Thursday, May 9, 2019

Knowing Truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBcO-uoaFeY&list=PLPhb5GPf3Rfc944An2iDh_kTHkrKhoCED&index=37


Prov 12:17 Whoever speaks the truth declares what is right,
but a false witness speaks deceit.

Truth and Freedom

John 8:30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word,[c] you really are my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is,[e] my kingdom is not from here.”
37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked.
“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
38 “What is truth?” said Pilate.

Mankind has struggled with this question, "What is truth"?

The modern answer is that there is no truth, but only supposition.  Everyone has their own "truth" that they believe, and we should not be critical of each other's ideas.

In a world without "Truth", one religion is just as good or bad as another, and no one is allowed to propose that there is such a thing as true religion.  Mohammad, Moses, and Jesus demand equal respect, and so do Buddha and Zarathustra, not to mention Confucius and Karl Marx.

That is the crazy world we have inherited from the secular humanists, those "intellectuals" who have taken over our educational institutions, who say there is no God. 

They also say there is no truth, and prove their lack of understanding by constantly changing their minds about how things are. The multiplied theories of evolution as a source of life prove that the general theory of evolution is not based upon observed facts.  Facts speak of how things are in reality, and they do not change.  We may discover more facts over time, but new facts will support old facts, and truth does not change.

Of course our understanding of how things are changes often, as we grow and learn. And humans do not know all reality, and we are not authority on truth. 

But one man was there in the beginning, present as the Logos during the creation.. All things were created by Him. 

John 1 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Prologue

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life,[a] and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome[b] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.[c] 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.[d]

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be[e] children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent,[f] or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man,[g] but of God.

14 The Word became flesh and dwelt[h] among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son[i] from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”) 16 Indeed, we have all received grace upon[j] grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side[k]— he has revealed him.

But how can you and I know that Jesus is himself God?  We must look at the evidence.  The blood of believers shed in the first century reveals the reality of the resurrection..  Those who knew Jesus, and who saw Him following His resurrection, and who gave their lives in testimony to this truth, have passed down to us their testimony in the pages of inspired writings of the Apostles. 

Thomas Sees and Believes

John 20:24 But Thomas (called “Twin”[d]), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.”
28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed.[e]Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

The Purpose of This Gospel

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,[f] and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Yes, Thomas is a great example of someone who saw and believed.  A friend of mine gives a handed down story from his ancestors in India about Thomas's visit to India.

And we can know truth by knowing Jesus.  He is truth personified. He is the real thing. As we follow him, we experience truth and reality.   His word is truth, and we should study and learn, not trusting our opinions as truth, but laying the revelations side by side, and becoming immersed in the story.  As we walk with Him, encouraged by the Holy Spirit He gives to all who are born again into the kingdom of God, we know Jesus, and so we know the truth. 





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