Learning to Know God’s Way More Accurately

Learning to Know God’s Way More Accurately

From reading Acts 18:26 we un­derstand that Apollos needed to know God’s way more accurately for himself. And by reading about him we see that he was very receptive to this instruction. He was mighty in the Scriptures. V. 24. In other words, he had a living interest in God’s Word. He was willing to be in­structed in the way of the Lord (v. 25) and was fervent in spirit: alert, zeal­ous, and keenly interested. When he spoke to others he “taught accu­rately the things of the Lord.” This thoroughness and alertness por­trays a man who was far from su­perficial and indifferent. We need to have examples like Apollos be­fore us—even more in our time—a time that is characterized by people who are extroverted and superfi­cial, with so many things compet­ing to capture our minds.

Priscilla and Aquila explained to him the way of God more accu­rately. Apollos was keenly inter­ested in continually learning to know God’s way more and more accurately. We know that the way in Jesus’ steps is a way in humilia­tion, a way in lowliness. Do we have a great desire to learn to know the way of humiliation more accurately, to walk on it more accurately, and to experience it more accurately?

The way into the sanctuary goes through the flesh. All of us are in desperate need of constantly learning to know it more accu­rately. In the new covenant God’s laws are written in our hearts and minds. Heb. 10:16. Should we not have a living interest in getting to know them more accurately? These are laws that bring peace and har­mony into our existence in all kinds of circumstances. Just think what we will gain from knowing them more accurately!!

The old covenant had ordi­nances imposed until the time of ref­ormation. Heb. 9:10. A person can have a keen sense for “ordinances” without having the least under­standing of God’s way through which everything comes into order. Apollos neither longed for nor had a need for learning to know fleshly ordinances better, but rather God’s way. That is the same as getting to know each of Jesus Christ’s steps more accurately. And His steps “drip with abundance” (Ps. 65:11), they drip with blessing! Blessed is each one who is called, and has an ear for something that is so exalted! Should not every one who is drawn to this have a fervent desire to be­come more accurately acquainted with God’s way?

In New Songs #44 we sing, “Fix your vision on Him, for this way He has been.” Fix your vision on the steps He has left behind on the new and living way. The way that He consecrated is full of steps. Among other things we come to “. . . faithful in the small: the way of heroes, true . . .” on this way. New Songs #171. Should we not have a living interest in getting to know His steps more accurately? They are the steps of Him who did not commit sin and in whose mouth was found no guile; and when He suffered, He committed Himself to God. 1 Pet. 2:21 flg. He learned obedience by the things He suffered, obedience to all the divine laws that the Father revealed to Him. The fact that He learned obe­dience obviously does not mean that He had at some time been diso­bedient and so had to learn obedi­ence. Far from it! However, He con­stantly learned to be obedient in new areas; the way went deeper and deeper, the blessed laws of the Spirit of life became clearer and clearer to His consciousness. Yes, we have a real need to learn to know God’s way more accurately. Apollos had this need, Priscilla and Aquila had this need, and we have this need.

Now is the time for our train­ing. When the day has come that the earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Is. 11:9), there will be a need for those who have learned to know God’s way more accurately. They have learned to leave steps behind that drip with blessing.