Passage
He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
John 8:47 (LSB)
Nearby Context
John 8:45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.
John 8:46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?
John 8:47 He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
John 8:48 The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
John 8:49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "hears", "words", and "reason". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hears" and "words", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 46's "Which one of you convicts Me of..." into verse 48's "The Jews answered and said to Him...", so "hears" and "words" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "hears" and "words" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.