FAITH, EVIDENCE, AND INQUIRY
Part - I

I. The trust that God desires is based on evidence.

Acts 16:30,31 "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'" (KJV)
"Put your trust in the Lord Jesus. . . " (NEB)
"Have faith in the Lord Jesus . . . " (Berkeley>)

Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ." (NRSV)
"Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news--the Good News about Christ." (NLT)

  1. "God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truthfulness of His Word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while those who really desire to know the truth, will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith." Steps to Christ 105 (1892); 9MR 202; compare Education 169

  2. "God gives sufficient evidence for the candid mind to believe." Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 232 (1876); 5T 675; 2MCP 672; 9MR 204; compare The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials 410; 11MR 288; RH Feb. 13, 1900

  3. "There are many who fail to distinguish between the rashness of presumption and the intelligent confidence of faith. . . .
    "God has given man precious promises upon conditions of faith and obedience; but they are not to sustain him in any rash act. If men needlessly place themselves in peril, and go where God does not require them to go, and self-confidently expose themselves to danger, disregarding the dictates of reason, God will not work a miracle to relieve them. He will not send His angels to preserve any from being burned if they choose to place themselves in the fire." Review and Herald, April 1, 1875 (1RH 161:2:5, 3:3); 2Red 87

  4. "God gives sufficient evidence to every soul. He does not promise to remove every doubt, but He gives a reason for faith. And sufficient evidence was given to the Jews." Review and Herald, January 24, 1899 (4RH 13:2:4); 5BC 1097(MS 127, 1899)

  5. "Satan has ability to suggest doubts and devise objections to the pointed testimony that God sends, and many think it a virtue and mark of intelligence in them to be unbelieving, and questioning, and quibbling. Those who desire to doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove all occasion for unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind and teachable spirit. All should decide from the weight of evidence." Review and Herald, Sept. 16, 1873 (1RH 132:1:3); 3T 255; 5T 675; cf. 1RH 132:3:2,3

  6. "Here is a test which all may apply if they will. None need be left in uncertainty and doubt. There is always sufficient evidence upon which to base an intelligent faith. But God will never remove from any man all occasion for doubts. Those who love to dwell in the atmosphere of doubt and questioning unbelief can have the unenviable privilege. He who turns from the weight of evidence because there are a few things that he cannot make plain to his finite understanding, will be left to the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and skepticism, and will make shipwreck of faith." Signs of the Times, December 30, 1886 (2ST 83:2:2); 4T 232

II. Evidence must be carefully and fairly examined.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Test everything. Hold on to the good." (NIV)

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 "We ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us . . . Don't let anyone deceive you in any way." (NIV)

  1. "But as real spiritual life declines, it has ever been the tendency to cease to advance in the knowledge of the truth. Men rest satisfied with the light already received from God's word and discourage any further investigation of the Scriptures. They become conservative and seek to avoid discussion.
    "The fact that there is no controversy or agitation among God's people should not be regarded as conclusive evidence that they are holding fast to sound doctrine. There is reason to fear that they may not be clearly discriminating between truth and error. When no new questions are started by investigation of the Scriptures, when no difference of opinion arises which will set men to searching the Bible for themselves to make sure that they have the truth, there will be many now, as in ancient times, who will hold to tradition and worship they know not what." Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 706,707 (1889); GW 297,298; CWE 39

  2. "There is no excuse for any one in taking the position that there is no more truth to be revealed, and that all our expositions of Scripture are without an error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people, is not a proof that our ideas are infallible. Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true doctrine will lose anything by close investigation." Review and Herald, Dec. 20, 1892 (2RH 623:1:1); CWE 35; compare RH July 26, 1892; The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials 991

  3. "However long men may have entertained certain views, if they are not clearly sustained by the written word, they should be discarded.
    "Those who sincerely desire truth will not be reluctant to lay open their positions for investigation and criticism, and will not be annoyed if their opinions and ideas are crossed." Review and Herald, July 26, 1892 (2RH 585:2:1,2); CWE 37; The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials 991; CDF 187

  4. "I have been shown that many who profess to have a knowledge of present truth know not what they believe. They do not understand the evidences of their faith. . . . When the time of trial shall come, there are men now preaching to others who will find, upon examining the positions they hold, that there are many things for which they can give no satisfactory reason. Until thus tested they knew not their great ignorance. And there are many in the church who take it for granted that they understand what they believe; but, until controversy arises, they do not know their own weakness. When separated from those of like faith, and compelled to stand singly and alone to explain their belief, they will be surprised to see how confused are their ideas of what they had accepted as truth. . . .
    "Believers are not to rest in suppositions and ill-defined ideas of what constitutes truth. Their faith must be firmly founded upon the word of God so that when the testing time shall come and they are brought before councils to answer for their faith they may be able to give a reason for the hope that is in them . . .
    "It is important that in defending the doctrines which we consider fundamental articles of faith we should never allow ourselves to employ arguments that are not wholly sound. These may avail to silence an opposer but they do not honor the truth. We should present sound arguments, that will not only silence our opponents, but will bear the closest and most searching scrutiny." Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 707,708 (1889); GW 297-300; CWE 39,40; Maranatha 45; LDE 70

