Walking in the Truth

Q: What does the Bible say about walking in the truth?

The Bible emphasizes walking in the truth as living in accordance with Christ, who is the truth. In 3 John 3-4, the apostle John expresses great joy in hearing that Gaius walks in the truth. This walking signifies not merely an acknowledgment of truth but living according to the teachings of Christ, who declared, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6). Walking in the truth means that a believer's life reflects their faith in Christ, characterized by obedience, love, and the pursuit of holiness. This concept forms the backbone of a life transformed by the gospel, where the truth of who Christ is shapes our actions and thoughts.

Q: How do we know that the truth is important for Christians?

The truth is vital for Christians as it is the foundation of the gospel and salvation. The importance of truth for Christians cannot be overstated, as scripture teaches that no gospel and no salvation exist apart from the truth (3 John 3). John rejoices at the testimony of believers walking in the truth, demonstrating that a life grounded in truth is essential for spiritual prosperity. Furthermore, the truth brings about freedom and genuine life, as Jesus proclaimed in John 8:32, 'And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free'. Without an understanding of truth, individuals remain bound in spiritual ignorance and death. Therefore, cherishing and proclaiming the truth is central to the believer's life and witness.

Q: Why is God's sovereignty crucial in understanding the truth?

God's sovereignty assures that His truth prevails, shaping the salvation of His elect. God's sovereignty plays a critical role in understanding the truth of scripture as it affirms that all things happen according to His divine purpose. Romans 8:28 states that 'all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.' This highlights that God's sovereignty ensures that His elect are chosen before the foundation of the world, enabling them to receive the truth. It alleviates the burden from believers, reflecting that their salvation is not based on their works or decisions but entirely on God's sovereign will and grace. Therefore, recognizing God's sovereignty leads to a profound appreciation of His truth and a deeper trust in His plans.

Q: How do we know we are loved by God?

We know we are loved by God through the revelation of Christ and the truth of the gospel. The assurance of God's love can be found in the truth revealed through Christ and the gospel message. As stated in Romans 5:8, 'God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' This unconditional love is not based on our merit but rather God's sovereign choice to love and redeem His people. Additionally, 1 John 1:8 emphasizes the need for acknowledgment of sin and reliance on Christ for forgiveness. Knowing one is loved by God comes from a personal relationship with Him through faith in Christ, and the transformative power of His truth in our lives validates that love.

Okay, turn with me to 3rd John. 3rd John, let's read verses 1 through 4 again. unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth or truly. Beloved, I wish, I pray above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

For I rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth. This is a personal, loving letter from the apostle and preacher of the gospel, Brother John. But it's much more than that. This is a loving letter from our Lord to all of his beloved people, his beloved children in Christ or the truth. Christ is the truth. Let me just go ahead and say that right up front. OK, you know that, don't you? Christ said I am the way I am the truth. He kept saying the truth five times and. The second epistle, four times in this epistle. Is this important?

There is no gospel. There is no salvation apart from the truth, apart from preaching the truth, believing the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. Okay. But this is a. loving letter from the Lord to all of his beloved children, those he loves, those he loved before the world began, those he chose, those he called, those he justified and put in Christ. I just stated the gospel. It said, and John writes this, I have in verse three, I rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that's in thee.

We don't know, this is not the Gaius that Paul was with. This is another one, okay? As far as the men who comment on this know, but it's a different one. Gaius was a very common name back in Roman days, like very, very common. There was a Caesar, an emperor named Gaius. The name Gaius means beloved.

