the oath that I made with your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, just as is the case today.”‘” Then I answered, “So be it, LORD.”
Jer 11:6 The LORD told me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. You are to say, ‘Listen to the words of this covenant and do them.
Jer 11:7 For I’ve diligently warned your ancestors from the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt until now, regularly warning them, saying, “Obey me!”
Jer 11:8 But they would not listen or turn their ear, and each of them stubbornly followed his own evil desires. So I brought on them all the consequences of this covenant that I commanded them to fulfill, but they did not.'”
Many of us under grace still try to measure up to God’s word here to Israel. We are still trying to Obey Him through hearing His voice so as to do what He has commanded us. It did not work for Israel and it does not work for us.
Let me explain.
God was addressing His commands to those who were not born of the Spirit. They were zealous to obey Him but could not because they had no new nature within. I think we all understand that. The Law and the commandments only served to make sin exceedingly sinful,(Rom 7:13) so that Israel would be brought as a people to seek a Saviour.
It was because of the weakness of man, (our inability to keep it) that God found fault with the first covenant and did away with it bringing in a New Covenant.
Therefore He prophesied of the New Covenant which would see His laws and commandments(his nature) put into believers by the Spirit so that the result would be obedience from an inner Life rather than obedience to an outer letter(voice).
Jer 31:31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—…….
Jer 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
HOW DOES GOD PUT HIS LAWS INTO YOUR MIND AND YOUR HEART?
This new covenant made with Jesus blood and body sacrificed on the cross enabled God to do away with the old covenant.
But not only has He done away with the legislation apparatus having nailed it to the Cross, but he did away with the Old Man as well!!
Many would say that God wants us to read and memorise the Law so that it can be put into our hearts. Yes that is what a Jewish boy must do for his bar Mitzvah or a Rabbi must do and also an Imam as well. BUT!!..it is NOT NECESSARY.
Jesus Himself is the Law of God, not just the Author.
Jesus Himself is the Commandments of God.
God put the Law and the Commandments in your mind and heart when you received Jesus Christ by the Spirit.
You are the fulfillment of the New Covenant! You are Life and Light and Love. You only have ONE LIFE and that Life is Jesus Christ- Christ in you, the hope of Glory.
Many teach that you are a forgiven sinner who believes in Jesus. True.
But you died! You were crucified with Jesus. The New you is Christ according to Paul’s revelation. The new you is the inner man of righteousness. The new you is love unbounded and unfettered. The new you is a well of living water springing up to eternal life. The new you knows all things and as has no need that any should teach him. The new you is Jesus Christ in your form, in your container. You and Jesus are one person…NOT TWO!
Satan seeks to take advantage of your double mindedness by coming with many voices and whispers to do this good thing and that good thing. As long as you think that you are the old man trying to live obediently for God, you will be continually run around in circles by the devil. Believe me I know!!
The Double minded man thinks he is he, and Jesus is someone separate. That separate Jesus is going to tell me what to do. The result of double mindedness is instability.
Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
Jas 1:7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
Jas 1:8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
In the end God is bringing us all to see who we are.
We are His children- Just like our Father.
We are His image.
He is our heart- our only heart.
He is our nature- our ONLY nature.
He is our life- Our only Life.
He is our mind- our only mind.
We are His body- His only body.
We are His dwelling place.
We are His throne!
We are the river of Life flowing forth from the throne of God.
How can it be?! That we are we, and He is He…and yet we are ONE?
This is the New Covenant.
This is the result of the wonderful; work of Jesus.
God will have many sons just like Him.
Eze 36:24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.
Eze 36:25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
Eze 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
God being in you, living as you, is confident that this new you walks in His ways. He had no confidence in the old you to fulfill His will and purpose because it was up to old you to do it.
But now, the new you IS CHRIST HIMSELF-joined with you in spirit.
He does all the will of God while you rest in your weakness.
He does all things well, while you glory in your weakness.
We rest, He works.
Grace –all is through grace.