YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH

     Thank you. Again I express my appreciation to each one who has
honored us with your time this morning. I hope that you have your
Bible in front of you, with pen and paper at hand, so that we might
study together, "What Sayeth the Scripture." It continues to be my
sincere and deep felt desire to present to you what God's Word says
and how it applies to the lives of each of us.
     As a beginning place this morning, I call your attention to the
context of John 8:32, where Jesus says, "Ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free." My friend, if you would be free,
you must come to know the truth, the truth of God's Word. Turning
now to John, chapter 17, we read beginning with verse 15, "I pray
not that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou
shouldest keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth: thy word
is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, even so sent I them
into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they
themselves also may be sanctified in truth. Neither for these only
do I pray, but for them that believe on me through their word; that
they may all be one: even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee,
that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou
didst send me. And the glory which thou hast given me I have given
unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and
thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may
know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst
me." That is reading through verse 23.
     This last passage is the  recorded words of Jesus' prayer unto
His Father, just before he was taken captive and not many days later
to die the death of crucifixion on the cruel cross of calvary. It is
the outpouring of the son of God unto His Father in heaven. His
heart was heavy that He must leave the beloved apostles and return
unto His Father in heaven. Jesus was much concerned about them.
Thus, his feelings for them are expressed in this prayer. Did you
notice that His prayer was that they might be ONE, as they went
forth into the world to proclaim the powerful truth of God's Word.
     All people should be interested in truth. If we are interested
in truth, it follows that we will be interested in God's Word,
because the truth of God is contained in the Word of God. We should
all have a burning desire to increase our knowledge and
understanding, yea, our application of God's Word, for it, and it
alone, can make men free. So says the Master in the verse with which
we began our study this morning -- John 8:32. I read it for your
consideration once again, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free. This is why I often refer to this passage, as I
constantly plead with my listeners to examine everything you hear
very carefully. Whether it be over a radio station, a Television
Program, or from the pulpit. It might even be that which you read,
either in the daily newspaper, some magazine, or even some religious
publication. Be sure that you compare everything that you see and
hear with the standard for determining what truth is -- and that
standard is the book that we call the Bible, the Inspired Word of
God. It is for this reason in my lessons presented over this station
I have constantly and continually called your attention to God's
Word with book, chapter, and verse. You should not accept anything
that I say, simply because I say it. Rather, lay it beside the Word
of God, and if you find it to agree, then have conviction of heart
to put these truths into your heart.
     Back to the words of the Master in John 17: Jesus prays that
all believers "might be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I
in thee." Have you ever wondered how the twelve apostles could be
ONE? Have you ever wondered how all believers could be ONE?
Evidently it is possible, for Jesus prayer for it. And I believe
that the Master would not have prayed for an impossibility. Thus
Christ prayed that all believers might be one, just exactly as He
and the Father were one. There are those in the religious world who
believe and teach that God the Father, and Jesus Christ the Son, are
one. This I throughly believe. Jesus states that they are one. Hear
Him: "that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and
I in thee." Have you ever wondered how God the Father and Jesus
Christ, the son, can be one??? Does this mean that they are just one
personality; one entity; one person, in contrast to two? They are
one just exactly like all believers are supposed to be one.  Exactly
as the apostles were one. How were these apostle, these twelve men,
one?? They were one in PURPOSE, one in INTENT, one in DESIRE, one in
HEART; yet, they were 12 separate and distinct persons. So likewise,
the Father and the Son are One; one in purpose, one in desire, one
in agreement; yet two separate and distinct persons. In like manner,
all believers in Christ Jesus should be one; joined together in one
mind, in one purpose, in one desire, accomplishing the will of the
heavenly Father. Again, I say, if you can understand how the twelve
apostles could be ONE, yet, still be twelve separate individuals,
you can understand how the Father and the son can be one, yet still
two separate persons.
     It has been and continues to be my plea over this radio station
that all religious people should strive toward religious unity,
making an effort to accomplish the prayer for which Jesus prayed. It
is within the realm of possibility, for indeed the Master petitioned
the Father in regard to it. Yet, there is but one basis for such
unity to be attained. And that is by a whole-hearted acceptance and
adherence to the truth, God's Word. Only by walking in the light can
mankind be joined to the Father. Notice the language of 1 John 1:7,
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus His Son
cleanseth us from all sin." For two to walk together, there must be
agreement. Amos 3:3 states, "Can two walk together, except they be
agreed?" Thus, if one walks with God, there is agreement with God.
