KNOW THE TRUTH
By
Shelby G. Floyd
January, 2010
Jesus Christ once said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free"
(John
Many philosophers and wise man have agreed with what Jesus
said. "The truth is always the strongest argument," so said Sophocles. Daniel Defoe wrote, "He
that has truth on his side is a fool if he is afraid to own it because of other
men's opinions." "Keep one thing forever in view—the
truth, and if you do that, though it may seem to lead you away from the
opinions of man, it will assuredly conduct you to the throne of God,"
said Horace Mann. An unknown author has given us these wonderful words: "An honest man alters his opinion to
fit the truth. A prejudiced man alters
the truth to fit his opinion."
CAN
Can man know the truth? Can man know any truth? That is the question we must answer. I have a very simple proposition for you to consider. And that proposition my friends is this: "you can know the truth." Everyone can know the truth; all can know the truth. That is the proposition I will seek to uphold and prove with credible evidence.
What is Truth?
What is truth? In the book, Modern Philosophy of Religion, Thompson says, "a statement is true if what it says to be the case is the case. And it is false if what it says to be the case is not the case." That is a very simple definition of truth and it will be adequate for what we are presenting at this time. Truth is a statement that is true if what it says to be the case is actually the case. Truth is an honest appraisal of what has been, is, or shall be. Truth is a faithful report of what is, has been, or shall be.
Some Preliminary Matters
Before we get into the actual consideration of the question, "can man know the truth?" there are some preliminary matters we need to settle. The problem that we face today and that men have always faced is the problem, "can we know the truth?" Is it the case that we can know the truth? The Greek word [ginwskw-ginosko] means, "I know." And the Greek word [aginwskw-aginosko] means, "I do not know." A theist is one who says, "I believe and therefore I know that God does exist." And atheist is one that says, "I know that God does not exist." And agnostic is one that says, "I don't know whether God exists or not."
It is sad that many people in the church of today, will not talk with their neighbors and friends about the existence of God, the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the verbal inspiration of the Bible, because they take the position of the agnostic. Their reasoning goes like this: "well their opinion is just as good my opinion. And since I cannot know absolutely that God is, or that Christ is the son of God, or that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, authoritative word of God, then why should I talk with somebody and take that position that I do know?”
That is a false idea. We can know that God exists. We can know the truth that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God. We can know that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative word of God.
What do we mean when we say, "I know?" Can one know anything? Can one know everything? Is it possible for one to come to the knowledge of what knowing means? After all, if we cannot know anything, can I even come to the knowledge of knowing what knowing means? Yes, we can know the truth of what it means to know something. Would it be possible for one to know that it is impossible to know? Some say that one cannot know anything! And yet they seem to know that one thing, that they cannot know anything! They know one thing. What is the one thing they know? The one thing they know—is that it is impossible to know anything. But if it is possible to know that you cannot know anything, then it just might be possible to know that you can know some more things. I will be the first to admit that man cannot know everything. I insist I do not know everything. And I think most of you would agree that you do not know everything. I do not know everything about God, but because I cannot know everything about God's existence, does it follow logically and rationally and intellectually, that I cannot know that God does exist. No, that does not follow.
We Know By Experience
When we start to talk about the realm of knowledge, we enter into the field that we call epistemology. Epistemology is that branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge. Human beings come to have knowledge, basically and fundamentally in two ways. We know certain things today by experience. That knowledge which comes to us by experience comes through our sense perception—the five senses of man. And this is what we categorize as science. A lot of the things we know today are scientific by nature—they came by our sense perception and our experience. Man knows many things in that way.
We Know By Contemplation
In the second place, man also knows things through contemplation. We contemplate or reflect in our minds through observation, through perception, and through precise reasoning. And that is what we call the branch of learning known as philosophy. So philosophy deals with knowledge that comes by contemplation. Science deals with knowledge that comes by experience.
If we contemplate about the universe, that is what we call metaphysics. If we contemplate about human conduct, that is what we call ethics or morality. If we contemplate about the beauty of our world, that is what we call aesthetics. And if we contemplate about correct reasoning, that is what we call logic—both inductive and deductive logic and reasoning.
Is there evidence that we can know something—either through sense perception, and therefore experience, or is there evidence also that we can know something by contemplation, reflection, perception, and reasoning? I believe there is such evidence. The empirical philosophers insist that we can only know something by means of our five senses. If you cannot hear it, see it, smell it, taste it, or touch it, they say you cannot know anything! That is what the empirical philosophers teach and affirm.
