0818. Obedience and Knowledge

Obedience and Knowledge

"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth" (Hos_6:3).

Another verse much like our key text is found in Joh_7:17 : "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself."

God said on one occasion, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? * * for I know him (Abraham), that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord" (Gen_18:17-19).

Why should God reveal His plans to disobedient children? They would not follow if they knew His will. God will and does make plain paths for the feet of those who are swift to run in His ways.

One of the questions that is constantly on the lips of the believers is, How may I know the will of God? There are many things that need to be said. Two things are all-important. The first is negative. There must be a life of non-conformity to the world. The second is positive: There must be a life presented to Christ. Then according to Rom_12:1-2 we will be able to know "what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

The message of Rom_12:1-2, boiled down, is a call to obedience, as the basis of discovering the will of God. A life conformed to the world does not care to know God's will. A life presented, to God as a living sacrifice, is a life ready to fulfil all His will. To such an one and only to such an one will God reveal His purposes. Obedience is vital to an assured knowledge of what God wants us to do.

Some one may ask, "How can we obey God until we first know what He would have us do?" The answer is simple. It is the attitude or spirit of obedience we must manifest first of all, and then, as the will of God unfolds, we will follow step by step.

As we obey in step one, God will reveal step two–"then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord." It is the same in doctrine as in duty; in creed as in conduct; if we do the first thing, we shall know the teaching on the next thing–"If any man will do His will He shall know of the doctrine."

The shall we know, if we follow on

To know the Lord, to do His will;

Then shall we walk as He commands

And He with peace our life will fill.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR