For the Working Man Who Wants to Know What He Believes and Why
Purpose
Before a man can argue against Islam, atheism, Mormonism, Catholic claims, New Age, or any false religion, he has to know one thing first:
What truth is, where truth comes from, and why God’s Word is the final authority.
If a man does not know his foundation, every argument will shake him.
He may know a few verses.
He may know a few facts.
He may know a few comebacks.
But when pressure comes, he will bend.
So Level 1 is not about showing off.
It is about digging the foundation deep.
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:”
Matthew 7:24
MAIN VERSES
These are the foundation verses for Level 1.
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
John 17:17
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
John 14:6
“Thy word is true from the beginning…”
Psalm 119:160
“For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
Psalm 119:89
“Buy the truth, and sell it not…”
Proverbs 23:23
GOAL
By the end of Level 1, the student should be able to explain:
1. What truth is
Truth is what matches reality as God defines it.
2. Where truth comes from
Truth comes from God, because God cannot lie.
3. Why feelings are not final
Feelings can be real, but they are not always true.
4. Why Scripture is the final authority
Because God’s Word is truth.
5. How to test a claim
Ask: Does this agree with God’s Word?
6. How to recognize falsehood
A lie usually twists God, man, sin, salvation, judgment, or Christ.
DEFINITION
Truth
Truth is not what I wish was true.
Truth is not what the culture votes on.
Truth is not what makes me comfortable.
Truth is not what my flesh wants.
Truth is not what sounds deep.
Truth is what God says is so.
Simple definition:
Truth is reality according to God.
Even simpler:
Truth is what God says.
Truth Is Not What You Feel
1. Main Point
A man’s feelings are real, but they are not always true.
A man can feel strong and still be wrong.
A man can feel scared and still be safe.
A man can feel guilty and still be forgiven.
A man can feel confident and still be deceived.
So the Lawyer of the Word must learn this early:
Feelings are not the judge. God’s Word is the judge.
2. KJV Foundation Text
“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”
Proverbs 28:26
3. Plain Explanation
The world says:
“Follow your heart.”
The Bible says:
“Do not trust your heart.”
That is a war right there.
The world tells a man:
“If you feel it deeply, it must be true.”
But God says a man can be fooled by his own heart.
That means your feelings need to be tested.
Not ignored.
Not worshipped.
Tested.
A working man understands this in normal life.
You can feel like quitting your job.
You can feel like yelling at your wife.
You can feel like spending money you do not have.
You can feel like eating junk when you said you would be disciplined.
You can feel like sinning and justify it in the moment.
But just because the feeling is loud does not mean the feeling is right.
The Christian man does not live by feelings.
He lives by truth.
4. Working Man Example
Imagine a man gets home from work.
He is tired.
His body hurts.
His mind is heavy.
His wife says something small.
Now he feels anger rising.
His flesh says:
“She disrespected me. Say something back.”
But truth says:
“A soft answer turneth away wrath…”
Proverbs 15:1
So now the man has two voices in front of him:
Feeling says: strike back.
Truth says: answer softly.
The question is:
Which one will rule him?
That is where the battle is.
A Lawyer of the Word must first win the courtroom inside himself before he tries to debate the world.
5. The False Claim
Here is the false claim of the world:
“If I feel it, it is true.”
That sounds innocent, but it is dangerous.
Because if feelings become truth, then every man becomes his own god.
One man says:
“I feel like this is right.”
Another man says:
“I feel like that is wrong.”
Who decides?
Without God, everything becomes opinion, emotion, power, or popularity.
6. The Breakdown
Claim:
“If I feel something strongly, it must be true.”
Hidden Assumption:
My heart is trustworthy.
Problem:
The Bible says the heart can deceive a man.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Jeremiah 17:9
Biblical Answer:
Feelings must bow to God’s Word.
Plain Conclusion:
A feeling can be real without being right.
7. Courtroom Question
When someone says:
“I just feel like this is true.”
