Obedience and Spiritual Understanding
In his book 40 Days to a Purpose Driven Life, author Rick Warren calls attention to the relationship between our willingness to submit to God's will and our insight into His teachings, as stated in John 7:17:
"If anyone chooses to do God's will (do those things God commands), he will find out (learn) whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." (NIV)
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible says, "He that is inclined to submit to the rules of the divine law is disposed to admit the rays of divine light". One of those counter-intuitive spiritual realities. Our human nature wants evidence, proof of validity before embracing something, yet if we wait to respond to God until we fully understand the veracity of His teachings with our natural minds, we'll never "get" them. This verse makes it clear that if we want understanding, we must first assume the posture of sincerely desiring and endeavoring to do God's will.
But I'm going to back it up yet another step: not only is it God who will grant the understanding as we follow His will, it's He who first grants us the desire to follow. Jesus said that no one can come to Him unless God the Father has first granted it (John 6:65). So it is God who initiates the entire process by divinely granting faith to believe and receive His Son along with faith for desiring and endeavoring to yield to God's will. Meaning that I can't obey God OR grasp the spiritual authority inherent in His teachings without His enablement: I am the recipient of a precious grace.
Applied to my life, this means that I try to live by "every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4) whether I "get" the rationale for His instructions or not. I am often tempted to omit/resist/reject those things I can't wrap my mind around. But to do that would disregard the causal relationship between obedience and spiritual understanding.
Ever say to your child, or student, perhaps, "Just do it because I say so"? God does, knowing that we'll understand His reasons later. Likewise, if I act on His instructions, even the illogical ones, by faith, then I'll receive divine insight. Psalm 11:10 confirms this: "[they] have a good understanding that do His commandments."
Jameson, Fawcett, and Brown Commentary calls this desire to please Him, which He initiates and imparts, the "grand inlet to light on all questions vitally affecting [our] eternal interest".
Thank You, Father.
"If anyone chooses to do God's will (do those things God commands), he will find out (learn) whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." (NIV)
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible says, "He that is inclined to submit to the rules of the divine law is disposed to admit the rays of divine light". One of those counter-intuitive spiritual realities. Our human nature wants evidence, proof of validity before embracing something, yet if we wait to respond to God until we fully understand the veracity of His teachings with our natural minds, we'll never "get" them. This verse makes it clear that if we want understanding, we must first assume the posture of sincerely desiring and endeavoring to do God's will.
But I'm going to back it up yet another step: not only is it God who will grant the understanding as we follow His will, it's He who first grants us the desire to follow. Jesus said that no one can come to Him unless God the Father has first granted it (John 6:65). So it is God who initiates the entire process by divinely granting faith to believe and receive His Son along with faith for desiring and endeavoring to yield to God's will. Meaning that I can't obey God OR grasp the spiritual authority inherent in His teachings without His enablement: I am the recipient of a precious grace.
Applied to my life, this means that I try to live by "every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4) whether I "get" the rationale for His instructions or not. I am often tempted to omit/resist/reject those things I can't wrap my mind around. But to do that would disregard the causal relationship between obedience and spiritual understanding.
Ever say to your child, or student, perhaps, "Just do it because I say so"? God does, knowing that we'll understand His reasons later. Likewise, if I act on His instructions, even the illogical ones, by faith, then I'll receive divine insight. Psalm 11:10 confirms this: "[they] have a good understanding that do His commandments."
Jameson, Fawcett, and Brown Commentary calls this desire to please Him, which He initiates and imparts, the "grand inlet to light on all questions vitally affecting [our] eternal interest".
Thank You, Father.
posted by Linda at
11:37 PM
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