Title: “You Can’t handle the TRUTH .. Or Can You?”

Introduction: Pontius Pilate confronted with TRUTH retorts – “Veritas, what is veritas?” Who can receive it? Want to find out? This is a terrrific evangelistic tract that confronts the matter head-on and biblically. Download it and share it. Sow the “good seed” and be a faithful witness and laborer in the Lord’s harvest!

The “YOU” that can’t handle the TRUTH

Your “flesh” is at war with the truth to the same measure that you seek pleasure and self-exalting pursuits —you will deceive yourself and alienate yourself from the author of life and truth. This corrupted predisposition is our inheritance from Adam. This “YOU” is more concerned about how s/he appears than loving others. Others are mere actors on the stage of the self-aggrandizing production that is “YOUR life”.

 YOU are condemned
Do YOU think you are a “good” person? Have you ever told a lie? Tell the truth. What does that make you? (a liar) Have you ever stolen anything no matter how small? (be honest) What does that make you? (a thief) Have you ever looked at someone with lust? (an adulterer). Have you ever taken the LORD ‘s name in vain. That is, you used it as an expression of disgust? (blasphemy) That is you are in effect cursing the One who created YOU and gave YOU life. You have admitted that you are a liar, a thief, an adulterer, and a blasphemer at heart? Even the secrets of our heart are plain before Him.

When you stand before God and He judges YOU according to the Law will you be innocent or guilty? The Law of God reveals to us God’s goodness. It shows us the filth of our sin and corruption and “stops our mouth” before God. It defines what sin is. We are guilty. We stand justly condemned. What hope have we? (cf. Romans 3:23 )

 YOU are a slave

We are sold in slavery to sin and the devil has taken us captive to do his will. Although, we each have a conscience (inner witness) that agrees with God’s Law; No amount of works of the law can deliver us from corruption and reunite us to the life of God. Sin is at work in our bodies bringing forth death.

Romans 2:15-16; Romans 7:22-24 ESV

 2:15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. 7:22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Through persistent disobedience some have seared their conscience and have become dull of hearing. Their hearts are hardened and their necks are stiff. They are heading straightway to the eternal judgment of everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Are you beginning to recognize your dire need?

Can you handle the TRUTH?

God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, the WORD made flesh, came to rescue us from our captivity and condemnation and make a way for our deliverance from both condemnation and corruption, reconciling us to Himself and reuniting us to the life of God.

I John 3:8 ESV
“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. “

1 Timothy 2:5-6 ESV

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time “

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 ESV

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling he world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

God in Christ, the author of life, was made flesh and by obedience to death and shedding His blood demonstrates both His righteousness and love. He then , rising from death has freed us from sin and death; for it was not possible that death could hold Him.

In Him we are delivered from wrath , sin’s dominion, and the kingdom of darkness. God declares us righteous , our  sins forgiven,  sealing us with the Holy Spirit, we are born again, adopted, and have received the power to become sons of God. In the power of the Holy Spirit we walk as He walked, carrying our cross, losing our life, and finding it. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. If we endure to the end, abiding in Him, He will raise us up and grant us the promise of eternal life with Him.

How can these things be?

Repent—admit and quit your sinning
Faith (believe) —submit to TRUTH—trusting alone in what God in Christ has done to redeem you
Be Baptized—commit to the righteousness of God, identify with Christ, dying to sin, carry your cross
Are reborn—God baptizes and seals you
Abide in Him  (His Word)– if we sin, we repent and confess our sin; by His blood—He is faithful and just to forgive us and  cleanse us from all unrighteousness..

What will be your sentence?  

There are two paths you can go by , as one musician (borrowed this line from scripture) – but as long as you have breathe, there is still time to change the road you’re on. (cf. Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 6:2)

Awaiting the Unrighteous “YOU”

Revelation 20:14-15 ESV

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

In store for the Righteous you “in Christ”

Revelation 21:3-4 ESV

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”

Will you call out to Him now, repent, believe, and be found “in Him” at His coming? Can you handle the TRUTH? Will you stand or fall at God’s righteous judgment? The choice is yours, and yours alone.