We hear so much about the search for truth. Recently,
a very prominent lady invited me to her home
and she told me very frankly that she'd been
searching for truth for years. And knowing about
our ministry, she invited me to be her guest.
thinking perhaps I could lead her into truth.
Looking around the room in which I was seated,
I saw volumes of books on bookshelves. There
were books there on practically every religious
subject in the world. I turned to her. And I
said, you want to know something? Just now, you
can end your search for truth. That search can
be ended this very minute. She looked at me.
She said, what do you mean? I said, you'll never
find truth in any of those books that you have
on your bookshelves. There is... Only one book
that is truth, and that's God's word. That's
the Bible. And I said, I don't even see a Bible
anywhere in the room. Oh, she said, I have one,
though. It's somewhere. She turned to her maid
and said, do you mind finding it? Beloved, if
you are among those who are in search for truth,
you'll find the only truth in the universe and
you'll find it in the word of God. Suppose you
take a book on science written oh, say, 40 years
ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago, that book would
have little or no value today except as a research
book. For discoveries in the past 40 years, the
discoveries that have been made regarding science
in the past 10 years are almost outdated, outmoded
today. And yet, this book that we call the Bible
came into being in a civilization of camels and
is still with us in a generation of jet planes
and hydrogen bombs. The Bible has only one author.
And the Bible is truth. Consider something a
little further, please. The Bible consists of
66 separate books, 39 in the Old Testament, 27
in the New Testament. And these books were written
by 40 different authors, by kings such as David
and Solomon, by statesmen, as Daniel and Nehemiah,
by priests as Ezra, by men learned in the wisdom
of Egypt as Moses, by men who were learned in
Jewish law as Paul. One was a herdsman, Amos,
a tax gatherer, Matthew. Fisherman is Peter.
There was James and John. Unlearned and ignorant
men. And yet there was a physician. Luke was
a doctor. And such mighty seers as Isaiah, Zechariah,
Ezekiel. Imagine, just imagine another book compiled
in a similar manner. Suppose for illustration
that we take 66 medical books written by 40 different
physicians and surgeons during a period of 1
,600 years and bind them all together and then
undertake to doctor a man according to that book.
Just take this for illustration. Just imagine.
66 medical books. written by 40 different surgeons
and physicians, and tried a doctor, a man, according
to that book. Let me ask you, what success would
we expect to have? And what accord would there
be in such a medical work? Now, while the Bible
has been compiled in the manner described, ancient
history of myths and legends and religious speculations
and superstitions? No, ma 'am. There's a progress
of revelation and doctrine in it. The Old and
New Testaments are not separate and distinct
books. The New Testament and the Old Testaments
are the Two halves of a whole. The Bible is a
whole. The new is enfolded in the old and the
old is unfolded in the new. You cannot understand
Leviticus without Hebrews or Daniel without Revelation
or the Passover or the 53rd chapter of Isaiah.
without the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John. And there is no contradiction. Anyone who
says that there is a contradiction in the Word
of God speaks in error. The New Testament does
not contradict the Old. Neither does the Old
contradict the New. And yet, watch it. The Bible
consists of 66 separate books and 40 different
authors. And there is no contradiction there
whatsoever. Are you looking for truth? The Bible
is truth. And the Bible has only one author.
The Holy Spirit. And he revealed the mind of
God to the men who work as the stenographers.
Making the word of God possible. The Bible possible
unto us. That is the reason there is Only one
who can reveal the deep truths of this precious
book to you and to me. Only one. The one who
is the author. And all scripture is given by
inspiration of God. All revelation is given by
the Holy Spirit. If you want to understand the
Bible, if you are hungry for the deep truths
that are found in the Word of God, in the Bible,
the only one who can give you that spiritual
revelation is the Holy Spirit. I repeat, there
is only one author. The Holy Spirit. All the
prophets spoke as truth was revealed to them
by the Holy Spirit. The man who stands behind
the pulpit today can only give you the truth
as the Holy Spirit reveals it unto him. These
are the things that we do not... get out of books
or from our seminaries. They must come from God
himself. You know, perhaps the clearest New Testament
passage showing us that the Holy Spirit of God
is the revealer of truth is found in something
that Peter said. Oh, and this is precious. I
just love it. Of course, you know how very much
I esteem and admire Paul. And you hear me quoting
Paul over and over again. But here is once when
Peter has come forth with something. That is
really a masterpiece. And he understood fully
exactly what I'm trying to say to you now. And
I think I know a little bit what his feelings
really were. He somehow is anticipating his own
deaths. He knew he was going to live always.