John heard that the Lord had revealed the truth in this man. He was told this man loves the truth. And he said in verse 4, I have no greater joy. Nothing gives me more joy and causes me to rejoice more than hearing that someone has Christ revealed in them. There's nothing greater. in this life, started to say in this life, well, there isn't, but the scripture says, he that hath the son hath life. If you don't have this faith in Christ, you don't have life and you're going to die without hope and without God. So it's a great joy when you hear that somebody believes the truth and believes Christ, rejoices in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Uh, young Brady Floyd, who's spoken here. He was a witness of two young ladies confessing one of them. He was greatly interested in her confession of faith, but he came up after when he said, can you imagine? He said, heaven is rejoicing right now. That's not an exaggeration. That's what the Lord said. Didn't it? that they rejoice over one sinner that repents, and no one will unless God grants them in His goodness repentance and faith and heaven rejoices. I told him, well, it's a continual rejoicing because it's going on all the time. Revealing himself here and there. Greatly rejoice.

The truth, he said in verse four, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth. That's what we're going to look at here. Oh my. If the truth is in you, if Christ is in you, If you walk in the truth, as he said, look at the second letter, second epistle. Look at verse two, it says, the truth's sake dwelleth in us and shall be with us forever. Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father. If the truth is in you, if you believe the truth and love the truth, you love Christ, Christ is in you, your hope of glory.

Grace, mercy, and peace is with you. It's all good. You're loved of God. You've been called of God. God loves you. Nothing can be against you. Nothing can be work against you. Every single thing from now on works together for your good to the praise of God's glory. It's going to end real good. Nothing can be against you.

Nothing, Romans 8 says, can separate you from this love of God, which is where? In Christ, Romans 8, 39. All right, look at verse one. Let's just look at these words. Number three, the third epistle. The elder, under the well-beloved guise whom I love in the truth, the elder.

John does not use his name. You don't find it here. You won't find it in the second epistle. You won't find it in the first epistle. You know that? Like John the Baptist, they came to him and said, who are you? He said, I'm just a voice. He wouldn't tell his name. What are your credentials? I don't have any. Well, Christ said he did. He said, there's no greater man born of woman than John. But he didn't say that about himself. He wasn't interested in people knowing him. His name was not important. Oh no, no, no. There is one name though. Only one name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

That the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, every knee will bow and every tongue confess eventually that he's Lord. But it's salvation to do that now. And if you do, God loves you. The elder, the elder, though he was an apostle, though he was greatly loved and gifted. Oh, Lord gave him great understanding. The revelation was given to John, used by the Lord greatly, still being used.

Yet like his Lord, he's meek and lowly. Christ said, I am come not to bear witness of myself, but another, of the Father. Like his Lord, John was meek and lowly, didn't come in his own name. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that. Now listen, this is important. Because there's many false prophets going out in the world. Try the spirits, whether they be of God.

Was John of God? How do you know? He won't even give his name. Is John the Baptist a man of God? That's what scripture said. It was a man sent by God named John, but John never spoke his own name. All he could, when he talked about himself, well this John, this John said the disciple whom Jesus left. That's how he wanted to be known. The one that God set his eternal love on. He was amazed at that.

And this is how you know every true preacher. It's still how you know. Their names are not out there. Their faces, they're not out there to be seen. They want you to see Christ, His glory. They want you to hear His voice. They want you to know His name. For those that know His name, put their trust in Him.

He calls himself an elder, though. That's a teacher, that's a preacher. It's also an old man. We believe he was about 100 years old when he wrote that. That's an old man. You know what the scriptures call old? 70. It really does. David died at 70 years old. It says being old and full of years. It's old enough, isn't it? You ought to learn something, shouldn't you? Seventy years. Job 32, let me read this to you. Job Elihu, a young preacher, the Lord sent him to preach to Job and his friends.

And here's what he said. He said, Days should speak. You should listen to an older man. He really should, especially if God sent him. Especially if he's been faithful to do nothing but preach the gospel of Christ. Shouldn't you? They should speak. A multitude of years should teach wisdom. What is wisdom? That's right, Christ. But he said, great men are not always wise, neither do the aged understand judgment. Well, who does?

