In this day when you can no longer trust news media to be actual news, when big money and big agendas can rewrite science and history, how can you really know the truth? There really is a way. There is The Way, and He is the Truth and the Life! Jesus Christ!
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6
When we make Jesus our Lord and Savior, and follow Him, and look to His Word for guidance, we can also know truth! Jesus Christ IS The Word!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. - John 1:1-4
He is the Word and He is the Truth, and we can only have life through that Word. God really wants us to know the way, to know truth, and to have life! He sent Jesus to us, but He has also given us His Written Word, as well, and He sends us His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. - John 15:26
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. - John 16:13
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. - John 14:16-17
Note in the last example above, that not everyone can receive the Truth. Those without Jesus as their Lord and Savior cannot have or know Truth.
We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. - 1 John 4:6
We can discern truth from error when we are of God. We can only be truly of God when we accept Jesus's sacrifice for our sins, as that is the ONLY WAY to God. We are sinful creatures, filthy rags, and cannot come before the Almighty God of the universe, except by the Way He made for us, covered by the blood of the perfect sacrifice. There is no other way. There is NO OTHER path to God!
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6
God gives us the Spirit of Truth, and He gives us wisdom through His Word. Wisdom ONLY comes from God!
For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. - Proverbs 2:6
There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD. - Proverbs 21:30
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. - Proverbs 9:10
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
- 1 Corinthians 1:30
Those without God, meaning also those without Jesus, as that is the only way to God, cannot have wisdom.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness." - 1 Corinthians 3:19
Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools. - Romans 1:21-22
There is a good reason why we often cannot reason with those without Jesus Christ. It seems they just can't see what seems to us "common sense". It's because God has given us that wisdom, and those without God can't hear it. It used to drive me crazy because I was unable to understand why otherwise intelligent people seem to have no common sense! In a way, it does add comfort to understand why there seems to be such a wide gap between the world views today. On one hand, we have the biblical Christian world view and on the other, the world's view. The latter are led by the god of this world.
They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. - 1 John 4:5-6
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. = John 14:30
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. - 2 Corinthians 4:4
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. - John 8:44
In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, - Ephesians 2:2
We either follow the God of the Bible or the god of the world, Satan. One thing that we must always remember is that we cannot follow two gods; it is not possible!
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. - Matthew 6:24
No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. - Luke 16:13
Many people are unknowingly following Satan because they believe that they can do good and believe in God, but still take into consideration the changing times and culture. They may say that they themselves believe in Jesus and are Christians, but then say that there are many ways to God. They actually think that they can be Christians, but disregard what God's Word said about life, sexual morality, and homosexuality. Jesus said you cannot do it! You are going to be loyal to one or the other, and if you find yourself looking to the world and its customs and culture for your world view, then you are choosing to serve the god of this world, Satan.
Most people following the world's view would get highly offended at the suggestion they were following Satan. But we've read the scriptures showing it is true! God says you can only follow one and there is only one way to Him. Additionally, the god of this world is a liar who is active every day in trying to blind the eyes of the world away from Jesus Christ! Satan may appear as an angel of light, but remember that he is out to destroy.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. - 1 Peter 5:8
The devil can appear as an angel and he knows scripture quite well. That is one of his best weapons; he can twist scripture out of context and trick people into following him, people who think they are actually doing good and following God. Since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been twisting God's words to deceive us:
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" - Genesis 3:1
Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." - Genesis 3:4-5
Note the devil's technique above. It is exactly the same today. First he gets you to question God's word. Is that really what God meant? Then he strokes your ego by telling you things you like to hear. You won't die! You can be as God! Is that not what New Age religion and liberal denominations tell us today? God's laws are constantly questioned or taken out of context. Universalists say all will go to heaven. The religion of Oprah says we are our own gods! Satan's techniques haven't changed a bit, and people still fall for the lies.
Jesus gave us a perfect example of how to fight Satan's deceits:
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'" Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. - Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus used the Word of God against the devil. Satan himself tried to use God's Word to trick Jesus, but it was taken out of context, and because Jesus knew God's Word thoroughly, He was able to completely refute Satan.
Think about it! How on earth can people expect to be able to recognize and resist the devil if he knows the word of God better than they do? I don't believe they can. They may think they can, but they are victims of Satan's lies and are "wise in their own eyes". The Bible says those people are fools. The first chapter of Romans details people who become wise in their own eyes, exchange God's truth for what their futile minds think to be true, and the process by which they will destroy themselves and God will turn them over to their debased minds and vile passions. People who do not know God's truth are fools and will fall for a lie that will ultimately destroy them.
We are fools without God's Word, but we are given wisdom in it. We can really know the truth of what is going on in the world today if we truly know the Word of God! That takes more than reading the Bible through one time. It takes a continual daily study of God's Word, and testing everything against scripture.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1
These (the Bereans) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. - Acts 17:11
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