Sure of Truth

The word “truth” gets thrown around often now days, described like its subjective and not something unchangeable and concrete. Are simply talking about my truth, your truth, Gods Truth , truth about God, truth about the Bible, or Truth about Jesus or maybe just maybe it's about the truth we beleive?

And so tonight we are going to be talking about ‘Sure of Truth’ or another way to word it would be ‘Sure of the truth of God and why we believe it’.

We learned last week about what a true relationship with God is, and as believers, how we can be sure if we are in a relationship with him. In addition to that, we learned how that relationship with God changes us and transfers over into our relationships with others. Also, we now understand that if we are to walk and do as Jesus did, then our obvious response should be to learn more about him! We then are able to gain a deeper understanidng of Him though his word, and that is going to give us a true understanding of TRUTH. That is what we are going to see tonight.

Let's start off tonight reading all the way though this section like we do each Thursday.

We are going to be reading 1 John 2:18 - 29

Read 1 John 2:18 - 29

1 John 2:18–29 CSB

Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well. What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life. I have written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in him. So now, little children, remain in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

Okay lets break down what John is talking about. We will start with 1 John 2:18 - 23

1 John 2:18–23 CSB

John is doing two things here,

1. He is warning young believers about false teachers

2. He offers understanding to the other Christians who were left wondering why these friends or other believers left the church.

So John starts off with ‘it’s the last hour and there are antichrists.’. But what is the last hour? Well in this context John believes as all Christians believe, that we are in the last hour (or last days), this is the time between the first coming if Jesus to second coming of Jesus. Then he goes on to talk about antichrist is coming and that there are many antichrists that have already come. He is talking about false teachers, in this context, “Anti” means “against” and we already know “Christ” means Jesus, so they are literally going against Jesus. John is doing more here than just telling his reader about things, he is reaffirming an understanding that they all have. They all would be on the same page about the last days and antichrist. He goes as far as saying at the end of verse 19 he says HOWEVER, ‘however they went out so that it might be made clear as to who they are’.

Lets pause here for a moment. I want talk about a few things John is saying about false teachers. Lets be clear here, we believe John wrote this letter around 95 to 110 years AD, so we are not talking thounds of year later that they started having these issues with false trachers. We are already seeing the need to defend and reaffirm the truth. Most of these people said they were Christians but really were not. They believed and taught a false version of jesus, therefore taught a false gospel, and unfortunately we continue to hear these heresies and false teachings today. So knowing this, we need to be careful and know what the bible really says, and the way to know what the bible says is to read it for ourselves!

We are going to look at John Smith as an example of this, if you haven’t heard of him he is the founder of Mormonism. He believed that God spoke to him, telling him that all these sects of churches were teaching a false gospel. Also he claimed that he had received a revelation that He was the chosen one to bring the True gospel to the world. On the surface, Mormonism looks very similar to Christianity, so much so that they believe that they are truer and purer Christians compared to Biblical Christians, but there are a few things that keep that from being true.

They believe that you are saved by grace only AFTER all you can do. Meaning after all work of trying to be a good person, then that is when God’s grace kicks in, just to cover the last bits you couldn’t. Well it cant be grace if you have to earn it.

They believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers born from ‘Heavenly Father’ and ‘Heavenly Mother’, and that both Jesus and Satan had a plan on how to save to world best, but God chose jesus’ plan so that is why Jesus came down to Earth. Within that, they believe that Jesus came down to show us how to live a perfect life, that we are capable of it, AND that if we do we can reach Godhood just as God did on another planet.

I can go on and on, but you get the point: its not the same because it’s not even close to what the bible says. If you look at most of these other religions that claim to have the truth, they are always either adding or subtracting things from the bible. But if they knew the truth, and what scripture said then they would know Deuteronomy 4:2

Deuteronomy 4:2 CSB

You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you.

and Revelation 22:18 - 19

Revelation 22:18–19 CSB

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, which are written about in this book.

and Proverbs 30:6

Proverbs 30:6 CSB

Don’t add to his words, or he will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar.