Well John said that the Lord hath come and given us an understanding that we might know Him that is true and we are in Him that is true. This is eternal life. Preaches Christ and declares Him the truth as it is in Him and is not interested in His own glory and doesn't come in His own name, Christ said. Let a man come in His own name and people will just fawn all over Him and make a great man, make him rich.

Let a man come in the name of God only, they'll hate him, they'll reject him. It's always been that way. He's not popular. He doesn't want to be popular. Woe is unto you if men speak well of you. You must not be telling the truth. Right? Right? That's what this book says. So Elihu said, great men are not always wise, neither do the aged understand judgment.

How a man is the greatest fool on earth if he lives 60 or 70 years and doesn't glorify God, who doesn't worship God, who does not, a preacher especially, who stands up and preaches little sermonettes to make you go home and feel good about yourself, and doesn't declare Christ and Him crucified, he's the greatest fool to ever live.

It would have been better if he had never been born. Fool. The fool has said no God. And there's no greater fools and nobody more foolish than modern preachers today. Because they're not preaching the God of the Bible. They're not preaching God who is God. In other words, I'm going to declare unto you this morning the truth about God, about you and me, about Jesus Christ, and about salvation.

Okay? And if you believe these things, God loves you. He has called you. He has chosen you. He has put you in Christ. He's given the Holy Spirit to you. Everything's working together for you. Nothing can be against you. And when it's all over, you're going to be with God in glory, praising him and praising his son. All because of the truth. The truth. Not a doctrine. All right, he says, to the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth, whom I love in the truth. Gaius is unknown to us. We don't know much about him. We don't need to. What about you? Who knows you? Do you care? Who do you care about being known by? Who do you really care that knows you?

Christ, for whom he did foreknow. He did predestinate. He called. He justified. I'm quoting Romans 8. He glorified. He gave to Christ in a covenant. And it goes on to say that God knows us and predestinated us and called us by the gospel and justified us in Christ and gave us to Christ. If God be for us, now everybody quotes that, and it's on the back of semis, but it's not for everybody. It's just for those whom He called, and He justified, He glorified, He chose, He reveals the truth to. If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything in the charge of God's, what? What?

You believe that? You really believe that? That God elected a people before the foundation of the world, and they and they only will be saved. Do you really believe that? Do you believe that? You must be one. You hear it? You know how few people believe that? I don't believe, this is what they say, I believe anything but that election. No, you must not be elect. Does the elect know? This is how it all started. And every single human being rejects God, rejects God, rejects God, rejects God. But God chose a people, not to reject Him, but to believe Him, to bow to Him. You wouldn't have, wouldn't you? You wouldn't right now. I'm getting way ahead of myself, but that's a good, that's where we started.

He calls the lady in the second epistle, the elect lady, doesn't she? Your elect sister. Verse 13, the children of thy elect sister. Christ said he's going to come into this world and gather his elect sheep. Look at that, verse one, whom I love in the truth. Now here's where the truth begin, okay? I want you to turn with me to Romans, look at Romans, chapter five, Romans chapter five. Romans chapter five. I'm gonna tell you the truth about God, the truth about man, the truth about Christ, okay? Romans chapter five. Now, Gaius and God's people are well loved by God. God loves them. God is love. God is love. That's 1 John. I'm gonna look at that. But God does not love every single person in this world. The biggest lie I've ever been told.

Say, but what about John 3.16?

What about 1 John 2.15?

What about John 3.18?

What about John 3.36?

Do you know what those say? Preachers don't either. They don't tell it. The truth doesn't stand on one verse. We compare spiritual things with spiritual things. Jesus Christ was talking to a Jew who believed only Jews are saved. And Christ said, God so loved the world. A people out of every tribe, kindred, nation, tongue, out of the world. They're in the world, but they're not of the world. Right? He said in his prayer in John 17, Christ said, I pray not for the world.

