Would you turn back to John,
Chapter 8? The title of this message is,
You Shall Know the Truth. You shall know the truth. Verse 32 of John, Chapter 8. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free. Now, this is one of the most well-known
and often quoted statements of the Lord, and it has actually
been used by many people with different agendas for using it.
But let's examine the context of which this statement is made. Verse 30, as he spake these words, many
believed on him. That's exciting. Many, not just
a few, many believe. on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on him, if you continue in my word, then are
you my disciples indeed. It is only by continuing in his
word that proves a man to be a true genuine authentic disciple
it's not just beginning it is continuing in his word and I
think it's interesting if you go on reading in this chapter
these people that believed on him by the end they're going
to pick up stones to throw at him it says they believed on
him But they didn't continue to believe on him because they
picked up rocks to throw at him and kill him. Look at the end
of this chapter. The final verse. Then took they up stones to cast
at him. These same people who believed
on him. Then took they up stones to cast
at him But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going
through the midst of them and so passed by. I love thinking
about that. They're getting ready to throw
the stones. Does he blind them? I don't know what he does, but
he just walks right through the crowd and he's gone. You see,
his time had not yet come and nothing will happen before he
permits it to happen. Now look in verse 23 of John
chapter eight. And he said unto them, John 8,
23. And he said unto them, these
people who would not end up continuing in his word. And he said unto them, you are
from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you that
you shall die in your sins. For if you believe not that I
am, you shall die in your sins. Then said they unto him, who
are you? And Young's literal translation
reads it like this, you, who are you? Who are you to make
such claims that if you believe not that I am the name of God,
you'll die in your sins. Who are you to say something
like that? Who are you? Verse 25, even the same that
I said unto you from the beginning. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. Turn over to John chapter 10
for a moment. Verse 23, and Jesus walked in
the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about
him. They surrounded him and said
unto him, how long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be
Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you. This has already been clearly
stated. I told you. And you believe not. The works that I do in my father's
name, they bear witness of me. I raise the dead. I create matter. I give sight to the blind. I
control the weather. There's no excuse for you to
not believe who I am. You believe not because you are
not of my sheep. He does not say you're not a
sheep because you don't believe. He said, the reason you don't
believe is because you're not of my sheep. My sheep hear my
voice. I know them. And they follow
me. Turn back to John eight. You who are you? Verse 25, even the same that
I said unto you from the beginning, I have many things to say and
to judge of you. But he that sent me. It's true. And I speak to the world, those
things which I have heard of him. Now I have many things to
say and judge of you. I love the way he speaks of he
that sent me. That's one of 25 times in the
gospel of John, he refers to himself as the one who the father
sent. He was before he was sent. He was sent by the Father. And
he did what the Father sent him to do. This is essential to saving
faith. Remember when the Lord said in John 6, verse 29, this
is the work of God that you believe on him whom he hath sent. Do you believe he was before
the father sent him? Do you believe that? Do you believe
the father sent him for a specific purpose? Do you believe that
he did what the father sent him to do? I do. I really do. I speak to the world those things
which I have heard of him. Everything I say to the world
is what I've heard from him. In John 10 30, we read, I and
my father are one. When I speak, it's nothing but
the words of God, the father, our words are one. What I do,
he does. Our works are one. I speak as
one who is God. equal to the father. The second
person of the Trinity, everything I say recommends itself as the
very word of God. This isn't some man speaking.
