The Voice of God
Paper by: Ralph Thoren
September 4, 2020
A paper about you, a vessel on a long journey in unchartered waters. What effect knowing Gods voice and Will for you can have on the outcome of that journey.
I will discuss “The Vessel and the Journey” Who is the Captain of the ship? Finding the “Voice of God and his will for your life”
The vessel and the journey
You (we) are the vessel. Man has free will to travel many directions, think many thoughts and take action in various ways. Picture if you can, man in the garden before the fall. A light spirit communing with God and all direction coming from truth.
Now, picture after the fall. Natural man (the vessel) being filled with all sorts of misdirection, lies, sinful thoughts and much much more). So here we are, on this trip of lifetime going into unchartered waters with a huge cargo (weight of gold) known as sin. We know not where were going, no charts, no gps, only a deceitful liar to lead us. We pass by various islands with more gold available, the cargo hold is full, but the Captain suggests we get more. We lash it to the decks.
The trip goes on adding more and more. Still no clear picture of the destination or a safe route. Finally, you ask the Captain for help out of fear of death. Then the ship goes down.
Fear of death (ahh yes, the enemy had control of that ship).
Who is the Captain of the ship?
I am (was) the Captain. Wrong, you’re the vessel taking direction from other sources. In the above scene, the source was Satan. The Captain of lies, misdirection, sin of every kind, trickery and much much more. The end result of turning over control of the vessel to Satan is death, both physically and more importantly, spiritually.
What have we learned:
- You can not Captain the vessel into unknown waters (spiritual eternity).
- If you trust Satan, your vessel will be over weighted with sin and sink.
How do I fire the Captain (Satan) and save the ship.
The Voice of God and His will for Your Life
In order to find the new captain of your vessel, you must be able to hear Gods voice.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)
Jesus referred to us as sheep for this reason:
Sheep know not where they go and rely on the shepherd for direction.
In order to hear the voice of God we must adopt the kind of trust that sheep have toward their shepherd or as little children towards their father.
Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3
Jesus is talking about trust. We need to be very mature in our thinking but trust God as our good Father.
The conversion that is required for spiritual growth toward allowing you to hear the voice of God and move toward living within Gods Will for your life has some pre-requisites:
- Become Re-born and join Gods Spiritual family.
A. Acknowledge you are a sinner.
B. Understand the penalty for sin is death (physical and spiritual)
C. Confess your sins,(repent) ask for forgiveness, and know that Jesus Christ died for you.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
- Indwelling of The Holy Spirit. Going through the re-birth experience allows the movement of the Holy Spirit into your body and mind. The Holy Spirit will now help you with your decisions and lead you toward finding Gods will for your life.
When He, the Spirit of truth is come (the Holy Spirit), He will guide you into all truth. and He will show you things to come and He shall receive of mine(God’s will) and show it to you. (John 16:13-14)
- SPIRITUAL MATURITY, You have just been reborn and The Holy Spirit is now indwelling, but you are still yet a babe in this new spiritual life. It takes time and effort to learn to listen to The Holy Spirit and allow him to lead you towards Gods will for your life.
For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: For he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
(Hebrews 5:13-14)
- TRANSFORMATION of the mind is another prerequisite towards knowing Gods Will for your life. This includes a certain surrender of your natural life so as to avoid conflict. Without surrender, conflicts always occur between natural man and spiritual man.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things ye would. (Galatians 5:17)
- RENEWING YOUR MIND away from the mindset of the
principles of the natural world. Our renewed mind would be more inline with the mind of Jesus Christ.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)
You have the responsibility to control your thought life:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there by any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
Then you can say with Paul:
But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:6)
The mind of Christ was set and determined to do the will of God.
CONCLUSION
Your Lord God lives in the light of spiritual eternity. The Lord God has all knowledge as to the end of times for this world. The Lord God wants to give you an onboard navigator (The Holy Spirit) to help you with all decisions. The Lord God can and will Captain your vessel to spiritual eternity if you will ask him to come aboard and make your vessel available for him (repent and rid the vessel of satan and all his cargo of sin). Make space for the Holy Spirit. Fill your vessel with Gods cargo, Love of God and Man, charity and hope.
Know this Brothers and Sisters, God and only God can float your boat to the destination of spiritual eternity.
“And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
Mark 10:27, KJV