Introduction:

1. The Bible is God’s Book and sets forth the requirements to see God in peace.  There is no other authoritative source to which I may go.  It is the source to which Jesus himself went.

2. Furthermore the great spiritual giants in the Bible had something to say about such matters.  They were inspired and spoke with a "Thus saith the Lord."
 

I. First therefore let us notice that the Bible and those spiritual giants therein mentioned had much to say about evidences.

1. John said:
(1) "We know that we have passed from death unto life" (I John 3:14).
(2) "And hereby we know that we are the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him: (I John 3:19).
(3) "And hereby we do know that we know Him." (I John 2:3).
(4) "Hereby we know that we are in Him" (I John 2:5).
(5) "Hereby we know that we dwell in Him and He in us" (I John 4:13).
     (6) "And hereby we know that He abideth in us" (I John 3:24).

2. Peter said:
(1) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope" (I Peter 1:3,4).
(2) "And God which knoweth the hearts bare them witness giving them the Holy Ghost even as He did unto us,…" (Acts 15:8, 9).

3. Paul said:
(1) "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (II Cor. 5:1).
(2) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,.." (Gal. 4:6).
(3) "For our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance" (I Thes. 1:5).
(4) "Now He that establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us,…" (II Cor. 1:21, 22).
(5) "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30).

4. The author of Hebrews says, "Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompense of reward" (Heb. 10:35).
(1) Six times John says that we know; Peter says that we have a lively hope, and the witness; Paul says that we are sealed and that we have much assurance; the writer of Hebrews says that we have confidence.
(2) The Bible positively teaches that we do know.  The way that we know must be as positively stated as is the fact of our knowledge.

II. In the second place let us notice ten stated outpourings with the Holy Ghost.

1. "And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.  And she spake out with a loud voice" (Luke 1:41b, 42a).
2. "And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying (Luke 1:67)
3. John the Baptist the forerunner of Jesus the Christ was filled with the Holy Ghost even from birth.  It also says that he did no miracle (Luke 1:15).
4. Jesus Christ Himself was anointed with the Holy Ghost at His baptism, and then He went out to the wilderness to fast, to hunger, and to fight a taunting devil.  (Matt. 4:1-11).
5. At Pentecost the disciples were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake in languages in which the people there, were born; the place was shaken; they preached with power; many were saved (Acts 2:4-6).
6. In the 19th chapter of Acts a little group were baptized with the Holy Ghost.  They spake with languages there and then known and prophesied (Acts 19:1-6).  At Ephesus under Paul.
7. The members of the group assembled at the home of Cornelius were baptized with the Holy Ghost and magnified God and spake in languages there and then known (Acts 10:44). 
8. The seven deacons elected by the early Church were all filled with the Holy Ghost.  There is no recorded demonstration with regard to them at all (Acts 6:3).
9. After the Samaritans had received the word of God, the Church sent down Peter and John to pray for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost.  They did so.  There are no external manifestations named (Acts 8:15-17).
10. Paul also received the Holy Ghost.  There is no indications that there were any external manifestations whatever.  At one time Paul said that he spake in languages more than they all, referring to acquired languages that he could speak at any time (Acts 9:17).

Let us now analyze these ten cases:
(1) In three cases they spoke with languages there and then known that dispensed with the necessity of interpretation  (Pen. Cor. Eph.).
(2) In one case it says that she spake out with a loud voice (Elizabeth).
(3) In two cases they prophesied (Zach. and the Ephesians).
(4) At Pentecost there was "as of a rushing mighty wind"; great power was upon them; they preached with success and spoke in languages.
(5) Jesus was led out to the wilderness where he fasted, prayed, hungered, fought a tempting devil, and was finally ministered to by angels.
(6) The members of the home of Cornelius magnified God and spoke in languages.
(7) In four of the ten cases considered nothing happened of an external nature at all.
a. If any one were a necessary evidence, then that one would have to appear in all ten.
b. If all were necessary evidences then all would have to appear in all ten.
c. No one appears in all, and all do not appear in any single one.  Hence all, as evidences, shall have to be dispensed with.  There is not a verse in the Bible that implies that any one is an evidence.

III. In the third place, therefore, let us return to our starting point.

1. John was a ripe scholar and a ripe saint of God when he made his contribution to Holy Writ; and this is what he said:
(1) "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.   He that loveth not his brother abideth in death" (I John 3:14).
(2) "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments" (I John 2:3). "A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another." "Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength; and thy neighbor as thyself."
(3) "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby we know that we are in him" (I John 2:5).
(4) "God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment" (I John 4:16-18).
a. John saw Christ before and after his death; he saw the empty tomb; he saw him ascent to heaven; was at Pentecost; spoke in languages; healed and preached in power.
b. John relied on none of these things but gave as his evidence love perfected in a cleansed heart.

2. Peter, in the days of Jesus on earth, and for some time thereafter, was the leading spokesman.  This is what he said:
(1).  "And God which knoweth the heart bare them witness giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith"  (Acts 15: 8,9).
(2)    Peter knew Christ before and after His death; he saw the empty tomb; he saw Him ascent to heaven; was at Pentecost; spoke in languages; introduced the new age to Jews and Gentiles; raised the dead, healed, and preached in power.  Peter gave none of these things as evidences; but he did state that heart purity was evidence.

3. Paul was chosen of God to lay the foundation of the Church age in the Gentile world. This is what he said:
(1) "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying, Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6).
(2) "Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" (II Cor. 1:21, 22).
(3) "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." (Eph. 4:30).   "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:13). 
(4) Paul saw the resurrected Christ, and received revelations from God; was caught up into heaven; saw visions of God; healed the sick; cast out devils, and raised the dead.  Paul pointed to none of those but to the personal Holy Spirit with his Spirit.

Thus we have Peter’s evidence — heart purity; John’s evidence — perfect love, and Paul’s evidence — the personal witness of the Holy Spirit.  These evidences remain to this day.