If he loves them, why did he pray for them? Because he doesn't love every single person. Those he loves, he prays for. Those that God loves, he saves. Would you save your children whom you love if you could? Would you? Can God save anyone? Can he? Then if he loves everybody, why doesn't he save them? Hm? Somebody answer that, because he doesn't love everybody. He saves everyone he loves.

Love never faileth, 1 Corinthians 13, right? God is love. His love does not fail. His love, he said, I've loved thee with an everlasting love. Who'd he say that to? Everybody, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Jeremiah, principally, but his people. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee. No man can come except the Father that sent Christ and loves his people. Draw them.

Romans 5, look at Romans chapter 5, verse 1. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you understand that? Peace with God comes only through Jesus Christ. How? The blood of his cross. He died on that cross to justify his people, to pay for their sins, every one of them. Now, if Jesus Christ paid for the sins of his people, they are paid for. Right?

That's not what religion says. They said he made an offer and you have to accept it. He made the down payment and your faith is the final payment. That's such a lie out of hell. That means you get part of the glory. That's not the truth. That's a lie.

Verse 8, God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Who's us? Now look at Romans 8, which I was quoting. Who's us? Who's the us that God loves and Christ died for? Romans 8, I was quoting it to you. Are you looking at it? Don't take my word for it. Look at your Bible right now.

Verse 28, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Who loves God? Those he first loved. To them that love God who the called according to his purpose. Purpose. God does everything on purpose. Nothing is by chance or accident. The God of the Bible does all things on purpose. Scripture says he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, not man's will. Nothing is dependent on man whatsoever. It's all God's will, all going exactly according to his eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus before the world began. But, but, but, but what? You just argued against God, argued against truth.

For whom he did foreknow, that is, forelove, set his love upon, his choice, he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren, because Christ is the elect. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, he called by the gospel. Whom he called, him he also justified, he gave him faith. Whom He justified, He glorified.

It all sounds past tense, doesn't it? Sounds like it's already happened. But for the fact, it has in the mind, in the eye, in the heart, in the purpose of God, known unto God, Acts 15, 18, are all His works from the beginning. He said, I declare the end from the beginning. This is the God of the Bible. This is the truth.

So that says verse 31, what should we then say to these things if God be for us, who can be against us? Who's us? Look at verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? And the last verse I quoted to you, look at verse 39. Not height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God loves those in Christ.

God does not love every single person. When the Ark of Noah was floating on the water above the waves and the whole world was destroyed by the wrath of God, was it not? Were not people drowned by the millions, if not the billions? Was that the love of God? No, it was the wrath of God, the anger of God, the judgment of God. Well, who did God love?

Look inside that ark. How'd they get there? God said, come now into the ark. All the animals were brought there. 1 Corinthians 1.30 says to his people, of God are you in him, in Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

That according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. No flesh should glory in his presence. Nothing to glory of, nothing to glory of. The God of the Bible, and I mean, and 1 John 1 goes through this many times, the truth, the truth, the truth. Look, turn there, 1 John chapter 1. It says, God committeth his love toward us and why we were yet sinners. Who does God love? Those that he reveals to them that they're nothing but no good, hell-deserving sinners. God loves sinners. We say everybody's a sinner.

No, ask them. Ask them. There was a man listening to my father on the TV years and years ago. Preached exactly what I'm preaching. And, you know, my father, you watch, go back and watch the, he didn't smile ever on the radio, the TV. This wasn't funny business. It's people's lives and souls at stake. And he's telling the truth about God and the truth about man. And the beginning of salvation is the fear of God and repentance toward God.

And he'd point at that TV. And it was a man sitting listening to him, 8 o'clock Sunday morning, came on for 35 years, 8 o'clock. This man sitting there drinking a Budweiser, 8 o'clock. Anyway, he's sitting there and he turns the TV on and there he is. As back then there were three channels and two of them had snow and one you could get if you got your dog ears just right. You remember that? If you do, you're old. Put a little aluminum foil up.

