The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-09-22

- Va Assa you will see that
this is the case.
Paul, in the fifteenth of First Corinthi-
ans, in speaking of the resurrection of
Christ, at once adduces evidence to
support the fact of his resurrection,
and on the ground of the evidence SUBJ
mitted that Christ is risen, he asks us
to believe in the resurrection.
1t is popular notion that faith is
a leap in the dark, but real faith In
the Lord Jesus Christ is based upon
good, substantial evidence. In fact, in
order for one to believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ, there must be something
to believe concerning him; otherwise
1t would not be possible to believe in
him. Faith in Christ reaches him
through our faith in the facts concerns
ing him. 1t is for that reason, that the
Gospel is spoken of as 1.-THE power of
God unto salvation to everyone that
believeth." Of course, we know that
Christ is the Savior, yet the Gospel is
rightly spoken of in this way, because
it is by believing the Gospel which
tells us that Christ saves and how he
saves, that we in thus believing COM
NIT ourselves to him as our Savior.
Faith Based on Evidence.
Now Paul knew that real faith Is
based upon evidence, and that it is
not simply by urging people to believe
In Christ that faith is begotten, so we
read of his persuading the folks who
came to him concerning Jesus Christ
(Acts 2S :23). This should be les
son to us who, perhaps more frequent
" than we ought, depend upon exhor-
tation to lead people to faith in Christ
rather than upon evidence which calls
forth faith. People should be exhort-
ed, but they should also be persuaded.
When it speaks of Paul persuading
them concerning Jesus, it does not
mean that he pitted his intellect and
will against theirs, and by sheer force
tried to make them believe in Jesus.
What he did, as we know, was to pre-
sent evidence for their faith to rest
upon. He did this by expounding to
them "out of the law Of Moses and
out of the prophets" That is, he went
to the Old Testament Scriptures and
therefrom produced evidence concern,
ing Christ's person and work. AS a
result we read, "some believed the
things which were spoken and some
believed not" (Acts % :24). Thus it
always is when the evidence concern
ing Christ is presented, for though the
evidence be sufficient, some will not
have Christ to reign over them.
A Case in Point.
Quite recently, I dealt with one who
processes to be an infidel, and whether
or not he really Is one, he was most
blatant and blasphemous in his talk.
When pressed him that honesty de-
handed that he fairly weigh the evil
dence and put Christ to the test, he
was unwilling to do so and tried to
laugh the matter, as it were, out of
court. He called ''the whole business"
ms he said, "a myth" and yet venture
to say that he never with real desire
to know the truth had put himself In
the way of evidence by which real
faith comes. do not mean that he
had not read the Bible. / suppose he
had, but | presume he read it under
the blighting criticism of a Thomas
Paine or q Robert Ingersoll. Who
would believe even his own good and
true mother If he always looked at her
through eyes of such bitter enemies as
they and their ilk are of the Scrip
lures? Or, who would ever trust him
self to his mother, If he always came
to her in the spirit Of criticism to find
her faults and never to discover her
virtues? If man desires faith, there
is a way to get it. It is a divine way
that never fails the one who honestly
thereby seeks the Lord. 1t is to put
oneself In the way of faith, and just as
surely as one does, providing he is
willing and ready to believe, faith will
come to him as the gift of God.
My infidel friend whom / tried to
get honestly to put himself in the way
of faith would not do it, simply be-
cause he did not want to believe.
When I pressed him. further, / found
he had settled the matter in early
youth. He mad turned Christ down in
a revival meeting, which he attended
as boy and now in maturer years he
is trying to comfort himself with the
false hope that Christ is o myth.
There Is time we know not when;
A place, we knSw not where;
That seals the destiny Of man,
For glory or despair.
remember that faith cometh by hear