Experiential Evidence: Harlots and the Gospel

An often neglected yet powerful evidence for the truth of Christianity is the experience of Christians. While external evidence such as fulfilled prophecy or the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus are helpful, even necessary, each Christian carries a portable evidence within himself. Having grown up in a very charismatic church where I saw much abuse in the name of the Spirit, I had grown weary of giving any credence to experience. However, as I mature in my walk with Jesus, I have learned to appreciate that value of the evidence of seeing Christ formed in a person.

Consider these words of the well known Puritan, Richard Baxter. “I am now more apprehensive than heretofore of the necessity of well grounding men in their religion, and especially the witness of the indwelling Spirit, for I more sensibly perceive that the Spirit is the great witness for Christ and Christianity in the world. And, though the folly of fanatics long tempted me to overlook the strength of this testimony while they placed it in certain internal affections, and enthusiastic inspiration, yet now I see that the Holy Ghost is in another manner the witness of Christ and His agent in the world. The Spirit in the Prophets was His first witness, and the Spirit by miracles was the second, and the Spirit by renovation, sanctification, and illumination, and consolation, assimilating the soul to Christ and Heaven, is the continual witness to all true believers.”

I want to present an example of how the Gospel changes lives, how it promises a certain effect not attainable by human effort and how it makes good on those promises. This is a snippet taken from a book titled, “Sunshine in the Workhouse,” by Emma Shepherd, written in 1859. Emma visited women in prison, cared for their needs, and taught the Gospel to them. These were women of ill repute, despised by most of society. Listen to her account and be amazed by the power of the Gospel.

“Amidst the convulsive sobs (like the heartfelt sob of a little child under corporal punishment), I heard ‘Thank’ee ma’am, for trusting us; we couldn’t do a dirty thing by such a lady, and we won’t neither.’ I then opened my Bible, reading them the wonderful parable of the Prodigal Son, showing them how they had been living among filthy words and deeds, as with ‘the swine’ – how God had made women to be loved and honored and respected, and how they had forfeited all love, all honor, and all respect. When I came to the touching question which I addressed to them, ‘Will any of you now ­– this very night – arise and come to the Heavenly Father you have so long forsaken?’ the room became like the valley of Bochim, truly a place of weeping.”

“I said, ‘Now, my girls, kneel down with me, as you may have learnt to kneel at your mother’s knee, when she little thought you were to become as you are now; kneel down, and let us pray that this evening may be the beginning of a new life to many of you.’ Instantly they knelt round me, while in the simplest words possible I tried to lead them to follow my prayer. I was overpowered myself, and my voice faltered when the sobbing redoubled. Then I sent them upstairs, to see how simply were the arrangements I had made, that I could receive six of them at once, and told them I should be in the little inner room ready to see anyone who would wish to speak to me. Four at once and unhesitatingly enrolled themselves as grateful candidates for my Refuge. Oh, what tales of woe and sadness came out to me! No home ­– no friends – early temptation; not a soul to say, ‘Come back, come back,’ to them! Such sweet young faces – two of them not nineteen, and have been two years on the town – cling round me as if, having once found a friend, they dared not leave me.”

This is the power of the Gospel and the work of the Spirit. Conviction of sin, brokenness of heart, a desire for repentance, a hope of salvation, a renewal of heart, and more. Anyone can turn over a new leaf, but none but the Gospel through the Spirit can bring, in this case, a dead woman to life again.