Entering Into God’s Presence

Knowing God Through His Roles & Titles

God is Truth  (Sphere of Media)

To Study and Ponder

• Greek aletheia – truth (BDAG)

• The quality of truthfulness, dependability, and uprightness in thought word and deed (the basic meaning).

• The content of what is true" (the Pilate question);

• The content of Christianity as ultimate truth;

• An actual event or state (eg Col 1:6)

• All three persons of the Trinity embody and display truth in their every word and action.

• Jesus is “the truth” (John 14:6 - “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”) – he is not a truth, he is the truth (the definite article is used in the original Greek to underscore this). He doesn’t just have truth or teach truth, he is truth, he embodies it fully, totally, completely – indeed he is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NIV). When Jesus was on trial before the Roman authorities, Pilate asked him “What is truth?” (Joh 18:38). Jesus did not answer Pilate verbally for it was not necessary to do so. Pilate was looking truth straight in the face, for truth is not a propositional abstraction to be analyzed, but a person whom we are called to know and love.

• The Spirit of God is truth - Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. John 15:26 (also John 16:13; 1Jn 4:6; 5:6)

• Spirit of truth convicts – And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment. John 16:8

• Spirit of truth guides/leads us into all truth – John 14:17;16:13

• The indwelling Spirit of truth helps us “carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to” us 2Ti 1:14

• The Spirit of truth is in those who belong to God– But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception. 1Jn 4:6 (Phillip & the Ethiopian)

• The testimony of the Spirit of truth confirms that Jesus Christ is God’s Son 1John 5:6. Paul faced the truth of this at his conversion – Acts 9:1-19

• God the Father is “the God of truth” Isa 65:16a, and he is “the only true God” Jer 10:10, the true God showed up to the prophets of Baal 1Ki 18:24; (see also 2Ch 15:3; John 17:3; 1Th 1:9 - v.idols; 1Jn 5:20).

• God rules “with mercy and truth”:- then God will establish one of David's descendants as king. He will rule with mercy and truth. He will always do what is just and be eager to do what is right. Isa 16:5, for “just and true are [God’s] ways” Rev 15:3 (see also Rev 16:7).

• God’s words are truth For you are God, O Sovereign LORD. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant.” 2Sa 7:28 (see also Psalm 18:30; Proverbs 30:5; Rom 3:4; Rev 19:9).

• Truth sets us free - We are told that “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2Co 3:17) and in like manner, that it is “the truth [that] will set you free” John 8:32. If the Spirit frees us and truth frees us, it is because the Spirit of God is truth.

• Note #3 of Francis Schaeffer’s four basic presuppositions of a Biblical Christian worldview. 1. God is infinite and personal. 2. Humans are finite and personal. 3. Truth is constant and knowable. 4. People are significant and our choices bear consequences.

• God wants us as His people to walk in truth. Psalm 26:3, 51:6, 86:11, 119:30. Eph.6:14

Meditation/Memory:

Lower Grades: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6  (NLT)

But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King!

Jeremiah 10:10  (NLT)

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock?

Psalm 18:30-31  (NLT)

Middle Grades: For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. Psalm 33:4-5 (NLT)

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. John 17:3  (NLT)

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32  (NLT)

Upper Grades: When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.  John16:13-14 (NLT)

Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully.

The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.  Hosea 14:9  (NLT)

And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

1 John 5:20  (NLT)