John 8:47, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
The Jews claimed to be of God, but Jesus made it irrevocably clear that if they do not love Him, they cannot be of God since He came from God the Father (v. 42); for if they truly were of God, they would listen to Jesus’ words, but they cannot bear to hear it (v. 43).
This is no different today. If you despise the words of Christ—whether from the Old or New Testament—you are not of God. How can you claim Jesus to be Lord if you do not hear and do as He says? You cannot.
This saying from Christ is filled with Law; there is no Gospel. If you love Christ and what His Word says, return to verses 31-32 for the Gospel, “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth hill set you free.” The truth of Christ’s Word sets you free from the world, sin, and the Devil. If you despise and oppose His Word, you are still a slave to sin. With merely a single utterance, Christ desires to set you free.
The Lutheran Column 