And that man happened to turn on the TV at that time and sat down, and my father said, you're a sinner. And that man jumped up. He's drinking a Bud 8 o'clock in the morning, he's not worshiping God, doesn't even know God, doesn't care about God, cares about himself. Well, turned that TV off, said I ain't no sinner, sat back down. He said, maybe I am. He turned it back on.

God revealed the truth to that man and brought him to hear the gospel and sit down and saved his eternal soul. This is for sinners. And you don't know you are one till God tells you. What kind? Well, Paul said, Oh, wretched man that I am. Job said, I've heard of you by the hearing of the ear and now I see you and I abhor myself. And in the last days it says men are going to be lovers of themselves. Nobody knows God loves God and God doesn't love anybody that loves himself. God loves those that love him and love his son. And the only reason they do is God reveals to them they are sinners.

Look at it, 1 John 1 verse 8. Verse six, if we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness, we don't know who God is, we don't know the truth, we don't know what we are, we're a liar, we do not the truth. Verse eight, if we say we have no sin, what kind of sin?

You are capable of doing anything. It's in you. You were born with it, you came forth from the womb speaking lies. I'm quoting scripture. in captivity to the God of this world, following the course of this world, children of wrath even as others, and your only hope is but God.

If we say we have not this inborn sin and capable of doing anything and haven't done it because God restrained us or have done it because we wanted to, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Or you don't. Read on, don't stop there, whatever you do.

If we confess our sins, He's faithful. He said, if forgive us all manner of sin, we'll be forgiven. But it's only for those that are sinners. What is it to confess your sin? Well, you don't go in a little booth and confess it to some sinful priest behind that screen. Forgive me, Father, I have sinned. That is anti-Christ.

There's one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. There's one high priest One altar, not down here, it's in heaven where Christ sits, at the right hand. And you go to Him, He's the only one that can forgive you your sins. And we confess to Him, and He's faithful, He said, I'll do it, and just. God can't just forgive your sins, He's got to pay for them. God will by no means clear the guilt description. That's why Christ came. to die for every sin of all of God's people, past, present, and future.

That's your only hope. God's only. God's just. God's righteous. And Christ did. He did. We confess our sins. He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us. Who's doing all that? He is. Verse 10, if we say we have not sinned, We make him a liar. His word, his truth is not in us. Not in us, the truth. So the first thing God reveals to us is we're sinners.

There's a famous old message, but it's the message of the Bible. Jonathan Edwards preached it hundreds of years ago. History says that there was a great revival in the northeastern part of this country, and it swept down and through the south. Men like George Whitefield preached this message, but Jonathan Edwards preached sinners in the hands of an angry God.

You will not hear that today except where the truth is proved. You will not. But it's still the truth. That's who God is. Let me give you a few things about the true God of the Bible, okay? Here's the truth, and I'm gonna give you the lies. God is sovereign. God is sovereign. He does according to his will. And nothing can stop that. That's Isaiah 43. He said, God will work and who will let him? Who will let him? Don't they say, let go and let God? Well, you mean let God do what? That's what he said to Job and his friend. Where were you when I made the worlds?

I hear you talking. Who is this? He said. Doing all this talking. I made your mouth. Scripture says that preparation of the heart and the answer of the tongue is of God. Isn't it? The lot is cast in the lap. What are you going to do? You're going to do what God commands you to do. Yes, you are.

He works all things. He's the God who wills all things, who purposes all things, who does all things, who kills, who makes a life. Yes, He is. Good or evil. You believe that? It's Isaiah 45, 7. I the Lord do all these things. I don't understand. No, you don't because He's God. You're not called to understand. You're called to bow and believe Him. Thou art God.

This is where you begin. The fear of the Lord in whose hands your breath is and what? What? Somebody say it out loud. All your ways. That's the God of the Bible. I don't believe that. And the truth's not in you. And you're gonna perish. This is the truth. This is the God of the Bible. The true and living God.