And he was making preparation. for himself, but
for those that he was going to leave and who'd
be left after he was gone. You know I'll say
something confidentially. Sometimes I have that
same feeling and I make some tapes, maybe a sermon
that I feel that God has especially given to
me and I think, well, After I'm gone, my voice
is stilled by death. Maybe if this tape is played,
maybe one more person will be helped. Maybe one
more soul will be won, even though I'm gone.
In the same way, Peter was thinking about the
time when he would be taken. And this is what
he said. I will endeavor that ye may be able,
after my decease, to have these things always
in remembrance. Now, I know that he wasn't thinking
about radio tapes or television films. But he
was planning some other way where the message
could... still go forth, and his testimony could
still live on after he was gone. Then, very quickly,
he adds something. But we have also a more sure
word of prophecy. More sure than what? Peter,
what are you talking about? We have also a more
sure word of prophecy. More sure than our testimony.
Why? What was he talking about? More sure than
the testimony I gave to you concerning the Father's
revelation. And what was that more sure word
of testimony? What was that something that was
greater than the living testimony? The Holy Spirit.
Peter is saying, even though I may be taken in
death, even though I may not personally be able
to leave anything with you after I am gone, There
is one who continues to be the great revealer
of truth. He will continue with you. And that
one is the Holy Spirit. Mm -hmm. Oh, that's thrilling.
And do you want to know something? As surely
as the Bible. has only one author, as surely
as there is only one word of truth, only one
real truth in the world today, the word of God,
I think it's significant. that the Holy Spirit
never glorifies Himself. Never. He always glorifies
Jesus. Do you know that in the Bible, we have
some over 200 names and titles that are applied
to Jesus Christ? But when we come to the third
person of the Trinity, The Holy Spirit who does
this marvelous work of revealing is referred
to only as the Spirit or the Holy Spirit or the
Spirit of God. There's no long list of names
and titles used concerning the one who is equal
in power with God the Father and Jesus Christ
the Son. We have a revelation of the truth of
God, and that truth centers in a person, the
Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will take
the written word, His revelation, and cause us
to understand it so that it might be the means
of bringing us... into an intimate knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the way of salvation.
You will not find it any other way. Jesus said
of himself, I am the way, the truth, and the
life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.
I have received a letter from a gentleman in
the state of Maryland. The letter is beautifully
written. One of his paragraphs, and I quote,
I hope I never forget. to thank God for my blessings,
which I do many times each day, even though I
am a sinner. I live for the day that he will
hear my prayers. And the man signs his full name.
Here is a man who is still seeking When he can
have that truth this very second, this very minute.
Jesus said of himself, I am the way. There is
no other way. I am the truth. I am the truth.
Why look further? When Jesus said, end your search.
When you find me, you have found truth. I am
the life. Eternal life is only found in me, Jesus
said. Your search has come to an end. And no
man cometh unto the Father but by me. And it's
the Holy Spirit who reveals these things to men
through the word, the Bible. He is the great
revealer. He is the power of the Trinity. He
is the great author. And yet, he never glorifies
himself. He always glorifies himself. Jesus because
in Jesus, men have eternal life. It's so simple.
Don't miss it. Are you among those searching
for truth? Pause just now. In this moment, and
this moment can be the... greatest moment of
your life with a sincere heart. And God knows
the sincerity of your heart. Look up right now
and say, I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior.
I accept truth. I accept Him. Knowing that he
is the way, I accept eternal life in Christ Jesus.
And in this moment, Father God, I pray that your
spirit shall bear witness with their spirit.
They have passed from death unto life. For Jesus'
sake we ask it. Amen.