Jesus said in 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.” The first “will” in this verse conveys the concept of desire; thus, Jesus is affirming if a man truly desires or wills to do God’s will, then he will know what God’s will is.
There are many today who say that the Bible cannot be understood. They point to the great variety of conflicting concepts people have about certain Bible subjects as proof for their claim. Though many very educated people differ in their views on the scriptures, the problem is not with the Bible. God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Many people were divided over the identity of Jesus while He was here on earth (John 7:43), and today there is still division over who He is, but the defect has never been in Jesus. The defect is in the hearts of men.

Jesus’ words in John 7:17 still ring true. Jesus did not claim that education or intelligence will absolutely guarantee true knowledge of God’s will. Though those factor in, the main ingredient Jesus identifies is desire. True, honest desire to please God is the number one prerequisite for understanding God’s will. If someone comes to the Bible for any other purpose than to ascertain what God wants and does it, then there is no telling what kind of “interpretations” they may put on the Scriptures. Luke 8:15 identifies those who have an honest and good heart as the people who receive the word of God and bring forth fruit. The Bible is not only for those of supreme intellect with the highest education; God’s word is for everyone. Mark 12:37 says of Jesus that, “the common people heard him gladly,” because He did not speak like the educated religious leaders who made things so complicated. While not everyone has the privilege of the highest education, everyone can choose to be honest.
You can understand the Bible. You just have to be honest with it. Paul expected those in Ephesus to whom he wrote to be able to understand, “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” (Ephesians 3:3-4). Jesus even expected men in the first century to understand what Daniel had written centuries before concerning the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15). God expects us to read the Bible and understand His will. “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17).

–Mark Day