of other
realms, and who, with the instincts of the true scientist, recognizes
spiritual truth as primary in its relation to the natural, will be actuated
sufficiently by his scientific attitude to determine to know what spiritual
truth is, in order that he may be able to interpret natural truth in its
light.

This will bring him face to face with Christ's formula for entering upon
the knowledge of spiritual truth. Being honestly desirous of knowing what
spiritual truth is, he will determine to do God's will in order that he may
find out.

=a.= This Will Mean Surrendering the Heart to God.

This is the only thing it can mean. For spiritual truth is primarily heart
truth, not intellectual truth, and the only way to know heart truth is to
surrender the heart to that Holy Spirit of truth who "searcheth the deep
things of God," and who was sent into the world to "lead us into all the
truth."

The grammarian, the philologist, the historian, the naturalist, the
philosopher, therefore, have no service they can perform here. They cannot
carry their apparatus over into the spiritual realm and weigh and measure,
estimate and judge, illumine and interpret spiritual truth for us. When we
stand here we are on that holy ground where we must lay off our sandals of
scientific paraphernalia and stand before God with open heart ready to hear
what He has to say. The moment we get to this realm, the whole apparatus by
which truth is received changes from reason to faith.

But do you see where this brings us? Straight back to Christ's formula!
This is precisely what His formula involves, for when a man wills to do
God's will, he takes the first step in faith.

Then when a man comes into this attitude toward God's will, he will next
inquire where he is to commence in the doing of that will, what the first
step is in the will of God.

The Textbook tells us that the first step is to "repent and believe the
Gospel." That this is the first step is self-evident, because the heart
must be opened to Him who alone can give the knowledge of spiritual truth
before that knowledge is possible, and repentance and faith are the opening
of the heart to Him. For repentance is a coming into that attitude of heart
toward God in which the whole life is laid bare before Him exactly as it
is, thereby opening the way for faith; and believing the Gospel is an
entering upon that faith which accepts the Gospel--the Good News--of
Christ's finished work of at