Truth or Consequences

Telling the Truth to Ourselves

Truth or Consequences?

We like the easy truisms

We like simple correlations

We like superstitious explanations

We like You Tube prognostications.

We like sound bites instead of having to chew on the whole story.

We like the truth if it sounds like what we want to believe

Challenges to Truth Do Not Change the Consequences

We don’t like getting hit with the real truth

Because We don’t like unpleasant consequences

We like to settle into our own ideas of consequence

We discover consequences based on truth are not what we want.

We really don’t like finding out we are not in charge of the consequences.

But it isn’t up to us to control the consequences

We Live In An Era of Untruths and Opinions

But we will all face something greater:

Jesus is going away; his disciples were not ready for this.

But Jesus is sending to us the Spirit of Truth

And mankind will start to know consequences of sin

What the Holy Spirit will do is show us the truth about ourselves

When All You Can Think About is Loss

John 16:4–6 ESV

But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

When All You Can Think About is Loss

Jesus knew the disciples can only absorb so much

Here at the end of their time together, Jesus dives deeper into what will happen.

Great discouragement is at hand

Jesus needs them to hear they have a future coming

You have had me with you for 3 years

Now I am going back to the Father

You aren’t asking where I go

Because you are too wrapped up in sorrow

Too focused on loss to imagine what you will gain

You are barely listening, and things will get worse before they get better.

Truth is About to Dawn on You

John 16:7 ESV

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

Truth is About to Dawn on You

I go for your good

I must go so the Helper comes

I must send to you the one who will stay with you

This is you strength for the days to come

This is your teacher for the days to come

This is the power you need for the future

This is the truth-bringer that will be your help

Here Comes the Truth from God

He’s coming—Jesus sends him

This helper is the Spirit of Truth

John 15:26 ESV

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

The Spirit of Truth at Work

John 16:8–11 ESV

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

The Spirit of Truth at Work

Sin, Righteousness and Judgement all get checked

The Spirit convicts the world, not us

Concerning Sin: People haven’t truly believed in Jesus

Jesus has repeated this need throughout this Gospel:

We must believe in Jesus, the One Sent from God, the Son of Man, the Son of God.

John 6:29 ESV

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Many say they believe; do you really?

Have you told yourself the truth about your faith in Jesus?

Have you believed something about Jesus, but not believed in Jesus?

We must tell the truth to ourselves.

Concerning Righteousness: How do you stand before God

Genesis 15:6 ESV

And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Concerning Judgment: It starts with Satan, the chief of the guilty

John 12:31 ESV

Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.

The Spirit of Truth is Our Guide

John 16:12–13 ESV

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

The Spirit of Truth is Our Guide

So much more to teach, but not for now: there must be the preparation of experience

The Spirit of Truth will Guide You Into all truth

More than you can now know

Into God’s truth, for he will speak from the Father and Son

Into truth about our tomorrows and our eternity

The Spirit Works to Glorify Christ

John 16:14–15 ESV

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Spirit Works to Glorify Christ

Christ is glorified when the Truth is Told

Told by the Spirit, his truth is verified

The “I told you so” of Jesus’ words

The things yet too precious to bear will be given

There will be nothing left out.

The Spirit will teach the Truth of the Father

The Truth of the Father is the Truth of the Son

The Spirit of Truth bears witness to truth

It is not the liar who is glorified.

It is not untruth that is glorified

The truth is not always convenient

But it is always true.

The Consequences of Lies we Tell Ourselves will be Eternal

Tell yourself a lie about being a Christian

Yet your are not really a follower of Christ

Tell yourself a lie about your righteousness

Yet it must be the righteousness Christ gives

Any other won’t stand up before the Father

Tell yourself a lie about God’s judgement

Yet if we choose to follow this world’s ruler we too are condemned

The Spirit of Truth is Given For Our Good