The Bible presents many examples when people—even though living in the same house or worshipping in the same church, included some who were saved and some lost:

• Cain and Abel.

• The Pharisee and the publican.

• The wise virgins and the foolish virgins.

• The prodigal son and the elder brother.

“There have ever been two classes among those who profess to be followers of Christ. While one class study the Saviour’s life, and earnestly seek to correct their defects and to conform to the Pattern, the other class shun the plain, practical truths which expose their errors. Even in her best estate, the church was not composed wholly of the true, pure, and sincere.”2

“The two classes are controlled by different masters, and are opposites in their purposes, hopes, tastes, and desires. The followers of Jesus enjoy sober, sensible, ennobling themes, while those who have no love for sacred things cannot take pleasure in these gatherings unless the superficial and unreal constitutes a prominent feature of the exercises.”3

Even at the end of this world, there will be two classes or two assemblies—the ones who have listened to the voice of God and the ones that did not.

Jesus explains: “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Luke 17:34–36).

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left” (Matthew 25:31–33).

It’s quite unique that our Saviour says that some of the goats will pretend to have been sheep until the close of probationary time. But their actions show that they are goats. They stay until the end with the sheep, acting like a goat while pretending to be a sheep. Sadly, such a character will suffer eternal death. Having the privilege to join in the spiritual house of God, and yet still dying like Tod Carter because they fought battles to which God did not call them.

If we want to be saved at the end, we need to make sure that we are listening to the full orders of the Heavenly captain. “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh” (Hebrews 12:25).

We may be in the same crowd but have different feelings and different attitudes. To which voice do you listen? From which voice do you take your orders?

1. Those who don’t listen to the voice of the Shepherd

Our Saviour specified the attitude of those that follow Him: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

It’s a terrible thought to realize that too many souls don’t listen to the voice of Jesus. They don’t make time to commune with Him in prayer and study, and to actually listen to His voice.

There were thousands of people that followed Jesus, but unfortunately not that many were hearing His voice. Specifically, Christ repeated an expression which resounds tremendously when we realize how many voices would try to make us listen to something else.

Jesus, the True Witness said: “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 11:15; 13:9; 13:43; Mark 4:9; 4:23; 7:16; Luke 8:8; 14:35; Revelation 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:29; 3:6; 3:13; 3:22).Have you ever wondered why He insisted that if we have ears we should hear?

Could someone be distracted to not hear Jesus?

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1).

Somewhere in their heart they would love to hear Jesus, but they are “seduced.” To seduce means “1: to persuade to disobedience or disloyalty2: to lead astray usually by persuasion or false promises.”4

“If the voice of Jesus is not heeded at once, it becomes confused in the mind with a multitude of other voices, the world’s care and business engross the attention, and conviction dies away. The heart becomes less impressible, and lapses into a perilous unconsciousness of the shortness of time, and of the great eternity beyond.”5

These confusing spirits of devils, seducing spirits, and doctrine of devils are always working heavily for our destruction. Remember Tod Carter? Oh, if he would only have heard Jesus telling him through the Bible: “Put up thy sword into the sheath” and “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (John 18:11; Matthew 26:52)!

The worst destruction which the spirits of devils, these seducing spirits incite is the spiritual one, which ultimately leads towards the physical one:

“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14).

Notice--: “the whole world, to gather them.” Would you like to be—do you plan to be—gathered by these seducing spirits? Surely not. Would you be likely to listen to their voices? May the Lord help us to not pay attention at all to the seducing power of the archenemy. His strategies of battle are so sharp and delusive that when the very work of salvation goes on, he’s seducing the very hearers of Jesus.

“Angels were united in the work of Him who had broken the seals and taken the book. Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict; but they are held in check by the angels. When this restraining power is removed, there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels, with their living cargo, will be entombed in the great deep. All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under the leadership of satanic agencies. But they are to be kept under control till the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon.”6

All sorts of pressures are performed by these “seducing spirits”: spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and even physically. The family is affected, the church is affected, the society is affected by them! Familial, social, political, military, a whole world is twisted and seduced towards its own destruction.

Will your family—and our church—stand?

“As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks. Some who are now ready to take up weapons of warfare will in times of real peril make it manifest that they have not built upon the solid rock; they will yield to temptation. Those who have had great light and precious privileges, but have not improved them, will, under one pretext or another, go out from us. Not having received the love of the truth, they will be taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and will depart from the faith.”7

A question for each of us to meditate upon:

“Will you squander God’s talents, and lose your soul through idolatrous love of the blessings He has given?”8

2. Those who listen to the voice of the Shepherd

A rabbi was once asking a Christian about the famous question referring to a pasage in the Bible: “Which is the first commandment of all?” Obviously, the good Christian answered by repeating the well-known verse which is mentioned both in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy and as well in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” To that, the rabbi answered: “Sir, your answer is not complete! You forgot to memorize the beginning of this commandment, which says: ‘The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment’ (Mark 12:29, 30). We need to hear, we need to listen to the voice of God, my dear Christian!”

How much do we as Christ’s followers need to make sure we are listening to His voice! The true followers of Jesus, listen to His voice only! Not to their own thoughts and reasonings, not to the notions of learned men, not to preeminent speakers or influencers, not to anything that this world may offer, but to the voice of Jesus! That’s why, if you are a speaker or a writer, if you speak on a TV program, radio program, podcast, YouTube, recorded sermons or videos, social media video or audio recordings, etc., make sure, and I emphasize, make sure that you don’t speak your opinions but rather: “Preach the word!” (2 Timothy 4:2). There’s nothing more that the world needs than the voice of Jesus, the pure voice of God! Oh, that we may hear the sweet voice of Jesus speaking to us, and through us to others, more than anything else!

