WILLING TO DO GOD’S WILL

Jesus said, “If anyone wills to do His (God’s) will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” What are the takeaways from this profound statement by our Lord:

* The first “will” (Gr. thelo) is to will with active volition and purpose. In the present subjunctive it expresses continuous action with some condition. Here the condition is “to do His will”, God’s will.

* The second “will” (Gr. thelema, the neutered noun of thelo) has the definite article denoting God’s will, His disposition toward something, what God Himself does of His own good pleasure. Here referring directly to the doctrine... the teachings, of Jesus.

* “The word “Know” is very significant in that it is translated from the Greek ginosko which means to know through personal experience… intimate relationship, through fellowship with God.

* “The doctrine” has the definite article denoting God’s doctrine... God’s will… The Truth.

Jesus is “The Truth”, and only spoke The Truth... God’s will, for He only said and did what he received from the Father. To continually will to do God’s will is the focused response of a heart owned by and submitted to God. Such a heart will do God’s will as best it knows how. And through “doing” The Truth – Christ -- is known and experienced personally and intimately. This is a progressive spiritual process. If anyone – that’s you and I – consistently wills to do God’s will we shall know “The Truth”… Jesus, and personally experience Him in progressive revelation. 

And, of course, the converse is also true: If anyone does not will to do God’s will he shall not know The Truth. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine”: In these last times we know that people will be drawn away from The Truth by doctrines that scratch the itch in their heart... doctrines that please and satisfy the desires of their fleshly nature... Self. The twenty-first century church has lost its spiritual rudder and is adrift in the sea of Self-appeasing doctrine; its compass no longer points to Jesus… The Truth. The church no longer “wills to do His (God’s) will.”

Captured in this small verse is the essence of a life pleasing to God: Submission to the Lordship of Jesus and commitment to doing God’s will as best one can. This is the willingness to do God’s will no matter what, disregarding the inconvenience, personal sacrifice, and opinions of others. This is “Walking in The Light”, having fellowship with one another, cleansed from all sin.  This is being “Led by The Spirit” as sons and daughters of God. This is abiding in The One abiding in us, as a branch joined to The Vine, bearing fruit. “And you shall know The Truth (Jesus), and The Truth (Jesus) shall make you free”

AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH

(Jn. 7:17, 14:6,10, 5:19, 12:49,50, 8:28, 32, 15:4;2 Tim. 4:3; Rom. 8;14; 1 Jn. 1:7