ONE compensation of obedience is the acquisition of spiritual truth and knowledge. Generally, knowledge is looked upon as belonging to the mind. This, of course, is true of certain factual knowledge as scientific experiment and theoretical truth. It is certainly not true of spiritual knowledge.
We do not grasp Biblical knowledge by the intellect alone, but with the whole nature. Said our Lord, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,, whether it be of God" (John 7:17).
Commenting on the truth that obedience opens the door to spiritual understanding, the servant of God declares:
Disobedience has closed the door to a vast amount of knowledge that might have been gained from the Scriptures. Understanding means obedience to God's commandments. The Scriptures are not to be adapted to meet the prejudice and jealousy of men. They can be understood only by those who are humbly seeking for a knowledge of the truth that they may obey it.—Christ's Object Lessons, p. 112. (Italics supplied.)
It is not to an intellectual aristocracy but to a believing body of obedient saints, that God grants spiritual revelation. Intellectualism is desirable, but never at the expense of loyalty and obedience to God's revealed will. Often church members request an evaluation of certain tracts and publications prepared by either apostates or enemies of the truth. Of course, the chief purpose of these tracts is to convince the reader to withdraw his membership from the church and unite with the apostate movement.
False doctrines and offshoot movements will be with us till the end of time. How, then, may one distinguish between truth and error, regardless of the source from which it may arise?
Christ tells us how. Be obedient to the revealed will of God, He admonishes, and you will know "whether it be of God." None need be uncertain as to what is the revealed will of God. Said the psalmist: "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart" (Ps. 40:8).
God's will for us is wrapped up in His ten-commandment law. Every act of loyalty to it clarifies the mind and enlarges the area of our spiritual knowledge. Every fulfilled obligation to God and man makes clearer the distinction between truth and error.
As long as we are constant in our obedience to God's law we need not fear the wolves in sheep's clothing who are seeking to tear down God's church. Neither are we called upon to stone the wolves or to chase their whelps. If we attempted this it would draw us away from our duty and obedience to God. This is precisely what the wolves desire.
Let the wolves wail and howl. That is in keeping with their predatory nature. Our task is infinitely greater. It is to keep our feet in the unswerving pathway of obedience which leads the people of God into the kingdom, for "blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
Said the messenger of God: "Satan seeks to counterwork the work of God, and he is constantly urging men to accept his principles. He represents the chosen people of God as a deluded people. He is an accuser of the brethren, and his accusing power is employed against those who work righteousness. The Lord desires through His people to answer Satan's charges by showing the results of obedience to right principles."—Ibid., p. 296. (Italics supplied.) Here is one way to answer the wolf's howl.