The Moment of Truth

The Bible speaks with one voice is henceforth one plan of salvation. It makes one diagnosis of the problem of the human condition. It presents one history of redemption. It presents one self consistent world view on your mind to learn how to do for him that we redemption one with a worldview teacher, Dr. Steven Morrison is looking at five characteristics that define the truth was join in the I want to invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to the gospel of John.

John chapter 36 and I want to begin in verse 36, our Lord is standing trial before Pilate course today is coming when Pilate will stand trial before the Lord Jesus Christ and as Jesus stands before Pilate. It is the day before his crucifixion.

He is standing trial he will be sentenced to death before Pilate and the sentence will pass down that he is to be crucified before Pilate gives the final verdict in this one-on-one conversation.

Beginning in John chapter 18 in verse 36 we read Jesus answered my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not of this realm. Therefore, Pilate said to him, so you are a king Jesus answered you say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to testify. Note this to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice as Jesus represents the truth here in John 18 he speaks of the truth.

Definite article the not a truth, not some truth but the truth when he says the truth. Not only is he stating that it is objective and authoritative, but he is saying that it is singular all truth from the mind of God perfectly fits together, and there is never any contradiction. God never speaks out of both sides of his mouth and what God says to one generation is true for every generation is the truth fits into one body of truth.

One system of truth, one body of divinity. It's the truth. Truth is never at odds with itself. Francis Schaeffer wrote years ago. Christianity is not a series of truths in the plural. The Bible never represents the Scripture as containing truths plural, but the truth singular in that it all stands together. It's all or nothing Jamesburg Emory Boyce the great expositor states truth is singular. He says it is not in fragments that would require us to speak of truths plural in the sense of unrelated facts or items.

Boyce says truth holds together.

Therefore there is no phase of truth that is not related to every other phase of truth" that is a profound quote what Boyce is saying is that all truth is wired together. You tell me what you believe about one truth. I'll tell you what you believe about 40 other truths because what you believe about this truth is inseparably connected with 40 other truths. It all stays together. It is indivisible. It is one truth. The Bible speaks with one voice is henceforth one plan of salvation. It makes one diagnosis of the problem of the human condition to present one history of redemption. It offers one Savior of sinners. It offers one remedy of eternal life. It presents one self consistent world view you pick up Genesis and look through the lens of Genesis at the world.

It is the same lands when you pick up Revelation and look through that lens and look at the world every one of the 66 books in the Bible. They all hang together. They speak together. There are threads running through all of Scripture. You pull the thread in Genesis. Your Bible crinkles in Revelation, there is the golden cord of God's sovereign rule over the world. There is the red cord of redemption that runs through the Scripture. It all presents one consistent presentation of the truth. Truth is singular. When you pack your suitcase and sometimes you can't get that last sweater into the suitcase and arm hangs out and you get some scissors and just cut it off so that everything will pack nicely. You never have to do that with the Bible. You never cutting off a few chapters of Leviticus because it just doesn't square with Ephesians no.

Though there are 40+ authors writing over a period of 1600 years on three different continents, most of whom never met the other authors. Nevertheless, as you pick up the Bible to read it. There is one author A. One primary author who used secondary authors a to record what is in this book. It is the infallible truth of God. Not only is truth singular truth is immutable truth never changes but was true in the garden of Eden is true throughout the Old Testament is true in the times of Christ is true in the expansion of the church is true, down through the centuries, and it is true today because God never changes. I am the same forever, says the Lord yesterday today and forever.

The God who was and who is and who shall be forever and it is this eternal, immutable, unchanging God. This speaks truth and when God speaks truth.

It flows from his own nature and what God says never changes. The truth is always the same from generation to generation.

If it's new, it's not true right is always right wrong is always wrong. Society may try to redefine morality culture may try to reclassify right and wrong, but truth never changes. Truth is fixed. Truth is established truth is constant. Truth is unvarying. Truth is transcendent. Over the generations. Truth is timeless truth is permanent. Truth is anchored.

