Have you heard of the Big Bang theory of the origin of our universe? A past Time magazine article says, “Most astronomers now accept the theory that the universe had an instant creation, that it came to be in a vast fireball explosion 15 or 20 billion years ago.”

However, even science should teach us that explosions result in destruction, not construction — confusion, not universal order! There’s no escaping the need for faith when it comes to understanding creation. “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:3 NIV).

Now faith is not a “leap” into non-reason, as Francis Schaeffer would put it. By faith we are not referring to sneaky, vague, unproven psychic phenomena. Nor, do we mean some supposed mysterious power as in ESP or occultism.

Often pragmatism is set in opposition to faith. Pragmatism seeks the meaning of a proposition in its logical or physical consequences. According to the pragmatist, only the practical results prove a principle of truth.

However, faith must go much further than that or else God could not tell us anything. We would have to find out everything for ourselves by practical experience. All our great spiritual lessons and values would virtually be lost from our sinful understanding, were it not for God’s revelations to faith.

Our text gives us the great testimony of Paul, the dedicated apostle of Christ. In 1 Timothy 1:12-17, he looks back upon his days as the vicious oppnent of Christianity and reviews how God graciously changed his life in a single encounter. The schoiar Machen has written a powerful book on “The Origin of Paul’s Religion” in which he shows how Paul’s testimony is so obviously true. Paul had indeed encountered the Christ of heaven. It was more than a mere fanciful vision. The one who once persecuted the church turned his world upside down, and modern Christianity is so largely the result of that one conversion.

This faith which Paul found and which we may know today is really an assent to the truth. Then, it involves a response of both mind and will to Jesus Christ. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ brings the most coherent outlook on reality. The best world view, the superior life, the most intellectually defensible position, is obtained by faith. Let me now offer a couple proofs of this.

I.  UNBELIEF IS RELATED TO IGNORANCE

Recounting his violence and blasphemy against Jesus, the apostle observes “What I did was done in the ignorance of a man without faith” (Phillips translation). Now, Paul was an intelligent, educated, lively, disciplined man. Yet, ignorance was his real problem. Ignorance because of unbelief. Without faith a man has no way to respond to spiritual data. God’s higher truths are unknown to him.

You see, Paul’s ignorance was not a matter of an inferior IQ or lack of education. There is a reality, a knowledge of true existence totally unknown to unbelievers, or at best misunderstood by them. Faith does not make a thing “out there” real. But, faith can make a thing real to me. Faith substantiates and clarifies spiritual realities.

Again, faith is not believing contrary to facts — not a believing in unreality. Faith is looking beyond the obvious. Faith sees the invisible, but it does not see the non-existent, and as Tozer puts it, “That is the distinction be-tween faith and mere superstition.” Thus, faith does not deny any pragmatic facts, but it sees more than that. Indeed, the Greek of Hebrews 11:1 indicates that some facts or truths may be substantiated, which are beyond the grasp of laboratory experience.

Study Luke 16:31 and notice the strength of unbelief. Here is a blind dogmatism that simply will not yield to God’s teaching. How sad to see some of the world’s unbelieving intellectuals bowing before pagan idols, or looking for truth under the dusty mats of occult practices, or struggling to find nutrients in the sawdust broth of ESP — anything but the wholesome Word of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the “faithful and true witness”(Revelation 1: 5).

Such men remind me of my grandfather who once was found walking in his sleep, apparently searching for something. When awakened and asked, “What are you looking for?” he replied, “I don’t know, but I haven’t found it yet!”

Faith is not what the Christian relies on instead of actual verification. Faith is our means of verification. Believing brings its own certifying evidence to the heart and life.

II.  FAITH GRASPS REVEALED TRUTH FROM GOD

Many believe the supernatural exists and perhaps hold that Jesus plays a part in it. Yet, they experience no vital contact with God. That is because their faith is not real. God responds only down the lines of faith. Let us now see Him at work in response to Paul’s faith.

First, there was an outpouring of undeserved love. Study verse 13 and you will see how our God understands that men don’t understand. “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.”

Next, Paul says, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (verse 14).

Now, some think of earning points with God, of meriting His favor. However, grace means unmerited favor. Notice what this outflow brought to Paul. Both faith and love. Until God acted there was only hate and violence in Paul. All that came into his life in the way of divine good resulted entirely from the mercy of God.  “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.” (I Timothy 1:12).  Fasten your attention on the word “trustworthy”.  That denotes fidelity.  A believer — a man of faith — becomes a correct responder to truth.  He lives accurately, in keeping with reality.  He is not simply a naïve, gullible one.  Indeed, as we have already seen, the unbeliever is to a serious extent ignorant.

Next, the apostle Paul explains that his life is presented as a pattern for men ever after to follow. Seeing God’s gracious dealing with such a one as Saul of Tarsus, changing him into the apostle Paul, draws us to believe in the same God and Savior Jesus Christ. Thus, God can repeat the entire cycle.

Then what are we to believe?  This is stated clearly in verse 15 — “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”  Respond to that good news and you, too, will be saved. Notice, we are not called on to reach God apart from Christ the Mediator. Nor, are we called on to be pleasing to God apart from Christ.  Without Him, we are offensive sinners. When we kneel in humble repentance God will forgive and bring to you and to me both faith and love as verse 14 promises.

When dying upon the cross, our Savior prayed, “Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Study that carefully. Here is where our ignorance leads us — even to the extreme of rejecting the Savior. Instead, join the apostle who, at his conversion, bowed before the Lord Jesus and said, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9: 6).