JOH 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.

>>Jesus' brethren after the flesh left Christ for the Feast! As is so common in our day—religious performances and forms of godliness satisfy a carnal desire for eternal security.

2TI 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

>>Our Saviour did not disobey His Father's command to attend the Feast of tabernacles—but He would not take part in all the fan-fare His brethren wanted to make of it.

JOH 7:10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

>>Our Saviour's doctrine spoken of in our text was taught by His example in unconditional submission to His Father's will—He went, not with a big fan-fare, "but as it were in secret," i.e., with meeknes and lowliness.

JOH 7:15-16 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

>>The scribes and Pharisees were very offended by the gracious words of our Saviour saying, "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?"

LUK 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

>>Where is the authority in our modern day religion? Is it in some theologian, or is it in those gracious words which flow from the mouth of our blessed Saviour?

>>Can a man enter the ministry of the gospel without graduating form some seminary? See what the Apostle Paul said in GAL 1:11-12 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

12 For I neither received it of man [he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, but he says], neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

>>The blessed revelation of Jesus Christ which we receive by those gracious words which proceeded out of our Saviour's mouth were so meek and lowly! "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." Now see the central emphasis of our text.

JOH 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.

>>This word "doctrine," which means "teaching," i.e., teaching the truth of God is in the singular sense. We see this also in 1TI 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

>>This stands in striking contrast with Scripture which speaks of the "doctrines of men," such as in HEB 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

1TI 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

>>Our text says, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

>>Our text tells us how we are to attain unto both spiritual knowledge, and also the most blessed assurance of our faith—The fundamental condition for obtaining spiritual knowledge is a genuine heart-desire to carry out the revealed will of God.

ROM 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit [i.e., with our mental disposition], that we are the children of God:

>>Wherever the heart is right with God, our text says He will give the capacity to apprehend the truth!

>>If the heart is not right in loving the truth, wherein would be the value of knowing God's truth?— When there is no love for the truth God, He not only blinds the mind for the truth, but see what we read in 2TH 2:10-12 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

>>To those who "had pleasure in unrighteousness" God sends a delusion, but our text says, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine."

>>See the gracious words of our Saviour as He was teaching the spirit of the law of love in MAT 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

>>Sincerity of heart is gospel perfection, and where it is missing our best righteousness are but filthy rags as we see from the history of Amaziah in 2CH 25:2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.

>>Our labour of love is accepted where it is done in sincerity though it is done with many imperfections as we see in the case of Asa—

2CH 15:17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

>>David was guilty of the most grievous sins, yet see what we read about the sincerity of his heart in the way of gospel perfection.

1KI 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

>>In each of these Scriptural uses of the word "perfect" it comes from the Hebrew word "shalem" which means "complete, or friendly—to reciprocate, or reimburse," that is not eye for eye, and tooth for tooth—but love for love!

>>Gospel perfection is when our actions and conversation, are salted with the realization that our every thought and intent of the heart, are transparent before our blessed heavenly Father. David could say: PSA 18:22-23 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

>>This is the doctrine of our blessed Saviour! Our text says, "If any man will do his will, [Our Saviour's doctrine teaches gospel perfection—He is looking at our will—i.e., the sincerity of our heart! Are we walking in gospel perfection? Are the thoughts and innermost desires of our hearts friendly with the revealed will of our Heavenly Father's will? Has our will been reconciled with His blessed will?

2CO 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

>>Our text says he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

ROM 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

>>Our Saviour says that in the end times it shall be as in the days of Noah— This is not only in the sense that iniquity shall abound—but the good news is that there shall still be such a thing as gospel perfection.

GEN 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

>>Even in our generation of apostasy—our Saviour's doctrine holds true—"If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God."

2CO 1:12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

>>Job understood Christ's doctrine of gospel perfection;

JOB 27:6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

>>See what our Saviour taught in His doctrine of gospel perfection—or that is, of friendliness toward God's will, reciprocating in His love in JOH 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

>>As we endeavor in sincerity and truth to keep right with our Lord and His will—in equal proportion the Lord allows us access to Him in a special manner.

1JO 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

>>Thousands of years ago one of Israel's prophets recorded the same doctrine of gospel perfection as Jesus brought out in our text, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,

HOS 6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

>>The proud, hypocritical, rebellious Pharisees were not friendly to the doctrine of gospel perfection—i.e., the spirit of the law of love, but the Lord has not left Himself without a witness.

JOH 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

>>Those who live by Christ's doctrine of Gospel perfection glorify God, but see what we read of those who forsake His law!

PRO 28:4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

>>Our text says, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself," but see what we read in

PRO 28:5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

>>As we grow in our understanding of the doctrine of Christ, i.e., of gospel perfection we learn to understand what David talked about in PSA 24:3-5 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

>>Christ is honoured by the favored few who have received the grace to understand His doctrine—who's lives are not stained with their outward conversation—i.e., cursing, swearing, filthiness, deceitfulness in dealings, lying, or profaning His Sabbath, etc.

>>Christianity is not found in doing the orders of God in a legalistic manner—making clean the outside of the platter, but in the inner man of the heart.

ROM 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

>>Our text says, "If any man will [i.e., If any man is willing to] do his will, he shall know of the doctrine," which calls for action. The Apostle Paul said, ACT 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.

>>When we live as the light of the world, as the salt of the earth the Lord is glorified by the conviction of their conscience, even if it does not result in stopping a sinner in his career of sin,

PHI 2:14-16 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Those who have learned to live by the doctrine of Christ, i.e., "If any man will do his will," will find in their dying hour what a pleading ground it will be. See what Hezekiah said upon his deathbed.

ISA 38:3 And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.

>>Think of what a contrast it will be for those who's conscience will arise to testify against them in that hour. See what Paul says in 2CO 1:12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

>>A dead fish can float down the stream without any effort, but Joshua was willing to do the will of the Father according to Christ's doctrine of gospel perfection.

JOS 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

>>Serving the Lord under the Kingship of Christ is not any sacrifice at all, when we have been renewed in the Spirit of our mind, and we have our hearts set upon things of eternal value.

2CO 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

>>Our text says, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."