Truth is eternal. Psalm 119 verse 89 forever. Oh Lord your word is settled in the heavens.

Isaiah 40 verse eight.

The grass withers, the flower fades away, but the word of our God abides forever. Don't you just love that the verses that you memorized as a child have never been more relevant in your life than they are today. There is no augmentation that is needed after I graduated from college I went to law school, you would spend your entire semester studying case law, constitutional law and your entire grade would be the final exam at the end of the semester. You never knew how you stood until you took the final exam.

I would stay up nights memorizing the law studying case law dissecting case law and then come to the final exam and write your answers.

And one thing that I discovered that was so discouraging to me is that after I would study the law and memorize the law and learn the law.

By the time I came to the final exam. They changed the law and I had invested all of this time in a changing law. How frustrating that was for me as I was first beginning to preach and as I was first beginning to minister God's word. It struck me. The beauty of God's word, in part, is that it is immutable that truth never changes.

In all the investment of my time in studying the word of God is with me forever. I will never wake up one day and suddenly something that was true, will be untrue, or that there will be a new truth that Jesus said in Matthew five verse 18.

For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Later he said it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away then for one stroke of the letter of the law to fail. Therefore, truth is always up-to-date. Truth is always contemporary, you will have a contemporary ministry you want have a contemporary church great preach the Bible.

Nothing is more contemporary than the Bible. Every little new trend that blows onto the scene of evangelicalism.

By the time it is incorporated and put into practice, it's old news and it just fades off the scene, but the church that holds forth the word of God is the truth of God to every generation to every age group and it will never change.

Truth is always relevant. That has an eternal shelflife. It is never outdated, it is never archaic is immutable truth is authoritative when the truth speaks God speaks John Calvin used to say quoting Augustine that when the Bible speaks God speaks sometimes I meet people you say I want to hear the voice of God. I see want to hear the audible voice of God. I say yes I want hear the audible voice of God. I tell him read your Bible out loud. You will hear the voice of God because God is spoken and God is spoken in his written word. It is written word is authoritative and makes demands upon our lives. Truth is never just interesting. Truth is never intended to provoke our curiosity were never to come to truth and just to bar had a truth and say well that's nice that's interesting. The truth is assertive. Truth is authoritative truth is sovereign. Truth is commanding. Truth is imperative. Truth is, has the right to make demands upon our lives because it is the truth of God. Truth possesses the right to rule our lives. Truth is powerful truth alone convicts the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and able to pierce the division of soul and spirit, and to expose the innermost thoughts of man. That's what truth does every other statement just lays on the surface it massages the ego only truth can bore down and penetrate into the very heart of a person and expose their hearts before God and allow themselves to see themselves as God sees them. Truth saves first Peter one verse 23 says that we had been born again, not a seed which is perishable, but imperishable by the living and abiding word of God. There is, in truth, the very germ of life and when that seed of truth is received into the heart by faith.

It germinates by sovereign regeneration and there is life. Truth sanctifies truth conforms us into the image of Christ.

Truth encourages truth comforts when I go into a hospital room. I don't read a dying St. the Wall Street Journal is nothing wrong in reading the Wall Street Journal. I read it this morning but there's no anchor for the soul. There only truth can comfort and finally, truth is determinative. Your eternal destiny is determined by the truth. Thank you.

Okay.

RC said me to your relationship to the truth will determine where you will spend all eternity. Your relationship to the truth will determine whether you are in heaven are in hell forever your relationship to the truth will chart the course of your life in this world your relationship to the truth will define your family. It will direct your business.

It will be a lamp under your feet and a light unto your path. Truth is determinative in your entire life is marked by the truth that is the reality of truth and I want you to know everything that does not measure with the truth is a façade and only wants the truth has spoken. May we understand what true reality is now finally the reception of the truth.