The existential philosophers say and insist that there is really no way that we can know anything for sure or absolutely. They say that the best we can do is to come to an accommodative knowledge of truth, or a high degree of probability of truth. But to know something for sure and absolutely, the existential philosopher says that we cannot know anything. But they are in a self-defeating and a self-contradictory position, for they seem to know that one thing for sure and absolutely and that is that you cannot know anything for sure or absolutely. But the divine philosophers that gave us divine revelation insist that we can know things by our physical, mental and moral senses. They also teach that we can know the truth through contemplation based on adequate evidence.
THE
There are certain laws in the philosophical world, just as there are certain laws in the scientific and physical world.
The Law of Identity
First, there is the law of identity. "If a proposition is true then it is true." That is the law of identity.
The Law of the Excluded Middle
Then there is the law of the excluded middle. "Every precisely stated proposition is either true or false." A proposition cannot be both true and false. For example, if I said that it is the case that today is Sunday, then it couldn't be the case that it is Sunday for some of you, and Saturday for others, or Monday for still others. This proposition is either true or false. The law of the excluded middle is that every precisely stated proposition is either true or false—one or the other.
The Law of Contradiction
The law of contradiction is that no proposition can be both true and false in the same respect.
The Law of Rationality
Finally, the law of rationality is that we ought to justify our conclusions by adequate evidence. When there is enough credible, adequate evidence, then a conclusion must follow.
I believe we have given enough preliminary background into the realm of knowledge that comes by contemplation. And even knowledge that comes by contemplation and perception and reflection, comes by at least two of our five senses. We cannot contemplate about something unless you have read it, and we read it by a looking—using the eyesight—the optical sense. And we can contemplate about certain things by hearing—by the auditory senses. And therefore, even knowledge that comes by contemplation comes through at least two or more of our five senses. Helen Keller could not see or hear, but she knew a lot of things by contemplation. She used a third sense and that was the sense of touch—the tactile sense. She was taught certain things by Braille. Therefore, knowledge that comes by contemplation can come through three of our senses—hearing, seeing, and touch. But it doesn't have to be in the realm of personal experience.
THE BIBLE TEACHES KNOWLEDGE
IMPLICITLY
In the next place, my proposition is this: the Bible teaches us through contemplation in two ways. The Bible teaches us implicitly and the Bible teaches us explicitly. What does that mean? If we say that the Bible teaches us and therefore we can know something implicitly, that means that the Bible implies certain things. We all know and learn certain things by implication. For instance, I could take a dollar bill out of my billfold and put that dollar bill in an envelope. You could see me do that. Then I could seal up the envelope and put the envelope in the trunk of an automobile. How do you know that the dollar is in the trunk of an automobile? You could not see the dollar bill when the envelope was put in the trunk. But by the process of contemplation, reflection, perception, precise reasoning, and drawing conclusions, you would know obviously that if you put a dollar bill in the envelope, and then you put the envelope in the truck of the car, the dollar bill is in the trunk of the automobile. And so we can know a lot of things in the realm of contemplation.
Now, if it be the case that the Bible teaches certain things and we can know certain things implicitly, then it is the case that we can know implicitly certain things that God has taught us.
THE BIBLE TEACHES IMPLICITLY
THAT
KNOW THE TRUTH
Notice all of the things God teaches us explicitly in regards to the truth. All of these explicit statements also imply that we can and must know the truth.
One Must Know the Truth In Order to Preach the
Truth
Notice the explicit statement—one must preach the truth
(Mark
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Study the
Truth
If it be the case that the Bible teaches implicitly that we can know the truth by a commanding us to study the truth, then it is the case that we can know the truth:
2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to
present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
NKJV
So the explicit statement, "study the truth," implies that I must first know the truth.
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Obey the Truth
The Bible teaches explicitly that we must obey the truth. (Galatians 3: 1; Romans 2: 8). But the explicit command to obey the truth implies that I must first know the truth.
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Live the Truth
The Bible teaches explicitly that we must live the truth. (1 John 2: 4). But if I'm going to live the truth, then I must first know the truth or I cannot live what I do not know.
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Believe the Truth
The Bible teaches explicitly that we must believe the
truth (2 Thessalonians
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Receive the Truth
The Bible teaches explicitly that man can and must receive
the truth of God (Hebrews
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Hear the Truth
The Bible teaches explicitly that we must hear the truth
(Eph.
