THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE – 6 You Can Really Know The 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" (John 8:31-32).KJV

Loved ones, in our Spiritual Battle, one of Satan's most deceptive tools is the idea that mankind cannot really know the truth. Sin is justified by the excuse that we cannot understand the difference between right and wrong - truth and error.

However, in our above text, while instructing men about salvation from sin, Jesus says we can "know the truth!” God gave us the capacity to know the truth and designed His Word to match our capacity to understand.

Satan replaces God's exclamation points with question marks. God warned Adam and Eve not to eat of a certain tree, with this emphatic penalty: "For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17).

When Satan seduced Eve to eat, he started by planting a subtle doubt with the question, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Then, he denied the certainty of the penalty and presented sin as a great advantage withheld by God's Word (Genesis 3:4-5).

1. If the truth be told, we can know about God (Psalm 14:1-3; 19:1). God has filled the universe with the evidence of His reality (Psalm 19:1-6). "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

Though Deity (God) is invisible, His existence can be "clearly seen" and "understood" by reflecting on the creation. All life's blessings bear clear testimony to God's love and care for us (Acts 14:17; James 1:17). Such evidence makes the doubt and denial of atheists, agnostics, and secular humanist utterly "without excuse."

2. If the truth be told, we can understand God's offer to mankind the spiritual blessing of salvation in Christ (Ephesians 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:10). "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

Jesus made the truth accessible by both His teaching and example (John 14:6). He is so much the perfect embodiment and revelation of all truth that He is called "the Word" (John 1:1, 14, 18; 17:17).

His miracles (especially His resurrect from death – Romans 1:4) confirmed His claim to be God's Son (John 20:30-31), but some men hardened their hearts, closed their eyes, and doubted (John 10:24-26).

3. If the truth be told, we can know the truth about water baptism (Acts 8:35-39; 10:47-48). By the power or authority of the Lord Jesus, we are saved from our sins (Matthew 28:18; Romans 1:16; Colossians 3:17).

That salvation comes when we from our heart obey the words of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:17; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrew 5:9).

We obey by believing in Christ (John 8:24), repenting of sin (Luke 13:3, 5), confessing His name as our LORD, the Son of God (Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10), and being immersed in water for the forgiveness of our sins by the blood of Jesus (Acts 2:38; Matthew 26:28; Revelation 1:5).

Jesus said that "all the world," "every creature," and "all nations" can know and understand the necessity of faith, repentance, confession, and baptism as conditions of pardon (Mark 16:16; Luke 24:47).

We can know and understand that immersion involves a burial in water, NOT mere sprinkling or pouring of water (Colossians 2:12). The sinner comes to Christ as his disciple in order to “by one Spirit be baptized into His one body," the body or church of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13, 27; Ephesians 1:22-23; cf. John 3:3-7).

The "one baptism" puts us into the "one body" - NOT into some human denomination (Ephesians 4:4-6), but into the church built by Jesus (Matthew 16:18; Romans 16:16), whose name, doctrine, and practice are found in the inspired word of God – the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

4. If the truth be told, we can know about singing vs. using mechanical instrumental music in worship. God has always given His people a pattern for acceptable worship which is clear and understandable (John 4:24). His Word is an unalterable pattern of truth (Exodus 25:9; 2 Timothy 1:13; Revelation 22:18-19). He says He is NOT “worshipped with men’s hands” (Acts 17:25).

Singing, using “the fruit of our lips,” is clearly authorized in New Testament worship (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 13:15). Instrumental music is ADDED by human doctrine, will worship, and departure from the faith (Matthew 15:8-9; Colossians 2:23; 1 Timothy 4:1; cf. Revelation 22:18-19).

Sin and error thrive on doubting God's revealed truth. Some men are "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7), because they look for ways around the truth rather than looking for the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

Doubt and denial are spread by smug questions like, "Do you claim to know all there is to know?" or "Do you think you can never make a mistake?"

We do not have to know everything or be above mistake to know God exists, salvation is only in Christ, baptism is a condition of pardon, and the New Testament church sang but used no instrumental music.

We know these things by reading God's Word and refusing to replace His exclamation points with Satan's question marks.

Shared with you by Samuel A. Matthews, preaching with the Liberty NW church of Christ, meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. The God of Heaven and Earth is so good, and His love reaches all. We love you with the love of the Lord (John 13:34-35)