Pastor Sam Crosby
San Saba’s First Baptist Church
January 28, 2020
The image of a politician holding a microphone and pointing his finger has become tiresome. Everyone claims to speak truth but I tend to listen with doubt. I even doubt the so-called “fact-checkers” like Snopes. Are they speaking truth? Do they know the facts? Do they have an agenda?
Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor who presided over the trial of Jesus. He heard the arguments. He listened to some defense. His wife gave her opinion. He felt the pressure of the politicians and the crowd. He knew from experience there was more to the story than what he was hearing. He wanted to release Jesus, but finally muttered what all of us occasionally feel: What is truth? (John 18:38).
Early in my ministry someone gave the probing advice, “Speak truth into their lives.” Those words made me think. Preaching is the power of speaking truth into people’s lives. Jesus declared, “And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). We must know the truth if we are to speak it. The truth has the power to set people free.
Jesus’ words in John 8 were in reference to the bondage of sin. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross would remove sin’s penalty. The presence of the Holy Spirit would conquer sin’s power. The instructions of God’s Word would expose sin’s deception. The words of Jesus would truly free people from the bondage of sin.
We live in a culture that is absolutely confused about truth. Like Pilate, the question is continually posed, “What is truth?” Are same-sex relationships okay? Is the baby in the womb human? Is Jesus God in the flesh? Did He rise from the dead? Is heaven real? The questions are endless. Many have more questions than answers and simply live by feelings rather than wisdom. Instead of having a source of authority for what is truth, people say, “I feel like…” Can feelings define truth? What if my feelings differ from yours? What is truth?
It is liberating to come to a point in life where you simply acknowledge the Bible as truth. There is a great weight lifted from the soul when a person embraces the Bible as their source of authority. The question is no longer, “How do I feel?” but rather, “What does the Bible say?” To live by truth is to live by the Bible.
The truth is that God created marriage for a man and a woman. The truth is that the baby in the womb is a person. The truth is that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross and rose from the dead. The truth is that heaven is real and that Jesus is the way. The truth is that God loves you where you are and wants to free you from the bondage of sin. Accepting the Word of God as truth will truly set you free.