His Master's Voice
"His master's voice." The trademark of the RCA Victor company for years during the last century was a terrier-like dog, Nipper, listening intently at the trumpet-shaped speaker of a wind-up gramophone. He was magically, wonderfully hearing the voice of the man he loved, though that man was not there. But the dog was raptly drawn to "His master's voice."
Those believers who truly know and love God are drawn to His voice, too. Jesus Himself said in John 10:27: ""My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.."
More than anything His sheep treasure His presence. They covet fellowship with Him and will relinquish everything to possess it. His voice is sweet to their ears and speaks peace to troubled waters. The sound of His voice brings assurance in the face of heavy trial and comfort in the deepest loss. Oh, the sweet sound of His voice!
Yet, that voice is not confined to the ears of the believer. God is heard in the deep recesses of those who shun and ignore His overtures. When God reaches out in love or even stern reprimand to bring a straying soul back into the fold or to protect it from a leap to destruction, those who reject His pleas of warning push that voice farther and farther from their consciousness, drowning it out with pleasure, drugs, and blatant rebellion. Yet He speaks with that inner voice, trying to breach the wall of disobedience flouted in His face.
A day is coming when everyone will stand before God and be seen for what He or she is in substance. To some, God will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over may things; enter into the joy of thy lord" Matthew 25:21. Heaven and the privilege of dwelling in God's presence forever will be the ultimate reward of the faithful to God. His voice will fill heaven continually in their hearing.
But what of those who shun God's voice and ignore Him? The last words they will hear God say are: "...throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" Matthew 25:30.
They will never hear His voice again. Created in God's image at the moment of conception, those who reject Him to death's door will have that image removed in hell. "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away" Matthew 25:29. God will not let holy conscience, that inner voice of righteousness so brutally ignored, remain for a moment in the place of eternal condemnation. God's image will be gone forever, leaving just a hulk of what had been a potential son of God.
No, the person who refused to listen to God will not have to listen to God in hell. He or she will never hear God's voice again. There will no wooing to draw him or her to repentance. No conscience warning to avoid wrong doing. Their personhood will be changed forever, so they will not be the complete person they were on earth. Left with a shell of their former self, they will endure the tortures of hell forever and ever without any relief or letup.
If you are one of them, stop and consider--His voice still speaks to you. Jesus said, "He that has ears to hear, let him hear!" Listen to God. Repent of your rebellion and throwing God's words in His face! Bow low before Him and humble yourself. Let the sweet peace of forgiveness flood your heart. As God infuses your soul with new life, thank and praise Him for His mercy. Then draw close to Him and listen for His voice in the stillness of your heart. Listen, obey what your hear, and delight in Him.