“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thes. 5:21

“Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.” Isa. 41:21

“Set forth your case” ESV

“Fight the good fight of faith…”

I Timothy 6:12

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb.11:1

Substance - assurance

Ground, basis, support

“Surety”

Evidence of things unseen Proof

Never seen heaven

But we have the evidence

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thes.5:21

Prove = put all things to the test Not a matter of probability

“Prove” Luke 14:19 - oxen, go to “prove”

them

Rom. 12:2 - “may prove what is”

1 Tim. 3:10 “first be proved”

1 John 4:1 “try the spirits”

30. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

John 20:30-31

Scripture produces faith and knowledge

1 John 5:13 “know that ye have eternal life”“believe on the name of the Son of God”

1 Tim. 4:3 “believe and know the truth”

2 Tim. 1:12 “I know whom I have believed”

John 6:69 “we believe and are sure”

Variety of types of evidenceEyewitnessMiraclesProphecy

Luke 1:1-4

Acts 1:3

God is - accepted by faith:

Not against the evidence

Not without evidence

Not beyond the evidence

We believe on the basis of evidence

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” 1 Peter 3:15

Be ready to give an answer

To make defense

To ask a reason

Rational belief

Of the Hope

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Cor. 5:7

Jesus was no longer on the Earth

Earlier faith and sight went together

John 20:29 “because you have seen me, you have believed” - Thomas

Faith in Jesus now is backed by evidence

George Washington Abraham Lincoln

We never saw these men !We believe they once lived ! Why ?Because of the evidence that we can read.

The same is true about Jesus !

“For we walk by faith, not by sight”Contrasting faith produced by sight withFaith produced by other means.

Testimony of others Revelation from God

Some day faith and sight will be together1 John 3:2

“when He is revealed” “we shall see Him as He is”

“Faith will not be lost in heavenly sight”“We will then have faith with sight”

We have the inspired word of God2 Pet. 1:3 “all things that pertain unto life

and godliness”

About God About Christ About the Church About Heaven and Hell

Sermon by Arthur Pigman

Evans Church of Christ

515 Gibbs Road

Evans, Ga. 30809

706-855-1249

evanscoc@bellsouth.netevanscoc@bellsouth.net

www.evansgachurchofchrist.orgwww.evansgachurchofchrist.org

Sunday Evening Jan. 16, 2011