  5. "Those who cannot impartially examine the evidences of a position that differs from theirs, are not fit to teach in any department of God's cause." Review and Herald, February 18, 1890 (2RH 368:1:3); The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials 534; 1SM 411

  6. "Experience is said to be the best teacher. Genuine experience is indeed superior to mere theoretical knowledge, but many have an erroneous idea as to what constitutes experience. Real experience is gained by a variety of careful experiments, made with the mind free from prejudice, uncontrolled by previously established opinions and habits. The results are marked with careful solicitude. . .
    "That which many term experience is not experience at all. . . . There has not been a fair trial by actual experiment and thorough investigation, with a knowledge of the principles involved in the action. . . .
    "Here is where we have met the greatest difficulties in religious matters. The plainest facts may be presented, the clearest truths, sustained by the word of God, may be brought before the mind; but the ear and the heart are closed, and the all-convincing argument is, 'my experience.' Some will say, 'The Lord has blessed me in believing and doing as I have; therefore I cannot be in error.' 'My experience' is clung to, and the most elevating, sanctifying truths of the Bible are rejected. . . .
    "Many examples might be given to show how people have been deceived by relying upon what they supposed to be their experience." Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene 109-110 (1890 - Originally written in 1865 in a series "How to Live"); Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 71; RH July 27, 1886; The Health Reformer , June 1, 1872; Australasian Signs of the Times, Dec. 19, 1904; The Watchman, Sept. 1, 1908

  7. "Faith in a lie will not have a sanctifying influence upon the life or character. No error is truth, or can be made truth by repetition, or by faith in it. Sincerity will never save a soul from the consequences of believing an error. Without sincerity there is no true religion, but sincerity in a false religion will never save a man. I may be perfectly sincere in following a wrong road, but that will not make it the right road, or bring me to the place I wished to reach. The Lord does not want us to have a blind credulity, and call that the faith that sanctifies. The truth is the principle that sanctifies, and therefore it becomes us to know what is truth. We must compare spiritual things with spiritual. We must prove all things, but hold fast only that which is good, that which bears the divine credentials, which lays before us the true motives and principles which should prompt us to action." Letter 12, 1890; Selected Messages , vol. 2, p. 56

III. It is not safe to trust mere assertions or claims.

Proverbs 14:15 "A fool will believe anything; smart people watch their step." (GNB)
"A simple man believes every word he hears; a clever man understands the need for proof." (NEB)
"Only a simpleton believes everything he's told! A prudent man understands the need for proof." (TLB)

Matthew 24:4,5 "Jesus answered, 'Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you. Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, "I am the Messiah!" and they will fool many people.'" (GNB)

1 John 4:1,2 "My dear friends, do not believe all who claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the spirit they have comes from God. For many false prophets have gone out everywhere." (GNB)

1 Kings 13:15-18 "Then he [the old prophet] said to him, 'Come home with me and eat bread.' And he [the man of God] said, 'I may not return with you, or go in with you; neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place; for it was said to me by the word of the Lord, "You shall neither eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came."' And he said to him, 'I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, "Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water."' But he lied to him." (RSV)

  1. "Let none cherish the idea that special providences or miraculous manifestations are to be the proof of the genuineness of their work or of the ideas they advocate. If we keep these things before the people, they will produce an evil effect, an unhealthful emotion. The genuine working of the Holy Spirit on human hearts is promised, to give efficiency through the Word. . . . the Bible will never be superseded by miraculous manifestations. . . . We shall encounter false claims; false prophets will arise; there will be false dreams and false visions; but preach the Word, be not drawn away from the voice of God in His Word. Let nothing divert the mind. The wonderful, the marvelous, will be represented and presented. Through satanic delusions, wonderful miracles, the claims of human agents will be urged. Beware of all this. . . . We must not trust the claims of men. . . . Nor can we trust impressions. . . . The man who makes the working of miracles the test of his faith will find that Satan can, through a species of deceptions, perform wonders that will appear to be genuine miracles. . . . If we accept not the truth in the love of it, we may be among the number who will see the miracles wrought by Satan in these last days, and believe them." Manuscript 43, 1907; Selected Messages, vol. 2, pp. 48-53, 100; MB 146; LDE 167, 170; Maranatha 156; 7MR 357

  2. "Every individual soul has a responsibility before God, and is not to be arbitrarily instructed by men as to what he shall do, what he shall say, and where he shall go. We are not to put confidence in the counsel of men and assent to all they shall say unless we have evidence that they are under the influence of the Spirit of God." Review and Herald, July 1, 1909 (5RH 525:1:3); Fundamentals of Christian Education 530; The General Conference Bulletin, May 21, 1909

