If you’re going to know gaslighting from gospel witness, you have to know Him.
My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me.
Let’s break that down a little more:
My sheep
hear My voice
I know them
they follow Me
There is a relationship between the sheep and the Shepherd that supersedes all else. He knows the sheep. The sheep know Him. He calls; they respond. He leads; they follow.
Here’s where there can be a breakdown. There are pastor/teachers in the church today, little “s” shepherds, and if we are not careful, we can hear their voice and mistake it for capital “T” truth. That is not so. We are living after the veil has been torn. We have access into the presence of the Father Himself. We do not need anyone to speak to us on His behalf - we get that privilege directly. My sheep hear My voice.
His voice is Scripture. And women have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them into all wisdom and understanding. A little “s” shepherd’s voice should never be louder than the true Shepherd’s voice and should never contradict what the Good Shepherd already said.
Gaslighting takes place when a shepherd reveals that God has led him someplace everyone needs to follow but you don’t hear the Saviour say that the route is safe.
My sheep hear My voice.
And I know them.
And they follow Me.
I don’t need permission to follow Him.