The One Full of Grace and Truth: What Is Truth?
VBC Albuquerque · Dec 7, 2025
This sermon explores the meaning of truth in Scripture, identifying truth as Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God. The pastor presents how truth is revealed through God's love via the Incarnation and Christ's teaching. The sermon emphasizes that knowing truth brings freedom and sanctification to believers.
The first section of the sermon introduces the main theme: What is truth? Based on John 1:14-18, the pastor affirms that the Word became flesh, full of grace and truth, allowing us to behold the glory of Christ. Pilate's question "What is truth?" (John 18:37-38) establishes the need to clarify this concept for the congregation. The sermon begins with the recognition that truth is not merely a philosophical concept but a living reality embodied in the person of Jesus Christ.
The second section develops the theological argument by identifying four aspects of truth. First, truth is Jesus Christ himself (John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life"). Second, truth is the Holy Spirit, called the "Spirit of truth" (John 14:16-17) who will abide with believers forever. Third, truth is the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Word of God in Scripture (John 17:17: "Your word is truth"). Fourth, truth is the Gospel preached by Paul and the apostles. Scripture references such as John 8:31-32 demonstrate that those who believe in Jesus will know the truth, and the truth will set them free.
The third section applies the message to the practical life of the congregation through the concepts of sanctification and liberation. When God uses truth to sanctify his disciples (John 17:17-19), he sanctifies himself so that they may be sanctified in truth. The sermon warns of the opposition between truth and lies; according to John 8:44-45, those who reject truth follow their father the devil, a liar from the beginning. Christ declares that he speaks truth, yet those who do not believe him do so because of his truth. Finally, the sermon emphasizes the warning in Galatians 1:6-9 against being led astray from the true Gospel of Christ, for any other gospel deserves to be accursed.