These are the words of God himself. When I speak, it's the words
of God. Verse 27, they understood not
that he spake to them of the father. They had no idea what
he was talking about. They were clueless. You see,
to hear God's words, you've got to be OF God. He that's OF God
HEARETH God's words. You know, I have such confidence,
I know this, that any believer is going to hear the Word of
God, and they're going to hear it AS the Word of God, and here's
why. He that's OF God HEARETH God's
words. You therefore hear them not,
because you're not of God." That's what he said to these same people
in this message. Verse 28, and then said, Jesus
unto them, when you have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall
you know that I am. that I do nothing of myself but
as my father hath taught me I speak these things." Now what does
he mean when he says when you have lifted up the Son of Man? That word is the word that is
generally translated exalted. Him hath God highly exalted. When you have exalted the Son
of Man. In John chapter 3, verse 14,
the Lord says, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. He lifted it up. Turn to John chapter 12 for a
moment. This will tell us exactly what he's talking about, and
this is so important. Verse 32. John chapter 12, verse 32. And
I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all, notice
the word men is in italics, the all, the elect, all his people. And I, if I be lifted up, exalted
from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying
what? What? Death. He should die. Have you ever and have I ever
seen the connection between the exaltation of Christ and the
death of Christ? Now that's the key. The Son of
God being nailed to a cross is the highest exaltation of Jesus
Christ. Have you ever seen that? Oh,
glory to God if you have. The death of Christ, the Son
of God being nailed to a cross to suffer and bleed and die is
the highest exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing is
more glorious and exalted than Jesus Christ being violently
nailed to a tree. Scripture says he became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God hath
highly exalted him and given him a name, which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow. of things in heaven and things
in earth and things under the earth too. And that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. Now the lifting up of Christ
between heaven and earth on a cross is the whole counsel of God. It's God's purpose. in creating
the universe. It's God's purpose in making
man. It's God's purpose in purposing
the fall for the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's called
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world before the fall
took place, before creation ever took place. He was the Lamb having
been slain from the very foundation of the world. The content of
gospel preaching is the cross of Jesus Christ. Have you seen
the glory of this? Turn with me for a moment to
1 Corinthians 1. Verse 22. Now we read in verse 22 of the
Jews and the Greeks. For the Jews, the religious,
they require a sign. Show me some proof. Show me some
proof of your claims. You make big claims. I need to
see something that I can touch and feel to believe it. Show
me some proof. The Greeks, the non-religious,
they seek after wisdom. Now, not the wisdom of God, but
they're seeking wisdom. How can we make this world a
better place? How can we improve education? How can we improve
the economy? How can we improve health care? How can we make this a better
place to live? You know, a lot of people have
that desire. I want wisdom. I want to learn more of technology
and so on to make this world a better place to live. That's
what the Jews or the Greeks seek. We seek wisdom. We want to make
this place a better place. Just like Cain, when he left
God, he went out and built him a city. He set out to make this
world a better place. Verse 23, but we preach. the Son of God nailed to a cross. We preach Christ crucified. We say that all of salvation
is the Son of God, the God-man being nailed to a cross. That
is all of salvation. If Jesus Christ died for you,
you're gonna stand in glory. You're going to be accepted by
God. You're going to be embraced by God. You're going to be without
sin before God for this one reason. Jesus Christ lived and died for
you. Not because of anything you've
done. It's wholly, 100% because of what He has done. We preach
Christ crucified. He's everything in salvation.
Now to the Jews, Now, I stumble at that. What about good works?
You're not giving anybody any reason to live for God. You're
saying salvation's wholly accomplished altogether outside of anything
you do. Why, that'll leave people in indifference and not caring
about how they live. I stumble at that. I mean, that
promotes sin, if anything. I stumble at that. And the Greeks,
what's that got to do with making this world a better place? But to them which are called, To them, which are the called Christ, the wisdom of God, Christ,
the power of God. This is how God saves sinners. This is how God can be just and
justify the ungodly. This is the manifestation of
God's character. This is the glory of God, the
lifting up of Christ on the cross. Do I see that? Do I see that? Christ being nailed to a cross
is his exaltation. It's what glorifies God. It's
what makes known the character of God. Have I seen the glory? When we see the connection of
the cross of Christ and the exaltation of Christ, that's when we're
going to know that he is, I am. Not before then, but when we
see this, we're going to know that he is, I am that I am. Back to John 8. Then said Jesus unto them, when
you have lifted up the Son of Man, when you've lifted him up
between heaven and earth and nailed him to a tree, then shall
you know that I am and that I do Nothing of myself, this is God's
work. I don't act independently of
him. What I do is what he did. What I say is what he said. I
do nothing of myself, but as my father has taught me, I speak
these things. Verse 29. And he that sent me there, we
have that again. He that sent me is with me. The father has not left me alone
for I do always those things that please him. You know, I hear this and yes,
he does always those things that utterly and absolutely and completely
please his father. Oh, the father looked at him
and he said, this is my beloved son. In whom? I am well pleased. Oh, the pleasure the father has
toward his only begotten and well beloved son. I think of
the 33 years he lived on this earth. The father was looking
at him the whole time and I'm pleased with you. I'm pleased
with everything you do. I'm pleased with everything you
think. He's the son of God. Now, verse
30, as he spake these words, many believed on him. I think they were like that crowd
that was sent to arrest him, and they come back without him.
