If Someone Told You that What You Are About to Read is Not True, Why Would You Believe Them?  [1975]

Thursday, January 26, 2017

8:07 PM

If someone told you that what you are about to read is not true, why would you believe them?  Doesn't your greatest freedom involve the fact that you CAN choose what you want to believe? Therefore if you choose to believe someone, your freedom depends on them telling the truth. {What if they want to control you in order to advance themselves?}

How can you be sure you are getting the truth?  By this: you are free to choose what you want to believe, and if you choose to believe he truth, it will give you even greater freedom. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." (1) -Jesus

Who can you trust to give you the truth? The man who designs an automobile can give you the truth about it. One who builds a house can tell you the truth about it (although you can choose to believe someone else). The One who designed and built the world and humanity can tell you the truth. It's your freedom (now) to believe what you like.  "You choose this day whom you will serve." (2) "And we know that the son of God is come, and has given us understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." (3)

So Jesus not only tells us the truth, but as he said, "I AM the truth." (4)

Of God it is said (by one who knows). "Your word is true from the beginning." (5)

Jesus is the truth in a human body. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." (6)

Jesus gave the truth, and it has been passed on to us in this manner: "Demetrius has a good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yes, and we also bear record (witness), and you know that our record is true." (7)

How do we know, how can you know, the record people give about God is true? By asking God to give you the Spirit of Christ to live in you: "God has revealed to us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God no man knows, but the Spirit of God. (8) "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." (9)  "If you who are evil know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit [of Christ] to those who ask him." (10)

1. John 8:32
2. Joshua 24:15
3. John 17:3
4. John 14:6
5. Psalm 119:160
6. John 1:1
7. 3 John 1: 12
8. 1 Corinthians 2:10
9. Romans 8:5
10. Luke 11:13

First Day

Off the Top of my Head

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  He created light, sun, moon and stars, land, vegetation, fins and feathers, gills and gulls, bugs and birds [You’ll need to read Genesis 1 through 2 to get his account of it; see below:].  Throughout the time it took to do this, God saw  that “It was good.”

On the sixth day God created horses and humans (and more, but I want to mention these).  And God saw that it was VERY good [in other words, perfect].  People were put in charge of the earth, and told to do good by it. <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1-2&version=NIV>

On the seventh day God took a day off (Sabbath) to enjoy his creation.  He and the humans enjoyed spending time together. 

Sneaky snake came into the good garden and twisted he words of the creator so the woman wondered, and then wandered from the truth.  The man went with her.  When they realized they had made a mistake, they decided to cover it up.  That evening when God came walking, they hid from him instead of talking with him. < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZhLY8jN_Kk> At least they responded when he called them out.  But things would never be the same…

Bad boy; guilty girl.  Now there’s a curse on the earth because of their bad. <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3&version=NIV> And guess what?  Since we’re all their offspring, it affects us, too.  Boo-hoo.  :-( And it goes from bad, to worse…  Look at the state of affairs in the world today.  And if I honestly search my own heart, I see sin there, too.  Anything less than God's absolute perfection is sin... 

The first man (Adam) was created perfect – I don’t believe he (or anyone else) could have been any better in any way – yet he chose to disregard the Word of God when circumstances offered another option.  If you or I had been there, we would have done the same.  What hope is there?

The good news is that God cares enough about us that he won't leave us helpless.  At the right time He will send a "second Adam" who will destroy the curse.  But it won't be easy.

Jesus is that second Adam, a "second chance" at perfection. He accomplished what the Father wanted.  <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8&version=ESV> And now he offers each of us a second chance, by putting our trust in him.