  3. "If we mistake the wisdom of man for the wisdom of God we are led astray by the foolishness of man's wisdom. Here is the great danger of many in Battle Creek. They have not an experience for themselves. They have not been in the habit of prayerfully considering for themselves, with unprejudiced, unbiased judgment, questions and subjects that are new and that are ever liable to arise. They wait to see what others will think. If these dissent, that is all that is needed to convince them that the subject under consideration is of no account whatever. Although this class is large, it does not change the fact that they are inexperienced and weak-minded through long yielding to the enemy, and will always be as sickly as babes, walking by others' light, living on others' experience, feeling as others feel, and acting as others act. They act as though they had not an individuality. Their identity is submerged in others; they are merely shadows of those whom they think about right. Unless these become sensible of their wavering character and correct it, they will all fail of everlasting life; they will be unable to cope with the perils of the last days. . .
    "Men, women, and youth, God requires you to possess moral courage, steadiness of purpose, fortitude and perseverance, minds that cannot take the assertions of another, but which will investigate for themselves before receiving or rejecting, that will study and weigh evidence, and take it to the Lord in prayer. . ." Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 129,130 (1868); RH August 10, 1886; Testimony for the Church at Battle Creek 18

  4. "He [Christ] maintained his disguise till he had interpreted the Scriptures, and had led them to an intelligent faith in his life, his character, his mission to earth, and his death and resurrection. He wished the truth to take firm root in their minds, not because it was supported by his personal testimony, but because the typical law, and the prophets of the Old Testament, agreeing with the facts of his life and death, presented unquestionable evidence of that truth." Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, p. 214 (1878); The Signs of the Times, Oct. 6, 1909 (4ST 492:3:2); 5BC 1125; 7aBC 245 (emphasis supplied); 6Red 32

  5. "As Jesus came into the temple, He took in the whole scene. He saw the unfair transactions. He saw the distress of the poor, who thought that without shedding of blood there would be no forgiveness for their sins. He saw the outer court of His temple converted into a place of unholy traffic. The sacred enclosure had become one vast exchange.
    "Christ saw that something must be done. Numerous ceremonies were enjoined upon the people without the proper instruction as to their import. The worshipers offered their sacrifices without understanding that they were typical of the only perfect Sacrifice. And among them, unrecognized and unhonored, stood the One symbolized by all their service. He had given directions in regard to the offerings. He understood their symbolical value, and He saw that they were now perverted and misunderstood. Spiritual worship was fast disappearing. No link bound the priests and rulers to their God. Christ's work was to establish an altogether different worship." The Signs of the Times; Sept. 16, 1897; Desire of Ages 157 (1898) (emphasis supplied)

IV. It is not safe to trust mere miracles, signs or wonders.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 "If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder which he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the word of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams." (RSV)
Matthew 24:24 "If anyone says to you then, 'Look, here is Christ!' or 'There he is!' don't believe it. False christs and false prophets are going to appear and will produce great signs and wonders to mislead, if it were possible, even God's own people!" (Phillips)

  1. "The way in which Christ worked was to preach the Word, and to relieve suffering by miraculous works of healing. But I am instructed that we cannot now work in this way; for Satan will exercise his power by working miracles. God's servants today could not work by means of miracles; because spurious works of healing, claiming to be divine, will be wrought.
    "For this reason the Lord has marked out a way in which His people are to carry forward a work of physical healing, combined with the teaching of the Word. . . . The truth must be proclaimed in the highways and the byways, and thus work is to be done by sensible, rational methods. . . . We are to keep as far from the theatrical and the extraordinary as Christ kept in His work." LT 53, 1904; Notebook Leaflets, vol. 1, no. 32, p. 105; 2SM 54; LDE 169; MM 14; compare LLM 30; 7MR 378

  2. "I am afraid of anything that would have a tendency to turn the mind away from the solid evidences of the truth as revealed in God's word. I am afraid of it, I am afraid of it. We must bring our minds within the bounds of reason, lest the enemy so come in as to set everything in a disorderly way." MS 115, 1908; Pacific Union Recorder, Dec. 31, 1908; Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 41-47; vol. 3, p. 362-378; "The Ralph Mackin Story," Review and Herald, Aug. 17, 1972 (see also # 27 below)

  3. "The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested." The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, p. 411 (1884); Great Controversy 593 (1888); LDE 170; Maranatha 94, 156; RH June 7, 1906

  4. "As spiritualism more closely imitates the nominal Christianity of the day, it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. Satan himself is converted, after the modern order of things. He will appear in the character of an angel of light. Through the agency of spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed. And as the spirits will profess faith in the Bible, and manifest respect for the institutions of the church, their work will be accepted as a manifestation of divine power." Great Controversy 588 (1888); The Spirit of Prophecy , vol. 4, p. 405, 406

Copyright: June 22, 1998

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