1. How do you determine truth? Pilate was caught in the middle of controversy: Jews vs. Jesus. He asked about the truth but was not willing to wait for the answer… Often, we are forced to ask and answer, “What is truth?”

2. Truth is not determined by what seems right to us. Proverbs 14:12… There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

3. Truth by Imagination. An example of this is a man with the name of Naaman  2 Kings 5:1-12… Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife. 3 Then she said to her mistress, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy." 4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, "Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel."

4. 5 Then the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. 7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me." 8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."

5. 9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean." 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.' 12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.

6. Truth by Imagination Another example of this is a man with the name of Saul of Tarsus  "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Acts 26:9-11 "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

7. Truth by Imagination Another example of this is a man with the name of Saul of Tarsus  1 Tim 1:13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

8. Truth by Imagination We cannot trust our hearts alone for truth. Jer 17:9…"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

9. Truth by Imagination Remember the heart can be self-deceived. Galatians 6:3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. James 1:26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.

10. Truth by Imagination Suppositions can be tragically wrong. Luke 2:44… but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. Acts 16:27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

11. To many, truth must accommodate existing situations.

12. Acts 19:25-28…25 He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. 26 Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. 27 So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship." 28 Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

13. True of many subjects: The church, baptism, marriage, etc. not situations the truth. Truth should determine situations, not situations the truth. To many, truth must accommodate existing sentiments.

14. Formed by long-standing traditions (Cf. Matt. 15:9). Matt 15:9…And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'“ Formed by emotions rather than facts (Acts 22:21, 22) Acts 22:21-22 Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.'" 22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said,“ Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!"

15. God’s Word is truth… John 17:17… Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. Psa. 119:160… The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

16. Spirit guided Apostles into all truth John 16:13… However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

17. They wrote, we read Eph. 3:3-5… 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

18. We believe through their word. John 17:20… "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

19. Search Scriptures to determine truth. Acts 17:11… These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

20. Let God be true and every man a liar. Rom. 3:4… Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged."

21. People will be saved or condemned depending on their attitude toward truth… Let us seek truth at all cost – buy it and sell it not (Prov. 23:23) Let us love the truth above all else. (2 Thess. 2:9-12) Let determine the truth by the facts – “What saith the scriptures?”