Introduction: Saving faith is not mere fancy of presumption. True, it looks beyond demonstrable experience, and so becomes "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"; but nevertheless genuine faith remains based upon known facts, and triumphantly passes the tests of reality in the experience of genuine believers.

As a matter of fact, the "kind" or quality of faith is not nearly so important as the object of faith. It is true that faith may be little or great, weak or strong, theoretical or practical. Yet the most important question is not how we believe, but what we believe - or rather Whom we believe.

Most of our supposed knowledge in this world is merely believing what we have been told; and if we try to keep up with this world's knowledge we learn every day that something we were told yesterday is no longer considered true today. Now, our knowledge of a better life and a better world also must come from testimony; but in this case, if we accept the testimony of the word of God, we find unchanging truth.

Our lesson this week presents some facts of the gospel upon which, we can stake our eternal destiny. For an outline, note:

1. Facts for Saints, John 20:24-29
a. Faith resisted, 24, 25
b. Faith rebuked, 26, 27
c. Faith rewarded, 28, 29

2. Facts for Sinners, Romans 10:4-13
a. Faith rejecting, 4-7
b. Faith revealing, 8-10
c. Faith receiving, 11-13

Notes on the Printed Text:
Facts for Saints, John 20:24-29.
Mary Magdalene had "told the disciples that she had seen the Lord" (John 20:18) following His resurrection on the first day of the week, henceforth to be known as "the Lord's day." On this same day, at evening, Jesus appeared to His disciples and "showed unto them his hands and his side" so that they could identify Him from the wounds. "Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord." Thomas misseed a great time of blessing by failing to attend church that Sunday. Worse yet, he was determined not to believe the testimony of his brethren, and so remained a whole week longer in his miserable state of doubt.

Before condemning doubting Thomas too harshly, let us ask ourselves how many blessings we have missed by missing church, and how long we have continued sometimes in an attitude of resistance to the faith enjoyed by our brethren. At least Thomas did find grace to attend church the next Sunday.

Faith Rebuked, 26, 27.
Like the good Shepherd that He is, Jesus always gives special attention to the weak and wayward sheep. Here He came and pronounced peace to the whole church, but He had special rebuke and a special invitation for the doubting disciple. We must not lose patience with, our weaker brethren; perhaps we have been as they are, and anyway they are precious to our Master. Maybe they need reproof or rebuke, but let it be "with all longsuffering and doctrine." (II Timothy 4:2.)

Faith Rewarded, 28, 29.
How far Thomas went in his insistence on tangible evidence we are not told. At least he had an the evidence he needed, and no doubt regretted requiring so much. The most important fact here is that he finally recognized "My Lord and my God." But Jesus pronounced a special blessing upon disciples whose faith is not so demanding, who can believe without seeing.

Facts for Sinners, Romans 10:4-13.
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8), but circumstances differ. Old Testament saints did not receive the blessings promised, but nevertheless saw them afar off, "and1 were persuaded of them, and embraced them." (Hebrews 11:13.) On the other hand, the immediate disciples of Jesus were privileged to see and hear with their own eyes and ears things which neither earlier nor later generations have been privileged to see and hear, but only to read and to hear about. (Matthew 13:17.)

Sinners today (lost or saved sinners) are not to expect tangible evidences or miraculous signs; God's word is more dependable than our natural senses, more enduring than the material universe. It has always been substantially true, but now more than ever, that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17.)

Faith Rejecting, 4-7.
Unbelief rejects the promises of God and trusts in human efforts; faith rejects human efforts as a means of salvation and simply trusts in the promises of God. Even obedience to God's holy law as a supposed means of salvation must be rejected by faith: "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

Faith rejects all efforts to change or add to the gospel. So far as human merit is concerned, there is nothing to do; it is all done in Christ. No human effort is required to bring Christ down from heaven or up from the dead; He is eternally alive and everywhere present.

Faith Revealing, 8-10.
So by faith we see Christ revealed in His word - that holy word of God which we may read or quote with our own mouths, or memorize in our own hearts. To be profitable to us, this word must be to us "the word of faith"; that is, it must be "mixed with faith." (Hebrews 4:2.) The specified truth of the word that we must believe is that Jesus is our Lord, this lordship being based upon the historical fact "that God hath raised him from the dead"; and genuine faith in the heart requires confession with the mouth. Faith in the heart brings with it the imputed righteousness of Christ (Romans 4:22-25), and so being saved we confess to the salvation received.

Faith Receiving, 11-13.
Gospel faith, therefore, is a spiritual receiving of truth as truth, of Christ the incarnate Word as Lord and Savior. (John 1:12.) Or it is a spiritual calling upon God, Who is near "unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon him in truth." (Psalm 145:18.) Mere outward forms will do us no good in this matter. So far as eternal salvation is concerned, there is no difference between the Jew and fhe Greek: we are all alike sinners; we must all be saved alike through faith in Jesus Christ; we are all spiritual paupers, and can obtain the riches of divine grace only by calling in faith upon the one Lord Who saves all that so call upon Him.

Key Verse:
"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy honse." - Acts 16:31.
Asking an honest question, the Fhilippian jailer received from Paul and Silas an honest answer. Would that all supposed ministers of the gospel were equally honest today! Sinners cannot be saved by their own efforts, or by any combination of faith and works. (Romans 11:6.) We are saved by faith without works (Romans 3:28; 4:2-6), though it must toe a faith which works (Galatains 5:6). If a professed faith will not work, then of course it is not saving faith.

[From AAB paper, April 29, 1973.]

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