To walk in the light means to live and conduct our lives in
obedience to Divine revelation, the truth, the Word of God. It is
possible for two to walk together in agreement, but not to be in
agreement with God; thus not walking with God.  There are many who
agree to walk together, yet, they never agree with God, thus do not
walk with the Father. The kind of unity for which God's Word pleads
is for people to walk together as they walk with Jehovah. If YOU are
walking with God and I am walking with God, the inescapable
conclusion is that we will be walking together. Yet, as we look
about us today, it does not take much wisdom to see that the
religious world is divided on all sides. What hinders mankind in
walking in unity? Why is it that the religious would is as divided
as it is? In our remaining time I wish to suggest a few of the
hindrances to the path of unity.
     ALLEGIANCE TO MEN RATHER THAN TO GOD: Many people never study
for themselves. They had rather allow someone else to tell then what
they believe. This is why many religious people do not even know the
basic doctrines of the particular religious body to which the are
affiliated. They could care less. Jesus warned against false teacher
in Matthew 7:15-16. Paul even showed the danger of following good
men in 1 Cor. 1:1-13. One bar to block unity is this allegiance to
some particular man, rather than to Christ Jesus.
     Another hindrance to unity is that some accept but a part of
the truth. B u this I mean, some wish to accept one verse over and
above other, and to the exclusion of other verses of scripture.
Unless we are willing to accept all of the truth, and on every
subject, there will never be unity. My plea is thus: LET US SPEAK
WHERE THE BIBLE SPEAKS AND REMAIN SILENT WHERE THE BIBLE IS SILENT.
May we all have the courage to do everything found in God's Word,
without addition or without subtraction.  If God says it, it is
truth.
     A third hindrance to religious unity is the unscriptural
innovations in worship and practice. Mankind has brought many
innovations into the house of the Lord. He has added things herein
there is no scriptural authority. I have pointed out in previous
lessons the absence of scriptural authority for the use of
Mechanical Instruments of music in the worship of Jehovah today. I
realize that such was found in the Old Testament, but even then it
would be most difficult to prove that Jehovah truly approved of them
at that time. God permitted a number of things under the law of
Moses for which He did not approve. Such as their having a King to
rule over them; their writing of bills of divorcement. But my
statement is: Nowhere in the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, the last
will and testament of our Lord, do you find mechanical instruments
of music in worship. All will agree that God can be worshipped
without them, thus there can be unity if they are left off; but the
disharmony comes when the instrument is brought in; thus
unscriptural innovations are a bar to religious unity. Man comes
along and says, "We like them and we will have them." Does God like
them?  How do you know? Or, could it be that you are guessing?
     A forth hindrance to religious unity is the following of human
creeds. Most of the denominations today have some type of creed or
manual which they follow; either a discipline, confession of faith,
church manual, Catechism, etc. These are in addition to the Bible.
As long as men persist in following these, there can never be unity
upon the Word of God. It is these very things that bring about
religious division. Those which are in addition to the Word of God.
     A fifth bar to religious unity are the different church
organizations seen today. In the New Testament the organizational
arrangement is very simple. New Testament congregations had elders
(also know as bishops, or pastors) over each. There were deacons who
served under the elders. In New Testament time there was always more
than one elder over each congregation. There was no such things as a
synod, conference, association, concave, or the many others things
so often seen today. Each congregation was independent of all other
congregations. There was no tieing together of many congregations
under any kind of organization; nor in any of the works which they
undertook to do. The only time one congregation sent to another
congregation was in the matter of benevolence, where the saints of
the receiving congregation were in need of physical necessities.
     Another hindrance to religious unity comes from a failure of
mankind to accept a single source of authority in religion. Jesus
Christ has all authority, and His Word shall judge us in the last
day. We have no right to teach or practice anything not found
therein. We hear people say, "Why, I think this is alright." But,
again we ask, "How do you know?" Where did God say that it is
alright?  If He did not say so, then you are guessing, my friend.
     Truly, Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free."  Do you believe that? Are you willing to rest
your eternal destiny upon the truth of God's Word?  I hope and pray
that you are.

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