The Resurrection Power of Hearing God's Word
John 5:25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Once again, I am blown away at Christ’s teachings! Notice that He did NOT say, “They that live shall hear.” Rather, He said, “…they that HEAR shall LIVE.” It is amazing to think that God’s requirement for life everlasting is that one starts by hearing, even though he is dead. One might say, “But how can one who is dead hear?” Oh, dear friend, if you are asking this question, then you most certainly do not understand the quickening, life-giving power of God’s Word! In fact, not only does His Word have the power to resurrect the dead, but His Word has the power to call into existence that which does not exist at all. His Word is creative. His Word, when spoken, demands a response. His Word will not return unto Him empty-handed. What He speaks happens…period! For example, in Genesis 1:3, the Bible says, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” From this single passage of the creation account, we see and understand that when there was nothing, God spoke, and because God spoke, time, space, and matter appeared simultaneously and instantaneously so that it could respond to His demands. So, if God could speak to nothing, and get that kind of response, it would be far less difficult for Him to speak to the dead, and for them to hear His Word regardless of the fact that they are dead indeed. Did not God instruct the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy to the valley of dry bones, so that at God’s Word, an exceeding great and mighty army would arise from the very bones of that valley? Even so, dear unbeliever, although you are now dead in your spirit, the very Word of God spoken has the power to quicken (or make alive) your inner man, and cause you to hear for the first time the voice of God calling you forth from your deadness. Do not ask, “How shall I know if God is speaking to me?” because, trust me, when the dead hear His voice, there’s no denying it! Christ cried, “Lazarus, come forth.” And so Lazarus’ dead corpse heard His Word, and responded at His command. Even so, dear unbeliever, hear Christ calling to you even now, crying, “Come forth!” As He does, in this moment, call upon Him in repentant faith to live!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Once again, I am blown away at Christ’s teachings! Notice that He did NOT say, “They that live shall hear.” Rather, He said, “…they that HEAR shall LIVE.” It is amazing to think that God’s requirement for life everlasting is that one starts by hearing, even though he is dead. One might say, “But how can one who is dead hear?” Oh, dear friend, if you are asking this question, then you most certainly do not understand the quickening, life-giving power of God’s Word! In fact, not only does His Word have the power to resurrect the dead, but His Word has the power to call into existence that which does not exist at all. His Word is creative. His Word, when spoken, demands a response. His Word will not return unto Him empty-handed. What He speaks happens…period! For example, in Genesis 1:3, the Bible says, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” From this single passage of the creation account, we see and understand that when there was nothing, God spoke, and because God spoke, time, space, and matter appeared simultaneously and instantaneously so that it could respond to His demands. So, if God could speak to nothing, and get that kind of response, it would be far less difficult for Him to speak to the dead, and for them to hear His Word regardless of the fact that they are dead indeed. Did not God instruct the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy to the valley of dry bones, so that at God’s Word, an exceeding great and mighty army would arise from the very bones of that valley? Even so, dear unbeliever, although you are now dead in your spirit, the very Word of God spoken has the power to quicken (or make alive) your inner man, and cause you to hear for the first time the voice of God calling you forth from your deadness. Do not ask, “How shall I know if God is speaking to me?” because, trust me, when the dead hear His voice, there’s no denying it! Christ cried, “Lazarus, come forth.” And so Lazarus’ dead corpse heard His Word, and responded at His command. Even so, dear unbeliever, hear Christ calling to you even now, crying, “Come forth!” As He does, in this moment, call upon Him in repentant faith to live!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill