Knowing THE Truth in a World of THE Lie and Lies*

      

     The world seems to be full of lies and unbelief. It questions anything regarding the existence of God. However, Apostle Paul wrote: "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." (Rom. 3:3-4). God is true and truth even when men lie. God has a hatred of lies and the Word of God says that all liars will find a place in the lake of fire. (Rev. 21:8).

     Jesus was brought to Pontius Pilate by the religious council who should have known Him, but refused to know Him, demanding that Pilate crucify Jesus. Pilate asked Jesus: "Art thou the king of the Jews?'...Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? (Jn. 18:33-38, excerpt). Jesus said that He came to bring and bear witness to the truth. Pilate, a worldly man, does not even recognize the concept of "truth," which was standing in front of him.

     The Gospel of John says that Jesus, the Word of God, "...was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth...and of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (Jn. 1:14-17, excerpt). Truth came by Jesus Christ.

     The Gospel given to us by God in love states that belief in Jesus and the truth, saves us and brings us eternal life: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (Jn. 3:14-17). Scripture tells us that God does not desire that any should perish, but that all should repent and return to Him. All have sinned, but if we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us. This is the truth. Apostle John continued to write that those who refused to receive the truth remained in condemnation because men loved darkness and the deeds of evil and darkness more than the light: "But he that doeth (make, perform, acquire) truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (v. 18-21). Jesus walked in the truth - we of the light are also to walk in the truth by the righteousness and light of Jesus Christ.

     As Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman by the well, He revealed to her the power of the truth, rather than religious custom: "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (Jn. 4:19-24, excerpt). Jesus revealed the truth to this woman that He is the Messiah (Christ) upon whom they were waiting. The woman knew that the Messiah would "tell us all things." Jesus answered her: "I that speak unto thee am he." (v. 25-26).  Salvation, Jesus said, is of/from the Jews, and truth comes by the Holy Spirit. We just recently observed Pentecost, a Feast of the LORD, when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the gathered believers in Christ in the Upper Room (see Acts 2). Jesus revealed these powerful truths, including who He is as the Messiah/Christ, to a Samaritan, a race that was despised by the Jews who considered them to be "half-breeds" who, the Jews also believed, worshipped God against the commands of God. Truth is truth, and it is the truth for all.

     On one occasion, Jesus was speaking to those who followed Him. He said this about truth: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn. 8:30-32). His listeners took offense in Christ's words when He said that they were not free until the truth (of His words) makes them free. They were Abraham's seed, therefore they claimed that they were already free. Jesus also perceived that not only were they offended by His words of truth that liberates from sin, but they were violently offended, desiring to kill Him. Jesus said again: "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed...ye seek to kill me because my word hath no place in you....If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham...Why do you not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it....He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." (v. 33-47, excerpt). Are we making a place for Jesus' Word of truth in us?

     In the Garden, the serpent said to the woman, "Hath God said...?" This is THE lie that the devil told in the beginning and is still telling man today. For those who prefer THE lie to the truth, God has said that He will send a strong delusion that they should believe the lie, because they have no love of the truth.

     As Jesus promised His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father's house in heaven so that they could forever be with Him, He assured them: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (Jn. 14:1-6, excerpt). Jesus said that He was and is the only way to God, the Father and Creator of life. Again, Jesus declared that He is the truth.  He also said that He would send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth: "If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (v. 15-17, see also Jn. 16:5-15). In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples on Pentecost, and they began to speak with other tongues. Peter then preached a sermon by which thousands came into belief in the crucified and risen Savior, Jesus. Not all churches believe in the manifestation or baptism of the Holy Spirit, nor do they encourage their members to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, Paul asked believers that he came upon in Ephesus whether they had received the Holy Spirit subsequent to their belief in Jesus. When they answered that they did not know of the Holy Spirit, Paul made sure that they received the Spirit of truth. They began to speak in tongues and prophesy. (see Acts 19:1-6). Without the Spirit of truth, how can we walk in the truth?

     Jesus is the truth. The Word of God, given to us by Jesus is truth that sanctifies us. The truth of God also unites us with each other and with Jesus and the Father. Being united with and in Them as One in the truth we also walk in Their same glory, as Jesus prayed concerning His disciples and all of those who would believe in Him because of the words of His disciples - including all of us. (Jn. 17:14-22). 

     Paul wrote that, according to the Spirit of truth, in these latter times, truth would be challenged and lies would spread: "...some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron." (1 Tim. 4:1-2). We see this happening all around us in the world today. There are many deluding things in the world, but not in the Word of God, who is "the pillar and ground of the truth." The world, and even some churches are questioning the assurances of God and His Word: assurances that Jesus will return, assurances of the rapture of the living and the resurrection of the dead. We see the truth of God's Word every night on the news as world events line up with prophetic scripture. We the church of believers in the truth, Jesus Christ and His Word, have the opportunity to know and speak the truth in a world of lies.

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 5/24/26 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on the Facebook page of Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr. Dr. Stevenson's video messages are also found on You Tube at the Kenneth Stevenson channel. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, which is evidence of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook. Also the book NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling, written by Dr. Stevenson, is available on Amazon.