“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God ...Seems Right. Have you heard it said,...
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Volume 4 March 29, 2015 Number 13 There is nothing greater than truth! It’s been said that truth pressed to the earth shall rise again. Jesus uttered, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32). A problem many face is that of determining truth. Thus, we study to learn how truth is determined. 1) Truth Is Not Determined By One’s Conscience. Many try to determine what is truth by appealing to their conscience. Our conscience is the product of what we have been taught. A child who has been taught that it is wrong to steal — his conscience will be pricked when he goes to take something that is not his. However, a child who has been taught that it is okay to steal will not be disturbed by his conscience when he commits theft. Why the difference? It’s a difference in teaching. If we’ve been taught error, then we can practice error all the while thinking it to be the truth, and our conscience not bother us the least bit. Consider Saul of Tarsus for example. He consented to Stephen’s death and made havock of the church (Acts 8:1-3). Saul, we have a question for you. Did your conscience bother you when you did those things? His answer: “…I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1). 2) Truth Is Not Determined By What We Think. Many, many times have I heard folks say, “I think…” It really does not matter what you or I think! Remember Naaman who was told, “Go and wash in Jordan seven times…”? He said, “…Behold, I thought…” (2 Ki. 5:11). It didn’t make a lick of difference what he thought, did it? He wasn’t made clean until he did what he was told! Paul, why did you shut up many of the saints in prison at one time in your life? “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9). A lesson we need to learn if we haven’t already is that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Is. 55:8-9)! 3) Truth Is Not Determined By What Seems Right. Have you heard it said, “It seems right to me”? Perhaps we need to be reminded of what wisdom literature teaches us: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12). 4) Truth Is Not Determined By What Is Right in Our Own Eyes. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes…” Remember the Period of the Judges? It was a time when “…every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6; 21:25). There is no Determining Truth by John Isaac Edwards The Terre Haute “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God…” (1 Peter 4:11). SPEAKER
Transcript of “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God ...Seems Right. Have you heard it said,...
Volume 4 March 29, 2015 Number 13
! There is nothing greater than truth! It’s been said that truth pressed to the earth shall rise again. Jesus uttered, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32). A problem many face is that of determining truth. Thus, we study to learn how truth is determined.!!! 1) Truth Is Not Determined By One’s Conscience. Many try to determine what is truth by appealing to their conscience. Our conscience is the product of what we have been taught. A child who has been taught that it is wrong to steal — his conscience will be pricked when he goes to take something that is not his. However, a child who has been taught that it is okay to steal will not be disturbed by his conscience when he commits theft. Why the difference? It’s a difference in teaching. If we’ve been taught error, then we can practice error all the while thinking it to be
the truth, and our conscience not bother us the least bit. Consider Saul of Tarsus for example. He consented to Stephen’s death and made havock of the church (Acts 8:1-3). Saul, we have a question for you. Did your conscience bother you when you did those things? His answer: “…I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1). !!! 2) Truth Is Not Determined By What We Think. Many, many times have I heard folks say, “I think…” It really does not matter what you or I think! Remember Naaman who was told, “Go and wash in Jordan seven times…”? He said, “…Behold, I thought…” (2 Ki. 5:11). It didn’t make a lick of difference what he thought, did it? He wasn’t made clean until he did what he was told! Paul, why did you shut up many of the saints in prison at one time in your life? “I verily thought with
myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9). A lesson we need to learn if we haven’t already is that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Is. 55:8-9)!!!! 3) Truth Is Not Determined By What Seems Right. Have you heard it said, “It seems right to me”? Perhaps we need to be reminded of what wisdom literature teaches us: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12). !!! 4) Truth Is Not Determined By What Is Right in Our Own Eyes. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes…” Remember the Period of the Judges? It was a time when “…every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6; 21:25). There is no
Determining Truth!by John Isaac Edwards
The Terre Haute“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God…” (1 Peter 4:11).
SPEAKER
end to what we will be doing when we just do what is right in our own eyes! Just read the book of Judges, if you don’t believe it!!!! 5) Truth Is Not Determined By Personal Feelings or Emotions. How you may or may not feel about a thing is not the standard. I’ll give you a good example: Jacob. He was deceived into thinking that his favorite son Joseph had been devoured by an evil beast and mourned for his son many days (Gen. 27:31-35). Was that true? No, it was false! Joseph was very much alive. He had been sold by his brothers. This shows you can’t trust your feelings or emotions in deciding truth.!!! 6) Truth Is Not Determined Within Us. Many think it is within them to determine what is right
and wrong and know the difference between truth and error. Not so! Jeremiah said it best: “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). !!! 7) Truth Is Not Determined By Traditions of Men. Many want to do what is handed down to them. Paul said he persecuted the church and wasted it, “…being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers” !(Gal. 1:14). The Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees “…made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition” (Mt. 15:6) and their worship was rendered vain (Mt. 15:9). !!! 8) Truth Is Not Determined By One’s Parents. Jesus said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy !
of me…” (Mt. 10:37). !!! 9) Truth Is Not Determined By What Men Say. It doesn’t matter how many degrees he may have or how smart you think he is, no man today is the truth. Jesus is the truth (Jn. 14:6). “…your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men…” (1 Cor. 2:5).!!! 10) Truth Is Not Determined By the Majority. The way to life is the way of the few (Mt. 7:13-14). Thus, truth is not determined by popular vote or majority rule. !!! 11) Truth Is Determined By the Word of God. Jesus said, “…thy word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). So we ask, “…what saith the scripture?” (Rom. 4:3) and appeal to “Thus saith the Lord” (Jer. 2:2). This alone is the standard (Jn. 12:48).!
Assembling At:!4017 E Margaret DR!
Terre Haute, IN 47803![Exit 11 (I-70) W on HWY 46,
W on Margaret DR approx. 1 mile]!!Assembling Times:!
Sunday @ 10:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.!Wednesday @ 7:00 p.m.!!Come be with us!!
We Speak Where the Bible Speaks.!!
We Are Silent Where the Bible Is Silent.!!
We Do Bible Things in Bible Ways.!
www.churchofchristatterrehaute.com
The Terre Haute SPEAKER is published weekly by the church of Christ at Terre Haute, Indiana.