They said, why didn't you bring him? They said, never a man spake
like this man. This group was certainly at this
time impressed with what he had to say. Verse 31, then said Jesus unto
them, if you, what? Continue. In my word. Then are you my disciples
indeed the only evidence of true saving faith is continuing in
his word, is perseverance in his word. Now that does not mean
continuing to be religious. It means you continue all the
way to the end to look to Jesus Christ the Lord as your only
grounds of acceptance before God. And you continue all the
way to the end to trust Him only. You continue all the way to the
end in the gospel. Now that's what it means to persevere. It doesn't mean to stay religious.
Well, I've got me another brand of religion. That's not persevering
to the end. To persevere into the end is
to persevere into your dying breath, looking to Jesus Christ
alone. That's what it is to persevere.
That's what it is to continue in his word. If you continue
in my word, bear with me for a moment to Colossians chapter
one. Verse 21, and you, Colossians
121, and you that were sometime alienated, before time alienated,
and enemies in your mind by wicked works. Yet now hath He reconciled
in the body of His flesh through death to present you holy and
unblameable and unreprovable in His sight, if, now that's
a conditional if, if you continue in the faith. grounded and settled and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel. We are made partakers of Christ
if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. What's the beginning of your
confidence? I know what the beginning of my confidence is, Christ himself. I trust him as my salvation.
I'm to hold that steadfast to the end. Now look, verse 32,
he says, if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples
in deed, in truth, in reality, genuine, a fact rather than a
fiction. Verse 32, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you
free. Now the only way the truth is
actually known is by continuing in the truth, continuing in his
word and he tells us that the truth will make us free, not
our knowledge of the truth, the truth himself. He's the one who
makes us free. It's not, well, I've got some
understanding now. I find liberty in that. No, you're never going to know
enough, are you, as far as grasping? It's not my knowledge of the
truth that makes me free. It's the truth itself. If the
Son shall make you free. You shall be free indeed, truly
free. You shall know the truth and
the truth shall make you free. Now, would you turn with me for
a moment to second Thessalonians chapter two, second Thessalonians chapter
two, verse eight. This is talking about the antichrist, the mystery of iniquity. And then verse eight, and then
shall that wicked be revealed. Whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth and should destroy with the brightness of
his coming. Don't you love to think about
that when the Lord comes back, all opposition to him will just
be destroyed by the brightness of his coming. Even him who's coming is after
the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. Now, this is how the devil works
with power, not omnipotence, but he has great power. It's
what God's given him. He has no more power than what
God has given him to accomplish God's purposes. But still, you'll
be impressed. Works of power, great signs that
will prove to those who have no light that there's something
to him. Lying wonders, not truthful wonders. Lying wonders. Verse 10, and
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, Because
they receive not the love of the truth. Don't miss that. They receive
not the love of the truth. You love the truth when you need
the truth. You love the God of election
when you need God to elect you. You love the successful atonement
of Christ for his elect when that's what you need to save
you. The love of the truth. These people did not receive
the love of the truth. Well, I see the Bible teaches
that. Have you received the love of
the truth? That's the, that's the question right now. Not,
do you agree with, well, yeah, the Bible does seem to teach
that doctrine. No, we're not. Have you received the love of
the truth? These people didn't. Verse 10,
and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that
they might be saved. And for this cause, because they
received not the love of the truth, God shall send them strong
delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be
damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Does he really say that? Yes,
it does. Who sends them this strong delusion?
God does. Why? That they might be damned,
who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. You could say this just as easily.
They had pleasure in their own righteousness. And it was nothing
more than unrighteousness. But verse 13, but we are bound to thank, to give
thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. called election and it is a doctrine
of divine praise. We're bound to thank God for
you. Brethren, beloved of the Lord
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. through sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth. What is the evidence of sanctification
of the spirit? Belief of the truth. How is it that one believes the
truth? He's sanctified by the spirit of God. The sanctifying work of the Spirit
of God and belief of the truth are so wedded together that the
one is the evidence of the other. Belief of the truth. You shall know the truth, and
the truth shall set you free. Now, think of this. In 1 Timothy
2.4, salvation is called coming to a knowledge of the truth. Faith is defined in Titus chapter
1 verse 1, the faith of God's elect, the acknowledging, the
embracing of the truth, which is after godliness. It comes
from godliness. It comes from God doing a work
of grace in you. That's why you acknowledge the
truth. Repentance. If God will peradventure
grant them Repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. Now, salvation, faith, and repentance
are all defined in scripture as embracing the truth, acknowledging
the truth, believing the truth. And the truth, the Lord says,
shall make you free. Now, understand it's not your
knowledge of the truth that makes you free. It's the truth himself.
