In John 7:17, the Lord gives us a most basic principle for understanding truth, "If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself." If we are going to know the truth, we must be committed to living that truth. It is not those who just know the truth about the cross who are saved, but those who have had the truth of the cross applied to their lives. When this truth is applied to our lives, we are born again into a life of union and obedience to God.