What Truth Is

What Truth Is Psalm 19:7-9 An elderly married couple who were childhood sweethearts and had settled down in their old neighborhood are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They walk down the street to their old school. There, they hold hands as they find the old desk with the words, “I love you Sally,” carved in it. On their way home, an armored car drives by, and a bag of money falls out of the armored car practically at their feet! Sally quickly picks it up, but they don’t know what to do with it, so they take it home. There Sally counts the money and its $50,000! The husband says, “We’ve got to give it back.” She replies, “Finders Keepers” and puts the money back in the bag and hides it upstairs. Well, the next day two FBI agents are going door-to-door throughout the neighborhood searching for the money and show up at their home. They knock on the door and say, “Pardon us, but did either of you find any money that fell out of an armored car yesterday?” Sally says “NO!” However her husband speaks up and says, “She’s lying. She hid it upstairs.” “OH, don’t believe him,” Sally says, “He’s getting senile.” But the agents sit the man down and begin questioning him. One says, “Tell us the story from the beginning.” The old man begins, “Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday…” The FBI agent interrupts, looks at his partner and says, “Let’s get outta here!” For both the FBI agents and Pilate, Truth was staring them in the face, but they both didn’t recognize it. Like the older woman who just wanted the FBI agents to leave, Pilate just wanted the matter settled. So today let’s settle the matter of “What is Truth?” The first week we learned that truth is not a half-truth. The second week we learned the danger about sugar-coating the Bible. Last week we learned the danger of simply telling someone God just wants them happy. Today, we’ll combine what we’ve learned to answer Pilate’s question, “What is Truth?” To answer that question, you must sincerely seek the answer. Jesus says in Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” It’s one thing to knock on the door in search of the truth. But what will you do when the door opens? Will you embrace the truth the Light reveals, will you hide in darkness, or will you put on glasses to see the Light differently? You must have an open mind and an open heart to acknowledge the truth. Your mind must be open enough to hear the truth, and your heart must be open enough to accept the truth. Anyone who isn’t willing to change their mind to line up with the truth will ultimately change the truth to line up with their mind. When we knock on the door and ask, “What is truth,” Christ answers and His Word tells us, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me” (John 18:37). So we look to Jesus and His nature as truth because Jesus is God. Truth is not just what conforms to reality because there is no reality apart from God. Truth is what conforms to His nature. God’s nature is the standard for what is true. For example, the Bible says in Numbers 23:19 that “God is not a man, that He should lie.” Lying is wrong not just because it deceives people, but because it violates God’s nature. We can say the same for theft, murder, adultery, coveting, and so on because those things are out of line with God’s nature. Jesus is Truth because Jesus is God. He is Immanuel, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14). Jesus is the Great I AM, and “Through Him all things were made and without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). Jesus Christ is the “Alpha and the Omega” (Rev. 1:8), who, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1), “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus Christ is the Word of God because He is God who wrote His Word thru human authors! But whenever we say that the Bible is God’s Word, some will argue that “the Bible was written by imperfect people with limited knowledge, so how can the Bible be perfect and error-free?” How do you answer? By saying that God did with the Bible what He did with His Own Son in the virgin birth. The Bible says Jesus was sinless, even though a human being gave birth to Jesus. So how could an imperfect person like Mary give birth to a perfect Son? Because the Holy Spirit came upon Mary (Luke 1:35), meaning that the child in her womb was conceived by God. Mary was the person used to carry Jesus; God was the source. Since sin entered the human race through Adam, God safeguarded the purity of His Son, so an imperfect person could produce a perfect result. God did this very same thing with the Bible. When we say the Bible is inspired, we mean that God influenced the human authors so that they wrote the very Word of God. The word Inspiration means “God-breathed” and comes from the same word translated, “God is Spirit” (John 4:24) and “the breath of God” (Psalm 33:6). As Job said, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4). God’s breath is life, so when God put His Spirit into the words of Scripture, God was putting His life in Scripture, because “the Word of God is alive and active” as Hebrews 4:12 teaches. The apostle Peter could say God was the author when he said, “You must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its’ origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:20-21). So, if truth is a fixed standard of reality, of right and wrong, which has been determined by God who is True and Unchanging, then we all should give careful attention to the Bible. This means being Biblically-Balanced & Christ-Focused, which is a common theme we’ve been expressing these past 3 weeks. It’s having a daily, balanced Bible intake to absorb God’s nutritious Word while focusing upon Christ’s Cross for truth and not worldly pleasures. Truth is you can quench your thirst in money, cars, houses, and lots of other things, but you’ll thirst again. It’s when you go to the Source that you’ll never be thirsty again (John 4:13-14). When focused on Christ and His Word, everything else is in its proper light! 2 Timothy 3:16 teaches, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Rick Warren sums it up by saying, “God’s Word generates life, creates faith, produces change, frightens the Devil, causes miracles, heals hurts, builds character, transforms circumstances, imparts joy, overcomes adversity, defeats temptation, infuses hope, releases power, cleanses our minds, brings things into being, and guarantees our future forever.” There was a boy who witnessed a crime and was testifying in court. The defense attorney asked him, “Did anyone tell you what to say while you’re on the witness stand?” “Yes, sir,” the boy replied. “Who was it?” the attorney asked. “My father.” Raising his voice, the attorney asked, “And what exactly did he tell you?” “He said that some sleazy lawyer would try to trip me up, but if I told the truth, I would be just fine!” People throughout history have always tried to make the Bible say something it doesn’t, and we see that still today. In a changing world, we can faithfully trust that the Bible and “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). As today’s Scripture sums truth up, His Law is perfect, His statutes are trustworthy, His precepts are right, His commands give light, and those who revere the LORD will endure forever. If you hold to the truth, you’ll be just fine. Adrian Rogers once said, "It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts, and then heals, than falsehood that comforts, then kills. It is not love, and it is not friendship, if we fail do declare the whole counsel of God. It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie. It is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a power for God who did not have enemies and was not hated. It's better to stand alone with the truth than to be wrong with a multitude. It is better ultimately to succeed with truth than to temporarily succeed with a lie." So as we leave today, I plead with everyone, Trust in Christ & His Word. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). He didn’t say that He’s one of many ways or many truths. He is the Only Way and the Only Truth that leads to the Life Only He Can Give! Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God and said that “If you don’t believe that I AM He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). If you don’t believe in Christ and accept His Word as truth, you will die in your sins. Are you ready to face the truth, and share this truth with others? Because what you believe about this Book will be revealed by your actions. Amen. If you do not know Christ, if you are harboring a sin, or would simply like to go to God in prayer please come now. I will be more than happy to pray with you. Prayers and Concerns: Lord we ask that you bless each and every name on this prayer list and those mentioned today or those that have kept silent. You hear their prayers and know their needs. Lord Your Word offer us so much wisdom and a lifetime of insight that glorifies You. Your Word is living and active and searches our hearts. Let us continually become closer to You. Reveal to us any shortcomings and empower us by Your Holy Spirit to stand up for Your truth. We live in a world today were people want to change Your Word or do away with it all together. They confess you as Lord with their lips, but their hearts are far from you. Equip us to take a stand for Your Truth. Search our hearts and draw us ever closer to You, for You alone Lord are our comfort and our salvation. We give thanks to you for loving us, caring for us, and hearing our every prayer. Let us live our life to honor and glorify you in all that we do….Lord’s Prayer AMEN Our Father, Who are in heaven, hallowed by Thy Name They Kingdom come, Thy will be done On Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power And the glory, forever, Amen