What is necessary and your life in in anyone's life to receive the truth of God because we have a natural aversion against the truth. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked who can understand it, we all, like sheep have gone astray, each one of us is turned to his own way. There is none who seeks after God no not one. We all have an aversion against the truth what is necessary to receive the truth. Jesus tells us in verse 37 and I'm finished. Why does not everyone who hears the truth receive the truth. Why do some people reject it, why do others receive it is in an IQ matter. Note verse 37 every one who is of the truth hears my voice.

What is it to be of the truth to be of the truth is to be birthed by the truth it is to be born again by the truth it is to believe in the truth it is to belong to the truth to be of the truth means to be sovereignly regenerated by the spirit and to be illumined by the Holy Spirit of God to light up our understanding to see the truth where we were previously in darkness. God gives us our eyes to see the truth.

He gives us a new mind to understand the truth he puts his resident truth teacher inside of us the Holy Spirit to guide us into all the truth.

Everyone therefore there are no exceptions to this, everyone who is of the truth hears my voice that speaks of the effectual call of God is speaks of the sovereign drawing and calling of God the Holy Spirit by which the truth comes crashing home in our minds and our hearts and suddenly a moment, we see what we were previously blind to. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see it is the work of God the Holy Spirit in the heart that enables one to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I given to them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them from my father's hand for my father is given them to me, is greater than all and no one shall pluck them from his hand and the father are one. It is the sheep. It is the sheep who here the voice of the good Shepherd speaking the truth. The goats remain death to truth how we are dependent entirely upon the giver of all truth to teach all truth. Are you of the truth. Have you been born from above. Have you been born of God.

Are you converted to Jesus Christ.

Have you come to believe upon Christ and believe the truth that he says if you come to believe the truth of what he says that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God that the wages of sin is death, but that, upon Calvary's cross. The truth is that Jesus died in the place of sinners and that all of our sin at all of us who would believe upon Christ has been transferred to Christ and him who knew no sin. God made to be sin for us, that is the truth and those who believe upon Christ, his righteousness is given to us and we are close from the top of our head to the bottom of our feet with the perfect obedience of God in Christ that is the truth if you will call upon his name if you will commit your life to him if you will deny yourself and take up a cross and become a true follower of Christ.

He will lead you all the way to his father's house in one day you will be before the throne of God singing the praises of him who is the author of all truth. Who is the revealer of all truth and you and I will come to understand and even fuller and greater measure.

The truth that is in Jesus Christ as we live in this world of lies and falsehoods as people are saying what is truth. We who are of the truth. No, Jesus came into this world to testify of the truth and that you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Apart from the truth. One will always be found in sin and by Satan. Only the truth is so powerful to unlock those chains, said prisoners is our culture ones have worn away from truth.

It is important to remain anchored to it. Apart from truth. We will always be bound in sin, glad you joined us today for Renewing Your Mind. We sure the message from Wegener teaching fellow, Dr. Steven Lawson. This is from a ligand or conference that we held in Seattle back in 2014 and after the message he sat down next to Dr. scroll, who leaned over and said we need to turn that into a book and we did just that is titled the moment of truth that we would like for you to have this hardbound edition when you contact us today with a gift of any amount will also include a digital download about 2014 conference. Our theme was overcoming the world. There are 11 MP3s included in the digital download. So make your request and give your gift@renewingyourmind.org you can also call us at 800-435-4343. Dr. Lawson's message was drawn from Pontius Pilate's infamous question what is truth we live in a society that asked that same question.

As believers we need to be equipped to provide an answer. The moment of truth is more than 230 pages of content from Dr. Lawson's messages so did request along with the conference audio messages with your gift of Eddie about today. Our phone number again is 800-435-4343. You could also give your gift online at Renewing Your Mind.work as we look ahead to tomorrow's program pose a question.

Where would you begin to learn about God's grace, which in turn first to the New Testament.

Dr. Lawson will shows that we can go all the way back to the beginning to Genesis and discovered the foundations of grace. We hope you'll join us Wednesday for Renewing Your Mind