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Tell the Truth
The Bible teaches explicitly—plainly, that we must tell the truth. Paul asked the Galatians this question,
Galatians 4:16
Have I now become
your enemy by telling you the truth?
NIV
Paul could not tell what he did not know, if it be the case that man cannot know the truth. Therefore, he obviously knew the truth before he could tell the truth. And that implies that we also can know the truth.
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Think on the Truth
The Bible teaches explicitly that we can think on the truth.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren,
whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of
good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
NKJV
How can I think on what is true if I do not know what is truth? This scriptural statement implies that man can know the truth and therefore can meditate on the truth.
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Worship in Truth
Jesus Christ once said,
John 4:24
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in
truth."
NIV
If it be the case that I must worship God in truth, as well as sincerely in spirit, then it is the case that I must know the truth.
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Support
the Truth
We are commanded explicitly to support the truth:
1
Timothy 3:15
If I am delayed, you
will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is
the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
NIV
But if the church—(and we are the church)—has the command to support the truth, how could we support the truth if we cannot know the truth? This obviously implies that we can know the truth; therefore, we ought to support it.
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Contend for the Truth
God's people are explicitly commanded to contend for the truth.
Jude 3
Dear friends,
although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt
I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all
entrusted to the saints.
NIV
How can I contend for that which I cannot know? This statement implies that we can know the truth and therefore should contend for it.
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Defend the Truth
The Bible explicitly teaches us that we are to defend the
truth (Philippians
One Must Know the Truth in Order to be
Sanctified by the Truth
The Bible teaches explicitly that God's people are sanctified by the truth. That simply means that they are dedicated or set apart for service to God by the truth. What is truth? Jesus answered that question for us:
John 17:17
Sanctify them by the
truth; your word is truth.
NIV
If we can be set apart and dedicated by and through the truth, then, it implies we can know the truth.
One Must Know the Truth in Order to Acknowledge the Truth
The Bible teaches explicitly that we should acknowledge
the truth (2 Timothy
One Must Know the Truth in Order to
Walk in the Truth, Love the Truth, and Speak
the Truth
We are taught in the word of God to walk in the truth (1
John 1: 5-7), love the truth (2 Thessalonians
One Must Know the Truth before One Can Leave the Truth
Finally, the Bible teaches that we can leave the truth (2
Peter
Hebrews 10:25-27
Let us not give up
meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one
another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
If we deliberately
keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice
for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire
that will consume the enemies of God.
NIV
If one willfully absents himself from the assembly then that one is willfully leaving the truth. And that implies that one who leaves the truth already has known the truth.
THE BIBLE TEACHES EXPLICITLY
THAT
KNOW THE TRUTH
Finally, I shall point out in language as plain as I know how, that the Bible teaches us explicitly that we can know the truth. Therefore, truth is attainable.
We can know the truth—we may not attain to all of God's truth revealed to us, but it is possible for us to know the plain truth of God revealed to us in his word. How do we know that? We return to the words of our text:
John 8:31-32
Then Jesus said to
those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My
word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free."
NKJV
Did Jesus teach explicitly that we can know the truth? Yes, Jesus declared very plainly that his disciples would be able to truly know the truth and be made free from sin, but that would be contingent upon continuing in his word. If every one of us will continue in the word of God we will be a true disciple and we will know the truth and the truth will set us free from the power, the stain, the burden, and the guilt of our sin. That is very plain and that is my favorite text on this subject. Don't ever forget it and stamp it indelibly in your hearts. The statement of Jesus is an explicit statement that man can know the truth.
But the apostle John has a statement that is almost as an explicit as the words of Christ:
1 John 2:21
I do not write to
you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because
no lie comes from the truth.
NIV
John, why are you writing to these people? Is it because they do not know the truth? No, it is because they do know the truth! Well, John, what else do they know? They also know that no lie is of the truth. Therefore, man can know the truth and man can know the difference between the truth and a lie. No lie is of the truth; no truth is of a lie. That is according to the law of contradiction. The truth cannot be truth and a lie; and a lie cannot be a lie and the truth. John, do these people know certain things? Yes, they know the truth. And they also know that no lie is of the truth.
While I do not have the time and space to make reference to all of the explicit statements in the Bible that affirm that man can know the truth, I will only say that the apostle John uses the word know 24 times in his first letter (1 John). Why did John use the word know so many times? He did so because the Gnostics of his day claimed to know truth that others could not know. That is the reason John countered by using the same word to teach that Christian people can know the truth of God.