Look back in John 8, verse 36. If the son therefore shall make
you free. You should be free indeed. Not
just talk, not just making claims. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ hath made us free. Free is liberated. If the Son
shall make you free, if the truth shall make you free. He is the
truth. He said, I am the truth. I'm the way, the truth, and the
life. No man comes to the Father but by me. If the Son shall make
you free. You really are free. And I love to think of the The
glorious liberty of the children of God is what Paul called it
in Romans 8, 21. The glorious, glorious liberty. The freedom wherewith Christ
has made us free. I do not owe anything but gratitude. All my sin has been put away.
I stand before the law of God without guilt. Now that's free. That's free. He put my sin away. I love the scripture. Sin shall
not have dominion over you. This is Roman 614. Sin shall
not have dominion over you. And that word dominion is lordship.
Sin's not your Lord. Not if you're a believer. Sin
shall not have dominion over you. And here's why. You're not
under law. but under grace. If you're under law, sin has
absolute, complete control of you. You can no more believe
or repent or love God than you can create the universe. Oh,
but if you're under grace, the grace of God that brings salvation,
sin doesn't have dominion over you. You see Romans, I mean,
Psalm 110.3 says, thy people shall be willing. Volunteers. You're following Christ because
that's what you want to do. Not because you're afraid not to, but because
that's what you want to do. I love it when it was said to,
when the Lord said to Bartimaeus, go thy way. What did he do? What was his way? He followed
Jesus in the way. The truth shall set you free. One last scripture, turn to John
18. Verse 33, then Pilate entered
into the judgment hall again and called Jesus and said to
him, art thou the king of the Jews? This is what you're being
accused of. And I think this is so important.
Why did they nail him to a cross? But what claim were they against? Were they against him for healing
people, for feeding the hungry? No. King. Jesus answered him, sayest thou this thing of thyself
or did others tell it thee of me? And that's a good question
for us all to ask. With regard to what you believe,
do you really believe it of yourself or is it just what somebody told
you and it hadn't really been real to you? Verse 35, Pilate answered, am
I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief
priests have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou done? Jesus
answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world,
then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered
into the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him,
Art thou a king then? You're talking about a kingdom.
You must be a king. Are you a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest
that I am a king. To this end, for this purpose
was I born. And for this cause came I into
the world that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that's of the truth
heareth my voice." And when Christ came to be nailed to that cross,
that's why he came. He came to be nailed to a cross. If you want to know the truth
of who God really is, you will not know apart from Christ being
nailed to a cross. That manifests every attribute
of the character of God. His justice, He won't let sin
go unpunished. He's no respecter of persons.
Even when sin is on His Son, He kills Him. His purpose, this
is His eternal purpose. His love that He would give His
Son to die for sinners. His justice. Oh, every attribute
of God is displayed. The truth of God is displayed
in the cross. The truth of your character.
Now listen to me. The truth of my character and
your character is only really seen in the cross of Jesus Christ. How bad are you? Really? In God's
sight? How bad are you? How sinful are
you? Well, I'm not quite as bad as
other people are. You missed the point. The cross
of Jesus Christ tells how bad you and I are. You believe that? What so? My sinfulness is seen
in being guilty. If God left me to myself, I would
be one of those people who wanted to put him out of business and
kill him and have him nailed to a cross. That's how bad you
are. Now, I'm asking you to believe
that. Believe that. Don't look into
your own heart to see how bad you are. Look to the cross. That's the only way you're going
to find out the truth about yourself. And oh, in the cross we see the
truth of God's salvation. Salvation wholly accomplished
by what Jesus Christ accomplished on that tree. When Christ said,
I came to bear witness to the truth, he's talking about going
to the cross to bear witness to the truth concerning who God
is, who I am, and how God saves sinners by his glorious work
on Calvary Street. That's the truth. Verse 38, Pilate said unto him, what's truth? What's truth? And I can see a
natural man saying this. Truth? What is truth? Can we
really know the truth? Is there even such a thing as
truth? And if there is, can we really
know it? And is it worth this? Do you see what's getting ready
to take place? You're getting ready to get nailed
to a cross. Is it worth all this? Yes, there is the truth. Yes, you can know it. And yes, it's worth all this. My father is glorified and my
people are saved through this glorious truth. You shall know the truth and
the truth shall make you free. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name
that we might know you the truth and that you, the Son, the truth
would make us free indeed. Bless this message according
to your will for your glory and for our good. In Christ's name
we pray. Amen.