John 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. Christianity is emphatically a system of truth. But what gives it pre-eminence is that it is a system of saving truth. This being so, it is important that we should know how best to become aquainted with it. Man's mode differs from God's, man says "read, study," etc.; God says, "Obey." The truths of Christianity can only be understood by those who are willing to obey God, and who are in harmony with Him. Apply this to — I. THE DOCTRINAL TRUTHS OF CHRISTIANITY. No serious person can observe the prevalence of scepticism without asking the cause. 1. The doubters themselves say — (1) The surroundings of Christianity are so mysterious that there seems no way of getting at its truths. (2) Some of the doctrines are so inexplicable that there seems no possibility of obtaining a rational comprehension of them. (3) The evidences are defective. 2. These are not the real reasons. The real cause is not intellectual but moral. Christ settles that for us, "Men love darkness rather than light," "If any man will do His will." The condition is not perfect obedience; but full purpose to obey God's will as far as discovered. The sceptic's will is against Christianity. He does not wish it to be true, and therefore objects to its being proved true. A variety of motives lie behind. (1) Fear of old companions. (2) Self interest. A change of opinion would involve loss. (3) Vanity. A change of opinions would bring the imputation of fickleness. (4) Party spirit. (5) A bad heart and life. A true creed is a constant protest against evil. 3. In order to form a right conception of the doctrine of Christ, there are hindrances which must be removed. Self-will must be conquered, and prejudices laid aside. In scientific investigation, if your supreme object be the confirmation of your previous opinions, you will find it an agreeable task to lay aside every evidence that would overthrow them. But if your supreme object be truth, then you will not suffer yourself to be hampered by your old theory, but you will welcome light from whatever source. This is what Christ requires. Test His system by obeying its laws. In Corinth doubts had arisen about the Resurrection, and St. Paul constructs a magnificent argument to meet them. But in the midst he breaks off with "Be not deceived," etc., a statement around which the whole argument revolves. Corrupted by evil surroundings, their life had become wrong, and hence their creed became wrong. "Give yourselves to righteousness and you shall know of the doctrine." A young man brought up religiously leaves his rural home for the great city. He yields to temptation — does it a second time and a third, until it becomes a habit. It is thus inconvenient to retain his belief in the Bible because it protests against his wickedness. There may be cases in which creed influences life, but mostly life shapes creed. II. THE MORAL TRUTHS. These are acknowledged to be the noblest the world has known. We hear no objection against Christianity based on their imperfection, but on their purity. There are commands, says the sceptic, that no man can comply with. The answer to this is not argument but facts. Men have embodied Christ's precepts. Godless surgeons have witnessed the peace and joy of their agonizing patient with amazement, because they did not themselves know of the doctrine. Men have suffered wrong with patience and returned good for evil, and have confounded their unchristian neighbours for the same reason. How are they to learn the secret? Not by reading essays or hearing orations on submission and forgiveness, but by practising these things in humble dependence on God's Spirit. "Exercise thyself unto godliness." Aristotle said, "Things we learn to know we learn by the doing of them." But men want to learn things without this — patience without being patient, meekness without forgiving, heaven without walking in the way, God without prayer. How can He? Christ's method is to learn by doing. Virtue must go before knowledge. Grow in grace, etc. (2 Peter 1:5, cf 8). III. THE EXPERIMENTAL TRUTHS. 1. There is in Christianity, not only something to be believed, but something to be felt. Some of its truths are beyond the range of the intellect. There is a "peace which passeth understanding," "joy unspeakable," "love which passeth knowledge." These belong to the heart, and to feel them is to know them. There is a great difference between having an opinion and knowing. You may master the "evidences," and believe that Christianity is Divine — but that is only an opinion. Feel God, realize His power, do His will until Christ is formed within you, then you know that Christianity is true. Fellow Christian! you are mourning the withdrawal of the Divine favour, your spirit is beclouded, you have faltered in some duty. What is the remedy? Return and run in the way of God's commandments and the sun will shine upon you again. 2. In a healthy body the organs are fitted for the discharge of their separate functions — the eye for seeing, the palate for tasting. But these are only witnesses, they report to the mind which can please itself about believing the testimony. I am jaundiced to-day and my eye tells me that the grass is yellow; or fevered, and my palate tells me that honey is bitter. So when a carnal man looks at religion he pronounces it sad. But the fault is not in religion but in himself. The fever of sin is in his soul, he has an evil eye. In order to know the truth of God he must have a heart in sympathy with holiness, then he will know of the doctrine. 3. Modern rationalists will not accept this testimony of experience. They judge of Christianity by the eye of reason alone But there is enough to demand both eyes. Take a man who has studied scientifically our coal formations. He can tell you its component parts, and discriminate between different kinds. But suppose that man crossing the Alps in a snow storm, of what avail is his theory when perishing of cold? Look, on the other hand, at the weary son of toil wending his way to his cottage home exposed to the bitter blast. He seats himself before the fire. He cannot tell what that is made of which warms him, but he knows something better. He feels the heat. So it is with religion. Let those who please take the theory; give me to feel the glow.Conclusion. 1. Let us admire the benevolence of God in making this the condition of knowing. It places the proof of Christianity within the reach of all. 2. But the truth is also very admonitory. "The wicked shall not understand." (R. Roberts.) Parallel Verses KJV: If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. |
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