SOME THINGS ABOUT WHICH WE
CAN KNOW THE TRUTH
Now let us present some explicit statements concerning things about which we can know the truth.
We Can Know That God is the One True God
Is it the case that we can know that God is the one true God? If it be the case that the Bible teaches that we can know the one true God, then it is the case that we can know there is one true God. That is the major premise. The minor premise is this: it is the case that the Bible teaches that we can know the one true God. Therefore, what is the conclusion? It is the case that we can know that there is one true God.
Is it the case that the Bible teaches that we can know the one true God? Yes, the Bible teaches this explicitly:
John 17:2-3
Now this is eternal
life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you
have sent.
NIV
Therefore, in view of this explicit statement from Jesus Christ himself, we can know that God is the one true God.
We Can Know That the Teaching of Christ is
from God
In the next place, is it the case that we can know the truth that the teaching of Christ is from God and not just originating from himself? Yes it is the case that the Bible teaches that truth:
John 7:17
If anyone chooses to
do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I
speak on my own.
NIV
Therefore, it is the case that the Bible teaches explicitly that the teaching of Christ is from God, and not just from himself. Therefore, if I will use my willpower—“if any man chooses to do God’s will"—if I want to do God's will, if I will do God's will, then I can know the truth that the doctrine of Jesus Christ is of God.
We Can Know That Jesus Christ is the Holy One
of God
Is it the case that the Bible teaches the truth that Jesus Christ is the Holy One of God? Yes, it is the case that the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the Holy One of God:
John 6:69
We believe and know
that you are the Holy One of God."
NIV
Therefore, you and I can know the truth that Jesus Christ is the Holy One of God, because the Bible teaches that explicitly—plainly—in so many words—and there is plenty of evidence to back it up.
We Can Know That the Things in Divine
Revelation are Certain!
Is it the case that the Bible teaches that we may know the truth that the things instructed to us through the apostles are certain? Yes, it is the case that the Bible teaches that the apostles instructed us in things that are certain. Luke began his letter on the life of Christ in these words:
Luke 1:3-4
Therefore, since I
myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed
good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the
things you have been taught.
NIV
Therefore, it is the case that I can know that the things instructed to us by the apostles are certain matters.
We Can Know That God Will Give us a
Resurrection Body
Is it the case that the Bible teaches that when our earthly bodies are dissolved into the earth, that God will give us an eternal, heavenly body at the last day? Yes, it is the case that the Bible teaches that truth explicitly:
2 Corinthians 5:1
Now we know that if
the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an
eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
NIV
The Bible teaches this great truth explicitly. Therefore, we may know the truth—that when our earthly house is dissolved—God will ultimately give us an eternal house not made with hands—a heavenly house, our resurrection body.
We Can Know That All Men are Sinners
Does the Bible teach explicitly that all men that are accountable are sinners? Yes the Bible teaches this plainly:
Romans 3:10
As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one”
NIV
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God,
NIV
Since the Bible teaches explicitly that "there is no man that doeth good and sinneth not," then the explicit statements of Scripture prove abundantly that all men are sinners, lost and cannot save themselves without God's help. We therefore can know this great truth.
We Can Know That Jesus Christ Died For Our
Sins
Is it the case that the Bible teaches explicitly that
Jesus Christ died for our sins? Yes, the
Bible teaches that truth! The Bible
says, "Christ tasted death for every
man." And we also have the
classic statement from the pen of the apostle Paul written to the church at
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates
his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
NIV
We Can Know That He That Believeth and is
Baptized Shall Be Saved
Is it the case that the Bible teaches explicitly, that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved? Yes, the Bible does teach that truth explicitly!
Mark
Whoever believes and
is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
NIV
But many of our religious friends come along and they cannot know that, because they say that he that believes and is not baptized shall be saved. They change the truth of God into a lie. This demonstrates that just as man can know the truth, he also can pervert the truth—change the truth—add to the truth—take away from the truth.
I could take a pure glass of water and it would be
healthful and refreshing if I were to drink it.
But if I were to take that same glass of water and add some cyanide to
it and then drink it—it would probably kill me—because I would have changed the
chemistry of the water. Man can do the
same thing with the truth. That is the
reason the apostle Paul wrote to the churches of
Galatians 1:6-9
I am astonished that
you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and
are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently
some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the
gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel
other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we
have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel
other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
NIV
Can man know the truth that will set him free? Yes! "You shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free” (John
*Shelby
G. Floyd delivered this sermon,