Are you with me? You like this? Do you love this? 2 Thessalonians 2. Go over there. 2 Thessalonians 2. It's not just, I believe God is sovereign. Hold on a minute. You're glad He is. You love that He is. You bow to Him being sovereign. It causes you great and exceeding rejoicing and joy that God is sovereign.

That it's not your will, it's not man's will. Right? That good or evil, whatever it is, God's doing it. Because the judge of the earth does rights. And nobody can say or do anything against it. If I was sitting out there, I'd be hollering, hallelujah. Amen. You know what amen means? Gabe brought this up. We all bring this up. It means that's the way it is. Nobody can do anything about it. I never want to. Let's just say amen. 2 Thessalonians 2. In verse 7, the mystery of iniquity, that's religion, false religion, doth already work. Only he who now letteth will let. Who's letting this go on? Who's doing this? God is. That's right.

You know in the Old Testament God sent a false spirit, a lying spirit to deceive some people. Preacher, that's what this book's in. It says in verse nine that him who's coming is after the working of Satan. That's not one person, that's this false religion that's everywhere. Catholicism with its potpourri and its priestcraft Wicked is Antichrist religion. So is Southern Baptist free will religion.

It's Antichrist Verse 10 and all deceivableness of unrighteousness and them that perish because they received not the love of the truth They didn't accept it that's not what it says does it They received not the love of the truth Receiving and accepting are two different things.

Isn't that right? Accepting means something is put out there and you accept it or reject it. Receiving means somebody gave it to you. I had a glass and I poured this water in it. The glass is a receiver, not an acceptor. It's an empty vessel. It received. We received of Him. Scripture said. Receive the truth. God elected and chose a people to believe the truth. They receive the truth. They receive a love of the truth. They love it. Because God gave them that love. Because God loved them. Read on. And it says in verse 11, so these who don't receive the love of the truth, God sends them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. and be damned who believe not the truth.

Is that what this is? But verse 13, John, Patrick, is this not one of your favorite verses in all the Bible? We're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, forelove, foreknown, because God hath from the beginning, when? When's the beginning?

Before the world began, chosen you to save, to salvation through sanctification of spirit and belief of the truth. Whereunto, or that is, by which he called you by our gospel, not this other one, but the true gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus. Amen. Amen is right.

God is sovereign. Man is not. Man says it's your will, your choice. No, it's not. It's God's. Man's not God, God is. God is holy. Man is not. Man is sinful, wretched, vile, wicked. Man's wicked, wicked creature. God is just and righteous, will punish sin, by no means clear the guilty. Men say, no, God is love. He loves you just like you are. No, he doesn't. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness. That's what the scripture says. You must be as righteous as God for him to love you. Well, how? I'll get to that. I can't wait. It's in Christ. Do you know that Christ is your righteousness, your holiness, your acceptance with God? That's the truth. You know that? Are you glad? God loves you. Truth's in you.

Man is evil. Man is wicked. Man is captive to the devil. He will not, he cannot come to God. He cannot believe. He's dead in trespasses. He's dead, dead, dead. What's dead mean? Dead means dead. Go to the cemetery. They can't do anything, they won't do anything, unless somebody gives them life. That's you, that's me, until God, through the preaching of the gospel, gives you life.

I got a brochure, I get these all the time from a big mega church over in Franklin Heights. Somebody needs to call these people out. It's about a day camp, $275 a person. There's no mention of God in that brochure, not one. Fun and games for family and all that come. But then in a little letter on the side, it said a few years ago, a hundred kids made their decision to follow Jesus. They're all lost. You find me in this book any one that made a decision to follow Jesus Christ. Find me one. Find me one.

Who followed him? Those he came to call and said to Simon Peter and to Andrew his brother and to James and John, follow me. What happened? They followed him. They didn't make a decision. They weren't even looking. But if you make a decision to follow Jesus and this fellow over here didn't, then it means you get some glory and you get some credit and God's congratulating you. I saw that too.

