"If any one desire to practice His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is of God or [that] I speak from myself" (John 7:17 JND). We learn in this passage that honest obedience to God’s will is one way to obtain clear spiritual knowledge.
The difficulty of finding out what the truth is in religion is a common subject of complaint among men. They point to many differences which prevail among Christians on matters of doctrine and profess to be unable to decide who is right. In thousands of cases this professed inability to find out the truth becomes an excuse for living without any religion at all.
The saying of our Lord before us is one that demands the serious attention of persons in this state of mind. It supplies an argument whose edge and point they will find it hard to evade. It teaches that one secret of getting the key of knowledge is to practice honestly what we know and that if we conscientiously use the light we now have, we shall soon have more light coming into our minds. In short, there is a sense in which it is true, that by doing we shall come to knowing.
There is a mine of truth in this principle. Well would it be for men if they would act upon it. Instead of saying as some do, "I must first know everything clearly, and then I will act," we should say, "I will diligently use such knowledge as I possess, and believe that in the using, fresh knowledge will be given to me." How many mysteries this simple plan would solve! How many difficult things would soon become plain if men would honestly live up to their light, and "follow on to know the Lord" (Hosea 6:3).
It should never be forgotten that God deals with us as moral beings and not as beasts or stones. He loves to encourage us to self-exertion and diligent use of such means as we have in our hands. The plain things in the Word of God are undeniably very many. Let a man honestly attend to them and he shall be taught the deep things of God. Whatever some may say about their inability to find out truth, you will rarely find one of them who does not know better than he practices. Then if he is sincere, let him begin here at once. Let him humbly use what little knowledge he has, and God will soon give him more.
FRAGMENT Standing before the grave of Lazarus whose body was corrupting, the Lord demands something of those who longed for a miracle:"Take ye away the stone" (John 11:39). They might have questioned, "But Lord, You are going to raise the dead, why can’t You move this heavy stone with but a word, a thought?" Herein lies a great principle:the Lord will not do by a miracle what we are to do by obedience. Are you looking for a miracle today? Is there a stone He wants you to roll away first? Some hard unyielding attitude; someone you will not forgive; some unconfessed sin; some step of obedience He awaits? It is ours to obey, it is His to do the miracles.