“Oh, that all could behold our precious Saviour as He is, a Saviour. Let His hand draw aside the veil which conceals His glory from our eyes. It shows Him in His high and holy place. What do we see? Our Saviour, not in a position of silence and inactivity. He is surrounded with heavenly intelligences, cherubim, and seraphim, ten thousand times ten thousand of angels.”9

While this world is growing in agitation, in a constant state of anxiety and nervous excitement about anything and everything, the followers of Jesus put their trust in Him. They follow His example. That is not only in peaceful times, but especially in very troublous times!

Probably one of the most stressful moments of our Saviour’s ministry together with His disciples was the terrible moment of the betrayal of Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. The pure and innocent One, betrayed by one of the most infamous names around the world and most infamous kiss. How would you react? Like Peter? Would you cut off someone’s ear as he did? What would you and I do? Yet our Saviour’s delaration is majestically made: “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36). [Emphasis added].

The prince of darkness was not satisfied to kill only the Prince of life. Satan is constantly looking to destroy anyone who listens and follows the meek and lowly Jesus. But we have hope; we have a powerful army from the kingdom of heaven that looks over the faithful ones on the earth. Even though we may be passing through difficult times, stressful moments, with all sorts of evil words said about us, and maybe even to the extent of persecution and betrayal; do not forget that all heaven is interested in your faithful soul. The heavenly intelligences are very interested in what’s going on here!

“All these heavenly beings have one object above all others, in which they are intensely interested—His church in a world of corruption. All these armies are in the service of the Prince of heaven, exalting the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. They are working for Christ under His commission, to save to the uttermost all who look to Him and believe in Him. These heavenly intelligences are speeding on their mission, doing for Christ that which Herod and Pilate did against Him. They confederate together to uphold the honor and glory of God. They are united in a holy alliance, in a grand and sublime unity of purpose, to show forth the power and compassion and love and glory of the crucified and risen Saviour.”10

When your soul is tempted to be anxious about the prevailing powers of darkness manifested in the political world, in the scientifical world, in the military world, in the whole society, and sadly of all—maybe even in the church of God, keep this in mind: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7).

“Angels are belting the world, refusing Satan his claims to supremacy, made because of the vast multitude of his adherents. We hear not the voices, we see not with the natural sight the work of these angels, but their hands are linked about the world, and with sleepless vigilance they are keeping the armies of Satan at bay till the sealing of God’s people shall be accomplished.”11

“In their service, these armies of heaven illustrate what the church of God should be. Christ is working in their behalf in the heavenly courts, sending out His messengers to all parts of the globe, to the assistance of every suffering one who looks to Him for relief, for spiritual life and knowledge.”12

I already quoted the following paragraph in the first part of this article with regard to the separation that will be seen in our ranks. But now, let’s focus on the unity that will be seen in our ranks:

“As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks. . . . When the storm of persecution really breaks upon us, the true sheep will hear the true Shepherd’s voice. Self-denying efforts will be put forth to save the lost, and many who have strayed from the fold will come back to follow the great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and present to the enemy a united front. In view of the common peril, strife for supremacy will cease; there will be no disputing as to who shall be accounted greatest. No one of the true believers will say: ‘I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas.’ The testimony of one and all will be: “I cleave unto Christ; I rejoice in Him as my personal Saviour.’ ”13

When you see notes of discord, envy, jealousy, doubt, complaints, verbal violence, dishonesty, sadness, egotism, laziness, anxiety, falsehood, confusion, indolence, indifference, inferiority, indecisiveness, superfici-ality, greed, worry, distraction, demoralization, do not go there in your mind. Do not step on that side that goes towards separation from the church of God.

Stay on the positive side! Stay on the side of faith! Abide there! Draw closer together, nearer to Christ and to one another! In humility seek to promote notes of self-sacrifice, supportiveness, responsibility, forgiveness, honesty, calmness, gentleness, inspiration, love, goodness, courage, help, activity, diligence, loyalty, efficiency, motivation, creativity, sincerity, passion, understanding, gratitude, and above all, involvement in saving the lost!

“The church of Christ on earth is amid the moral darkness of a disloyal world, which is trampling upon the law of Jehovah. But their Redeemer, who has purchased their ransom with the price of His own precious blood, has made every provision that His church shall be a transformed body, illumined with the Light of the world, possessing the glory of Emmanuel. The bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, shining through His church, will gather into His fold every lost, straying sheep, who will come unto Him and find refuge in Him. They will find peace and light and joy in Him who is peace and righteousness forever.”14

“The Lord is a refuge for all who put their trust in Him. He bids them hide in Him for a little moment, until the indignation shall be overpast. He is soon to come out of His place to punish the world for its iniquity. Then the earth shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain.”15

“For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest . . . but ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:18, 22–27).

The sheep and the goats. Matthew 25. The choice is ours.

“The church of God is a living witness, a continual testimony, to convince men if accepted, to condemn them if resisted and rejected.”16

Please, in the name of Jesus, hear the true Shepherd’s voice, seek unity with all the faithful ones! If we want to be saved at the end, we need to make sure that we are listening to the full orders of the Heavenly captain. “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh” (Hebrews 12:25).