The Truth (Part 1) – Sermon by Steven Loots

Scripture: John 8:31-32

^“31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Introduction:

• The Problem of multiple Religions in the time of Christ
  • The Ancient world had multiple religions and within them there were multiple sects and factions – including in Judaism.
  • Each believed that they had a grasp on truth. The sort of truth that would put you in a right relationship with God – mostly by appeasing an angry God.
  • Each one tried to get to God in his own way through laws and rituals and sacrifice and service.
  • Each had a concept of God – a theology of their own.
  • It is into this lost and confused world that Jesus came and said – you can know the truth and the truth will free you, bring you peace, put you in a right relationship with the true God.
• The Problem of multiple gospels and religions today:
  • People are still seeking truth.
  • People are still lost, still running after every new thing in search of peace and freedom.
• The Problem of subjective vs objective truth:
  • Added to the competitive voices shouting, “this is the truth, No! This is the truth!” We also have the whole movement which says, “my truth is true for me and your truth is true for you. Let’s just be tolerant of each other’s truth. There is no objective truth – no one standard for all.”
  • “All roads take us to the top of the same mountain…”

What is Truth?

The Bible is the Truth

The Bible gives us the big picture.

• The Bible is God speaking and saying, “Here is the truth about life and death.”
• The Bible reveals that it was never intended for there to be the spiritual chaos that we see around us.
• It reveals that the Almighty God of the universe – the only true God, created all that we see and cannot see; and that when He created man gave him Free Will. There was no confusion, no misunderstanding. Everything God made was good.

The Bible also reveals how, the Devil, the father of all lies, led man into sin, calling God’s commands into question; Turning simple truth into doubt and then causing disobedience.

Here are the facts:

• Mankind is in Enmity with God because of sin.
• God has made a way and only His way will get us back to the truth and only God’s way will set us free.
  • Reconciliation can only take place on His terms.
  • We don’t have a say. We don’t get a vote. We don’t get to exercise our personal preferences and we don’t get to negotiate.
• Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
  • John 14:6
    • “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truthand the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  • Jesus is the Truth
    • Jesus is the embodiment of truth.
    • Jesus reveals the truth.
    • Jesus lives the truth and is the truth – there is no darkness in him, no lies, no doubt, no uncertainty, no ambiguity, no mysticism and no secrets.
      • He fully revealed what God wants us to know.
      • He fulfilled all God required to bring about reconciliation.
    • Holy Spirit is the Truth

John 14:16-18: “¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

• The Holy Spirit inspired the Word.
• The Holy Spirit reminds us of and always points to Jesus and to the Word.
• The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Bible.

• The Gospel is the truth
  • The Gospel is the truth in our hands.
  • We have the Holy Spirit in us who empowers us.
  • We have the Gospel that we take to the world revealing the truth to them so that they can be set free too.
  • The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation…

Reminder: The father of lies still tries to distort the truth, he hates mankind and will do anything to steal, kill and destroy. He fights the truth with half-truths, suspicion, doubts and outright lies. We need to be aware of his plans and we need to know the truth so that we can proclaim it accurately. More about this in the next few weeks…