John 1:1-18 (NIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.
8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)
16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Truth is
.
Truth is important to the
of people.
Truth means two important
:
Truth is an accurate description of the way things
. Truth is an accurate description of the way things should
.
Big Idea: God is truth.
God’s very
is truth (vv. 1-5).
God the
“The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.” —John 3:31d-33
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” —John 4:23-24God the Holy Spirit is
“And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.” —1 John 5:6c
- God the Son,
Because he is truth, he
himself to humanity (vv. 9-14).
“For this is what the Lord says—he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—he says: ‘I am the LORD, and there is no other. 19 I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, “Seek me in vain.” I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.” —Isaiah 45:18-19
Because God is truth anyone who rejects him is repelled into
.
“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” —John 8:44
- Every person who rejects God will find themselves
“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.” —Romans 2:8
But those who reject God are still
Because God is truth, everyone who rejects him remains subject to his
“But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” —Romans 2:8
Because God is truth,
to Christ for truth.
Come to Christ for eternal
because he is truth (vv. 9-13).
“and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” —2 Thessalonians 2:10
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” —John 14:6
Come to Christ for
because he is truth.
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” —John 8:31-32
Come to Christ
truth because he is truth.
“He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” —Isaiah 33:6
He gives truth through the
“…God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” —1 Timothy 3:15
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” —Ephesians 4:11-15He gives truth through his
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” —John 17:17
“For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.” —Psalm 33:4
As someone who has come to Christ,
truthful with others.
“when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” —Ephesians 4:21-25