"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on Him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 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." (John 5:24,25)
The voice which we are to hear is always the voice of the Son of God. Only that voice will give life; only they that hear that voice shall live. If man speaks, he is to be but the mouthpiece; the voice is to be God's. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." (1 Peter 4:11)
If anyone speaks with his own voice, him we are not to hear.
Some of the Samaritans believed on Christ because of what was told them by the woman whom Christ met at the well. But: "Many more believed because of His own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe; not because of your saying, but we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (John 4:41-42)
Their faith rested on the true foundation,--Christ's word. No belief that does not rest on this will be enduring.
When many of Christ's disciples turned from Him because they could not receive His sayings, and Jesus had asked the twelve if they also would go way, Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that You are that Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:68-69)
There was none other than Christ who had the words of eternal life; there is none other now. And those who hear His words, believe and are sure that He is the Son of God. They have a knowledge that is possessed by none others. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me." (John 10:27)
When the true Shepherd "puts forth His own sheep, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him; for they know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers." (John 10:4-5)
The true Shepherd "calls His sheep by name." (John 10:3)
This is how they know His voice. He speaks directly to them, to each one individually, and they know it. This is how we know the voice of the Son of God. And for that voice, and that only, we are to listen. Many voices are crying, many saying, "Lo here!" and "Lo there!"
But the Shepherd's voice is different from them all. That is the voice of One whom, when we hear it, we know to be acquainted with us,--with our past lives, and the motives and thoughts and perplexities of our individual hearts. He knows us by name; and if we will hear His voice He will make known unto us His name. And: "His name, through faith in His name, shall make us whole, as it did the cripple at the beautiful gate of the temple." (Acts 3:16)--Present Truth, February 1, 1894--Timeline: III-10 (Rejection by the Sanhedrin)--John 5:24-25.