Today if You Hear His Voice...

     You men who are stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just what your fathers did.
                                   Acts 7:51 NASB

     The individuals that this verse is speaking of were those who had rejected the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. They were the ones who had been responsible for betraying Him into the hands of the Romans, and having Him put to death.
     They  stubbornly refused to hear what Jesus taught. They refused to accept that what He proclaimed was the truth, and they must put it into practice in their lives. They stiffened their necks and hardened their hearts against the truth.
     Many individuals are just like that today. They hear the faithful witness of the gospel, and they are angered. They hear as the word of God is proclaimed in truth, and close their ears, and stubbornly refuse to submit to the claims of Christ.
     These individuals are not merely resisting what men teach, but are in fact resisting the Holy Spirit as He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment in their own sinful hearts (John 16:8-11). It is in fact the Holy Spirit working through the witness of faithful believers, who convicts the sinner of his sin, who convinces the sinner of his lost condition, of his danger, and need for the Savior.
     To go on resisting the Holy Spirit by rejecting His message is to do so at your own eternal peril. We are given this warning in scripture,

     Today if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts...
                  Psalm 95: 7-8; Hebrews 4:7

     This is a grave warning to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit. The ancient Israelites failed to do this and suffered severe consequences because of their stubborn refusal to hear and obey.
     We are warned in Proverbs, that to stubbornly resist reproof is fatal to our souls.

     A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.
                              Proverbs 29:1 NASB

     Friend, are you one who has heard the gospel message and closed your ears against it? Have you felt conviction of sin deep within your heart, and yet tried to ignore it, tried to drown it out? You are resisting the Holy Spirit! He is convicting you because God loves you and is not willing that you perish, but that you would repent of your sin and follow Jesus (2 Peter 3:9).
     Do not resist Him a moment longer. You will never come to Christ and be saved without the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart. He will only be resisted so much before it is too late.