The author expresses confidence in being guided by Jesus, identifying as one of His sheep who recognizes His voice and follows Him. They emphasize the importance of distinguishing Jesus' voice from false voices and assert that true followers will flee from deceit. The key to this discernment lies in the willingness to obey God's voice.
I never have any reason to fear because I know my shepherd and have learned to recognize his voice. I am His sheep, and Jesus cares for me as He teaches me to listen to and trust His voice.
My shepherd has called me out of the fold by name, by my name, which he knows, and now he is going before me. Jesus takes me where he has already gone with his voice. I follow him because I listen and I recognize his voice. John 10:3-5 tells me all this.
And if I really am His sheep, I will know when I hear a voice other than His voice. Then I will have the choice of whether or not to obey the stranger’s voice. The outcome will then depend on whether I am willing to do God’s will. If I seek to glorify the Father, like Jesus, I will recognize and follow His voice. But if I seek my vainglory, my own pleasure, I will deceive myself and follow the false voice of the stranger. I might even say that the false voice was from God. But, at some point, I will have knowingly deceived myself.
Therefore, Jesus has promised that his sheep will recognize and follow his voice. He has also promised that his sheep will not recognize the voice of the stranger, the thief, as his voice, and will flee from it.
This promise only applies to Jesus’ sheep. Those who do not belong to Jesus hear and obey all kinds of voices.
But I am his sheep. So I don’t have to be afraid to hear the wrong voice, as long as I’m willing to obey God’s voice when I hear it.
Index to the New Series / Índice de la nueva serie