Then John gives these believers encouragement, and I truly believe that if you are ever in a place where you are feeling lost or are having doubts about what you believe, then the words that John gives in verse 20 can be and are words of truth.

1 John 2:20 CSB

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

John is saying don’t listen to what the world tells you, but ‘know that what you have heard from the begining’, or in our case what you have read about Jesus and God though the Bible, you know this is truth.

John goes on to reaffirm this is verse 21:

1 John 2:21 CSB

I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.

John is saying that you know it, you truly do know the truth, and you know it becasuse of the Holy Sprit. The Holy Spirit dwells in you because you have been reborn and believe in Jesus.

This truth is what John is saying in verses 22 - 23

John says:

1 John 2:22–23 CSB

Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Then John tells them and us in verse 24 & 25 to Abide or to Remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. For those who do abide in the Son and with the Father, we will enjoy the fellowship and relationship in our enteral life with Him.

John starts off with saying in verse 26:

1 John 2:26–27 CSB

I have written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Here John is again reaffirming what he was saying a few verses ago, ‘I am warning that there are others out there that are trying to deceive you from the truth, but know that the Holy Sprit is in and will teach you what you need to know.’. What he is saying that you have the Word of God, you have the Holy Sprit in you, and that we are to use the Holy Sprit to decern and to know the difference of what is truth vs. what is false.

We know this to be true because we read that in.

John 14:26 CSB

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

This is what John is telling to them and us to understand. It was relevant then and is still relevant now.

We all think we are alone sometimes or that we need someone to guide us, and we do need people to teach, not preach, but to teach Gods Word, but we need to use The Holy Sprit that was given to us to decern what is Truth and what is False.

We can sum that up with, We dont need more Preachers of the Word, We need more Teachers of the Word.

John goes on to say something bold here is verses 28 and 29.

1 John 2:28–29 CSB

So now, little children, remain in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

He says that if we remain in Him or Abide in him then we have no shame that we can live unashamed. Here is another way to look at this statements by John.

Ephesians 2:8–9 CSB

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.

Combined with

James 2:14–17 CSB

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

So if we were to summarize these two passages, it would read like this:

Good deeds cannot produce salvation, but they are necessary proof that TRUE FAITH is present.

So tonight the one thing I want you guys to get, is that reason we read all the way though these is so that you get the full context, but dont let it stop there. I want each of you to write this down: ACTS 17:11

Acts 17:11 CSB

The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Paul is saying that the people in Berean were of more noble character because they received the Word with eagerness, but they did not take it for face value, they examined the Scriptures to know for sure, for themselves.

Here is what I am saying and I believe John is saying it too. Look around, there are Pastors everywhere, there are different sects or denominations, or what others would call religions, and they are on TV, YouTube, Tic Tok, Insta, FB, everywhere, and some are teaching the truth, but some are not teaching the truth, and you need to be able to use the Words from the Word of God, and the Holy Sprit to help determine if its Truth or not.

Here is what I am trying to get at, a lot times we feel confused in what we beleive,and it can feel like a storm going on inside of us, but i want you know and understand that the way to calm this storm. Is to understand that True Truth also produces True Inner Peace. It might not always seem like it at the time, but emurecing yourself into Gods word, allowing the Holy Sprit to teach you, will always lead to inner peace.

If you still don’t get it, here is one last example. Let’s look at Peter and Jesus! Jesus gave Peter an opportunity to walk on water to him on the Sea of Galilee, right? When Peter had his eyes, mind, soul, and body focused on Jesus he too walked on water with Jesus. In times of uncertainty, or trouble, God wants us live out the example of Peter. Isn’t it wonderful we have a savior that is willing to be right there with you saying “look up child, I am the Truth, now walk with me!”

So here are 3 actions we must take with us to help Discern Truth.

We must have Awareness

We must have Understanding

Then we must Act

For a deeper understanding of these three things, I want each of you to read though

1 John 4: 1-6 this week and then take time to reflect on it and see how you can Apply that your life now.

I want to leave you with some more Truth tonight.

Write this down: Good deeds dont produce salvation, but they are a reflection of it.

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