Understandable Only by Doing God's Will

By this you know you're on the right track.

The crowd marveled at his words. How could he have come up with teachings like that without having studied in legit learning institutions? Their religious leaders graduated from the finest seminaries of the time, but none (not even their topnotch scholars) could produce anything close to what Jesus had. Jesus demonstrated how wisdom coming supernaturally straight from the Holy Spirit was unique and radical.

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash.

It was not something their religious and theology authorities recognized or accepted. His teaching was rejected, deemed unsound, even if his detractors were solid bible believers. They believed the same God and eagerly waited for the Messiah, but rejected Jesus.

But Jesus didn't bother to explain or enlighten the authorities to earn their acceptance or respect. He didn't care. He ignored them and said the teaching was actually not his. It was the Father's. So if they had any questions, ask the Father. And anyway, no explication or theologizing could clarify the teaching except that a true seeker actually do God's will. Doing it will reveal everything and confirm Jesus' Word.

17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. [John 7]

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Doers of God's will get sharp spiritual discernment. They easily distinguish between genuine Word from God and men's word. They won't look at your religious educational background or titles or degrees to see if what you say comes from God. They don't weigh your words with their theology. They discern things by doing God's will. 

And I don't mean being active in church or doing what we call "church ministries" today. Coming from Jesus and seeing what things he did to do God's will, he surely meant God's supernatural will--preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom with signs and wonders, healing and miracles, and discipling believers using his discipleship model.

That's what "God's will" is to Jesus.

Do God's will as Jesus did and you'll see what Jesus' teaching is all about. You will find out that it comes supernaturally from God, not from men or their institutions or theology. Not from their religious traditions. In fact, Jesus, as model Servant, made sure his teaching was also not his own, though he could've done so because he is the Truth. But his teaching was from the Father. He did this to demonstrate his total obedience and submission to the Father and serve as an example we should follow. 

"...what I have heard from him I tell the world.” [John 8.26]

We should teach or preach as we hear from the Father through Christ in us. This happens when we rely totally on the Holy Spirit as Jesus did. Men's theologies and philosophies had not use for him. Everything was supernaturally from the Father so that the Son was in perfect harmony with the Father, doing things as One. 

28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” [John 8]

Personal Glory

Everybody in church claims everything done in ministry is "for God's glory," but Jesus thought otherwise. Some "speak on their own" because their teaching does not come straight from God's mouth. It comes from their human theology and sermon outline. It's precast material, everything decided by the mind trained in human methods, though prayed for. Jesus never used them. He never prepared an outline and prayed for it. Neither did the apostles in Acts. Jesus spoke as he heard from the Father. 

I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. [John 12.49 NLT]

And if you speak on your own, you're after personal glory, not God's, said Jesus--even if you keep claiming it's for God's glory. Saying only what God tells you makes you a man of truth, he said. And this is how you keep yourself truthful because, Jesus pointed out, nothing will be false about you. So you need to be able to really hear God's voice.

18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. [7.18]

It all starts with the desire to do God's will, not man's will, in church or ministry. And this means doing the very things that Jesus did. It's HIS church and ministry, after all, and we should continue exactly as he did, as he modelled, and not do our own version of things. 

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord. Then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do (not your good deeds or religion or church), but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. In Jesus alone is salvation. 

Jesus is:

“‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4] 

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.