Here Comes The Truth
Discovering the Riches of God’s Truth
15. John bore witness of Him and cried saying, “This was He of Whom I spoke, He that comes after me is preferred before me for He was before me.”
16. And of His fulness we have all received, and Grace for Grace.
17. For the Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.
18. No one has seen God at any time; the Only Begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
John 1:15-18
Believing Can Be Deceiving
We are at a point in human history where we are compelled to ask, “what is the truth?” Some are confused and have made the wrong assumption that Truth is the collection of facts and data. Some have interpreted Truth as the unfolding of human events along with their tragic consequences. Still others believe that Truth will be found when humans connect with nature and discover the hidden mysteries of the universe itself. Those things have not brought us to the Truth, and they never will. Truth is only found in one unique source and through one unique person: The Lord Jesus Christ.
This message will address several problems regarding the Truth and our world today. The first problem is that many believe a system of thoughts or a document drafted by humans will somehow lead mankind to the Truth. This was the argument promoted by the revolutionists. While the western world embraced democracy as the guiding light to enlightenment, others embraced communistic approaches to lead them to a better world. Neither of these approaches have worked due to the fact that they are left in the hands of mere mortals to both interpret and carry out those ideologies. Someone has said that words are meaningless unless right and just actions follow. With all due respect for the Constitution of the United States, yet it falls short of truth because it depends on people with political motives to fulfill its purpose. The sad conclusion is that any system that depends on man will ultimately fail because humans are flawed and sinful.
Another problem in searching for Truth is that most of our searches have an economic motive. People don’t want the Truth for guidance, they want the Truth for profit and material gain. When a truth is found or something that looks like it, profiteers will quickly patent or copyright it to protect their interest. This creates another problem described in the Epistle of James called “double-mindedness.” The NLT states in James 1:8, their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything that they do. The double-minded approach for Truth will always fall short of its goal.
Then there is one other flawed approach to Truth and that is to assume that whatever happens is Truth. Whether good or bad, truth is based on the events that play out in human history. This is a fatalist approach to life, and it abandons both faith and hope because it only focuses on what is. In other words, “it is – what it is” has become the go-to motto for many. Something bad happens and people will say, “it is – what it is.” Whatever will be – will be. That is what the Doris Day tune said, “whatever will be – will be.” Of all the dangerous ideologies, this one has led people to the tragic conclusion that there is no Truth so don’t search for it.
But something in the heart of the believer will not allow them to buy into that argument. Something inside tells them that this is not all there is to life. We are not hopeless masses of humanity meandering through this sequence of tragic events. Life does have meaning and purpose and it is found in the Truth. Here comes the Truth.
Discovering God’s Truth
Could it be that our philosophies and interpretations have lied to us? That being the case, our God has sent the Truth to lead us out of the bondage of deception. Hear the words of St. John as he shares the insight into Jesus bringing us the Truth. John bore witness of Him and cried saying, “This was He of Whom I spoke, He that comes after me is preferred before me for He was before me” … And of His fulness we have all received, and Grace for Grace … For the Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ … No one has seen God at any time; the Only Begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
These verses give a tremendous picture of how Truth was discovered, then Truth was offered in its fulness, and lastly how Truth opens the Grace of God for every person’s life. John the Baptist discovered that the Galilean who came to him for baptism was not an ordinary prophet or holy man of God. John introduced Him as Truth because He saw the Spirit of God descending upon Him like a dove and remaining on Him. John also heard God speak from Heaven saying, “this is My Beloved Son in Whom I Am well pleased.” John bore witness to the Truth because Jesus came to Him and revealed it to Him. It was time for Truth and not philosophies and vain thoughts of man. John witnessed it and said, “here comes the Truth.”
The Truth offered something. For centuries, God’s people knew what it meant to offer something to God, but they did not realize what God had offered them. They thought that the Law of Moses was the only way to Truth and if they did the right things and lived the right kind of life, they would please God. Notice the rendering of this verse carefully. And of His fulness we have all received, and Grace for Grace … For the Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. The most the people of God could get from Moses was the Law. The Law was powerful and good, but the Law offered no Saving Grace. The Law warned you about sin. The Law condemned you when you sinned. The Law told you what was needed to repent and to offer for sin, but the Law had no power to redeem. Then Jesus came and ushered in Grace and Truth. What this tells us is that the Law was not given for the purpose of revealing Grace and Truth. Now that Truth had come through Jesus Christ, the mission of the Law was accomplished.
So, how does this address the “que sera-sera” approach to living. If Jesus is the only One who reveals the Truth of God, then life has lied to us, or we have misinterpreted events as actual truth. That bad situation was not the Truth even though it happened to you. You must ask Jesus to bring the Truth. Those evil people who mistreated you was not the Truth. You must ask Jesus to bring the Truth so you can be healed of those hurts you are carrying. Truth is not what happens. Truth is asking Jesus to speak to those circumstances and change what happened into a work of Grace. Of His fulness we have all received, and Grace for Grace. In other words, it is not Truth until Grace is in it. For that reason, its time to say Grace.
Accepting Truth and Not Reality
The people in the Bible did not believe that whatever will be will be. They believed in the power of prayer and the power of faith in asking God to reveal the Truth. Abram could have believed that he and Sarai were too old to have a child – that would have been reality, but it was not the Truth. It was not mere positive thinking or helping God out that Abram trusted. No, No. He believed God and God brought the Truth.
Another Bible patriarch found himself mistreated by his brothers and sold into slavery. Even there as a slave in Egypt, he was lied on. Joseph could have accepted reality as Truth, but that was not the case. As he was thrown in jail for a crime he did not commit, the Bible states that God was with Joseph in the prison. This meant more than just keeping Joseph company in the prison. God Almighty brought the Truth to Joseph while he was in prison and let him know that his calamity was not a strange circumstance. It was all a part of God’s plan. Truth showed up in the prison.
Even when the situation seems dire, we need not accept reality as Truth. Yes, the problem may have landed in your lap, but get up and shake yourself because God is going to bring the Truth. Daniel was a faithful man, but as it turned out, his faith landed him in the lions’ den. The reality was that whenever lions and humans are in the same room, one will dominate the other. Daniel did not have a sword or shield. Daniel did not have any protective armor to keep him from the lions. But God’s Truth showed up in the lions’ den and Daniel was not harmed.
The point is this, we walk by faith and not by sight. Grace and Truth comes by Jesus Christ. Whenever we confess Him, Truth shows up. On the job, Truth shows up when we confess Jesus. In the home, Truth shows up when we confess Jesus. No this is not crisis management it is Christ management. He is a Lawyer in the courtroom. He is the Great Physician. He is the Captain of all life’s battles. Jesus is a way maker. What He has done for others, He is more than willing to do the same to reveal Truth.
Let these verses resonate with you and discover that Jesus is not simply a famous historical figure. Jesus is Lord and He comes to bring the Truth in your situation.