Some young boy was baptized. Southern Baptist religion happens all the time. This little boy was baptized and they made t-shirts and passed them out everywhere. Congratulations, Timothy. This is an abomination to God. Congratulations. It took the Son of God dying on the cross to save us hell-bound sinners. And it's not something we do, something God did to praise the glory of His grace.

Something the Spirit of God comes and moves on His people. They don't move toward Him. They wouldn't move. They're dead! But He comes in the Gospel and says, Move! Fear! Believe! Bow! Believe! You will not unless He says so. See, everybody, everybody says, I don't believe that. I know you don't. I didn't either. Then why do you? Because God said, believe. Saul of Tarsus, I hate this. I hate this. I'm going to put this Jesus out of business.

Are you now? And he met the Lord Jesus Christ of Israel. Hit the dirt, Saul. And then Saul said, what are you going to do with me? I chose you. That's what I did, and I'm going to save you. You're not worth it, but you're going to glorify me from now on. You're going to realize I should have sent you to hell, Saul of Tarsus, but I'm merciful. I'm gracious.

I love you because my son came down to this earth whom you hated and loved you and gave himself for you and paid for your sins in his own blood on a tree. Not congratulations, Saul. to the praise of the glory of the Lamb who was slain, of Christ who died. Any glory given to man is false. The false gospel. Are you hearing me? This is the truth about man, about God, about Christ. And if you believe it, if you love it, God loves you. That's how you know.

And when you hear somebody, the church, were scared to death of Saul of Tarsus. They were scared to death of him. Because he persecuted him. He had people killed for believing this. And Barnabas one day brought him in, Saul of Tarsus, and said, ah, this fella, oh, we don't like him.

He said, the Lord revealed Christ to me. I'm sorry, but I believe God's forgiven me for all that. That's why Paul said, I'm a debtor to the Greek, and the Jew, and the barbarian, the Scythian. I'm going to go everywhere and tell everybody everything I was saying before is a lie. And now I'm going to tell them the truth, the salvations of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ.

His blood, his righteousness, God's choice, God's will, not man. God's glory, not man's. And he did. And he was killed for preaching the truth. And this is the truth. Truth about God, truth about man, truth about salvation. It's of the Lord, 100%. Do you believe it? You know what Christ tells you to do? Confess it, and believers back to it. Before this God-hating world, before this wicked and adulterous generation, Christ said, confess me. Tell everybody, God's God, man's not. Tell everybody, Jesus Christ and Him only is salvation. It's not your choice, not your decisions, not your turning over a new leaf, it's not your righteousness, it's His.

Tell him. Tell him. And confess him. Say, I want to be crucified with Christ, buried, risen to walk in newness of life, and that's to walk in the truth. Walk, Saul of Tarsus, it says after that, they all realized. He does. He's not out to kill us. He now loves us. He loves the truth. And you know what it said? He was with them coming and going.

Where are y'all going if you're gonna worship Jesus Christ? I'm coming to you. It's to walk in the church, walk into God's house. Look who's coming in here to walk to the place of worship. Walk by faith, not by sight, not listen to the world, putting your hands over your ears like the people. I don't believe anything anybody's saying but God. Let God be true in every man of light. Walk by faith, walk in love. Love his gospel, love his people, love this worship of God. Where are you going to worship God? Can I come? Has that happened to you? Is the truth in you? Not here, but here. Love of the truth. Praise be his name, let's sing a closing hymn.

Walking in the Truth

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about walking in the truth?

How do we know that the truth is important for Christians?

Why is God's sovereignty crucial in understanding the truth?

How do we know we are loved by God?

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Walking in the Truth

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about walking in the truth?

How do we know that the truth is important for Christians?

Why is God's sovereignty crucial in understanding the truth?

How do we know we are loved by God?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

Comments

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