GRATEFUL for the TRUTH

Intro

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

2 John 1–4 ESV

1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. 4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.

1) Truth Reveals Reality

John 1:1–18 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

We know we live in a broken and sinful world, but we don’t always keep that truth on the forefronts of our minds.

Part of our brokenness is that we think that this world is our norm and what we were made for.

We were made for much more than this world offers.

Jesus reveals truth and reality to us.

We is from God…He is God.

He is the Creator of all things.

He shines light into our darkness to reveal and expose reality.

He also reveals a reality of hope where, through Him alone, we can become children of God.

He gives grace upon grace and reveals grace and truth to us.

Our daily lives are meant to be lived in His presence and for His glory.

Our prayer, holy ambition, and pure and holy passion be to live and glorify God on earth just as we shall do in heaven.

Through Jesus, we have come to see the truth that our eternal life is happening now!

If we are not living our eternal life now then our day to day routines are a facade that keep us distracted from the eternal reality of who we really are as His children and what our lives are to really be about!

If your life would be lived out differently because you lived face to face with the fullness and glory of God in heaven, how much more should your life be lived out differently on this earth when the the fullness and glory of God dwells in you through the Holy Spirit?

We can be grateful for the truth because the truth reveals reality to us!

2) Truth Releases from Rebellion

John 8:31–36 ESV

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

As we draw close to Jesus we get closer to truth and closer to Him.

Nearness to Jesus is our greatest good and helps us to see the deep and dark dangers of sin.

Embracing the truth of our reality, the truth about sin, the truth about life, and the truth about living life in Jesus frees us from being enslaved to sin!

His sacrifice for our sin on the cross frees us to live satisfied in Him because our sin debt was satisfied by Him!

Jesus sets us free by forgiving us, restoring us, redeeming us, and releasing us from the chains of sin and shame!

We can be grateful…

That Truth reveals reality to us.

That Truth releases us from rebellion.

3) Truth Restores Righteousness

John 17:14–21 ESV

14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

We are not of this world once we belong to Jesus.

This means that the world will be hostile to us.

We should no longer try to remain in nor be like the world, rather we should try to be like Jesus!

As we yield to the Holy Spirit and walk in truth, we are sanctified by truth…

We are restored to rightness by the blood of Jesus; we are restored to righteousness through the power of Jesus by the Holy Spirit!

As reality is revealed and we are set free from sin, we are set apart as we walk in truth and live righteously.

By our lives being changed in the truth of Jesus we show the lost world around us that Jesus is the light and in Him alone there is hope.

Jesus gave Himself so we may live.

2 Corinthians 5:15–17 ESV

15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

We can be grateful for Jesus being the truth because He changes our lives as we are sanctified in the truth of God’s word.

CLOSING

Truth Reveals Reality

Truth Releases from Rebellion

Truth Restores Righteousness

Let us live our lives being grateful that Jesus is the Truth!