Ask:
“How do you know your feeling is telling you the truth?”
That is a simple question.
Not rude.
Not complicated.
But it forces the person to examine their foundation.
Because feelings alone are not evidence.
8. What This Teaches
This teaches us that a man cannot build his life on emotion.
Emotion changes.
God’s Word does not.
One day you feel strong.
Another day you feel weak.
One day you feel close to God.
Another day you feel dry.
One day you feel confident.
Another day you feel confused.
But God’s Word stands.
“For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
Psalm 119:89
The Word does not move just because your emotions move.
Clause Map
Proverbs 28:26
“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”
He that trusteth in his own heart
→ the man who relies on his own feelings, thoughts, and desires
is a fool
→ God says that man is not wise
but whoso walketh wisely
→ the man who lives carefully under truth
he shall be delivered
→ God says wisdom brings safety
Plain meaning:
The man who lets his heart lead him is foolish, but the man who walks by wisdom will be protected.
9. Common Traps
Trap 1: “But I feel peace about it.”
Peace is good, but peace must be tested by Scripture.
A man can feel peace after making a bad decision because his flesh finally got what it wanted.
So do not only ask:
“Do I feel peace?”
Ask:
“Does this agree with the Word of God?”
Trap 2: “God knows my heart.”
Yes, He does.
That should scare us before it comforts us.
Because God knows the heart better than we know it.
“I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins…”
Jeremiah 17:10
So “God knows my heart” is not a good excuse for sin.
It is a reason to humble yourself.
Trap 3: “This is just who I am.”
The Bible does not tell a man to obey every natural desire.
It tells him he must be born again.
The old man is not the master.
Christ is.
10. Practice Drill
Read each statement and answer it like a Lawyer of the Word.
Statement 1:
“I feel like all religions are basically the same.”
Answer:
Feelings do not decide truth. We have to compare the actual claims. Christianity says Jesus is the only way to the Father. Other religions deny that. So they cannot all be the same.
Verse:
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
John 14:6
Statement 2:
“I feel like God would never judge anyone.”
Answer:
Your feeling does not define God. God defines Himself. The Bible says God is loving, but also holy and just. If God never judged evil, He would not be righteous.
Verse:
“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
Genesis 18:25
Statement 3:
“I feel like I am too far gone for God to forgive me.”
Answer:
That feeling is real, but it is not true if you come to Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ is greater than your sin.
Verse:
“…and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
1 John 1:7
11. Memory Verse
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
John 17:17
Memorize it like this:
God’s Word is truth.
Not feelings.
Not culture.
Not the crowd.
Not my flesh.
God’s Word.
12. Quiz
Question 1:
Are feelings always bad?
Answer: No. Feelings are real, but they must be tested by truth.
Question 2:
What is the danger of trusting your own heart?
Answer: The heart can deceive you.
Question 3:
What is the final authority for truth?
Answer: God’s Word.
Question 4:
What should you ask when someone says, “I feel this is true”?
Answer: “How do you know your feeling is telling you the truth?”
Question 5:
Finish the sentence:
Truth is reality according to _______.
Answer: God.
13. Takeaway
Do not let your feelings sit on the throne.
Your feelings can speak.
Your feelings can warn.
Your feelings can show what is happening inside you.
But your feelings cannot rule.
The Word of God must rule.
A Lawyer of the Word begins here:
I do not believe something because I feel it.
I believe it because God has said it.
That is the foundation.
Assignment
For the next 24 hours, watch your own thoughts.
Any time you feel something strongly, ask:
Truth Test
1. What am I feeling?
2. What is this feeling trying to make me believe?
3. Does that belief agree with Scripture?
4. What does God’s Word say instead?
Example:
Feeling: I am failing.
Belief: God is done with me.
Truth: God chastens, cleans, restores, and strengthens His children.
Core Principle:
The first courtroom is the heart.
If truth does not rule there, a man is not ready to defend it anywhere else.