“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” Romans 8:16
1. It is inward and secret.
First, The Spirit of Christ doth not witness by any outward voice, as God did from heaven of (Mat. 3:17); nor by an angel, as to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:30-34); but in an inward, secret, glorious, and unspeakable way he bids believers be of good cheer, their sins are forgiven them, as Christ said to the palsied man in the Gospel (Mat. 9:2). And this truth is to be solemnly observed against those poor deceived and deluded souls in these days that would make the world believe that they have had such and such glorious things made known by an outward, audible voice from heaven.
It is much to be feared that they never found the inward, the sweet, tire secret, the powerful testimony and report of the Spirit of Christ. that boast, and brag, and rest so much upon an outward testimony. In 1 Kings 19:11-13, you read of “a great strong wind that rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks: but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind there was an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire there was a still small voice,” and the Lord spake to Elijah in that still small voice. Ah, Christians! the Spirit of the Lord makes not a noise, but he comes in a still small voice, as I may say, and makes a soft and secret report to the soul, that it is beloved, that it is pardoned, and that it shall be for ever glorified.
2. It is gained in holy ways.
Secondly, the testimony and witness of the Spirit of Christ is only gained and enjoyed in holy and heavenly ways, as you may clearly see by comparing the following Scriptures together: Acts 10:4; Dan. 9:22; Isa. 64:5; Acts 10:44. The Spirit of the Lord is a Holy Spirit, and he cannot, he will not, make any report of the love of the Father to the soul out of a way of holiness.
Verily, all those glorious reports that many boast they have met with in sinful ways, in wretched and ungodly ways, are from the hissing of the old serpent, and not from the whisperings of the Spirit of grace. I think it is little less than blasphemy for any to affirm, that the blessed Spirit of Christ doth make reports of the love and favor of God to persons walking in ways of wickedness and baseness.
3. It is clear, full, and satisfying.
Thirdly, the testimony and witness of the Spirit of Christ, is a clear, a full, a satisfying testimony and witness, John 14:17; 1 John 3:24. The soul sits down under the home-reports of the Spirit, and saith, Lord, it is enough; the soul being full, sits down and sweetly sings it out: “My beloved is mine, and I am his. I am my well-beloved’s, and his desire is towards me,” Song of Solomon 2:16, and 7:10. “The Lord is my portion and the lot of mine inheritance,” Psalm. 16:5. “I have none in heaven but thee, neither is there any on earth that I desire in comparison of thee,” Psalm 73:15. “Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,” 2 Tim. 4:8. “Make haste, my beloved,” Song of Solomon, 8:14.
Such power, majesty, and glory, attends the glorious testimony of the Spirit of Christ, as scatters all clouds, as resolves all doubts, as answers all objections, and as silences the wrangling soul. If the testimony of the Spirit of Christ were not a full, satisfying testimony, it could never fill the soul with such joy as is “unspeakable and full of glory,” and with “such peace as passes understanding;” if the testimony were not satisfactory, the soul would still be under fears and doubts, the heart would still be a-wrangling and complaining that it might be left to perish and to find the door of mercy shut against it. If you bring news to a condemned person that the king hath pardoned him, and that he will receive him to favor, and confer such and such dignity upon him, yet this doth pot quiet him nor satisfy him, till he knows it is the king’s act. Till he is satisfied in that, he cannot say it is enough, he cannot be cheerful, he cannot be full of delight. But when he is satisfied that it is the king’s act, that the king hath certainly done this and that for him, then he is satisfied, and then sighing and mourning flies away, and then he rejoices with joy unspeakable. So it is with a believing soul under the testimony and witness of the spirit of Christ.
4. It is not operative in all believers.
Fourthly, though the Spirit be a witnessing Spirit, yet he doth not always witness to believers their adoption, and their interest in Christ. There is a mighty difference between the working of the Spirit and the witness of the Spirit. There are often tunes many glorious and efficacious works of the Spirit, as faith, love, repentance, and holiness, where there is not the witness of the Spirit, Isa. 50:10. David at that very time had the Spirit, and many sweet workings of the Spirit in him and upon him, when he had by sin lost the witness and testimony of the Spirit, Psalm 51:10-12.
Though the Spirit of the Lord be a witnessing and a sealing Spirit, yet he doth not always witness and seal up the love and favor of the Father to believers’ souls, as you may see by the following scriptures, and as the experience of many precious Christians can abundantly evidence: Job 23:8, 9; 1 John 5:13; Psalms 88 and 77; Micah 7:8, 9; Isa. 8: 17. All believers do not see a like need of this testimony, they do not all alike prize this testimony, they do not all alike observe it and make good use of it; and, therefore, it is no wonder if the Spirit be a witnessing Spirit to some and not to others. You do but gratify Satan and wrong your own souls, when you argue that certainly you have not the Spirit, because he is not a witnessing and a sealing Spirit to your souls. Though it be the office of the Spirit to witness, yet it is not his office always to witness to believers their happiness and blessedness.
The Spirit may act one way and in one room of the soul, when he doth not act in another. Sometimes the Spirit works upon the understanding, sometimes upon the will, sometimes upon the affections, sometimes upon faith, sometimes upon fear, sometimes upon love, sometimes upon humility. Our hearts are the Spirit’s harps. If a man should always touch one string in an instrument, he would never play various tunes, he would never make pleasant music; no more would the Spirit, if he should be always a-doing one thing in the soul. Therefore he acts variously. Sometimes he will shew himself a quickening Spirit. sometimes an enlightening Spirit, sometimes a rejoicing Spirit, sometimes a sealing Spirit, and always a supporting Spirit.
5. It is a sure testimony.
Fifthly, the testimony and witness of the Spirit is a sure testimony, a sure witness. The Spirit is truth itself; he is the great searcher of the deep things of God. The Spirit of the Lord is the discoverer, the confuter, and destroyer of all false spirits. The Spirit is above all possibility of being deceived; he is omnipotent, he is omniscient, he is omnipresent; he is one of the cabinet council of heaven. He lives in the bosom of the Father, and can call them all by name upon whom the Father hath set his heart, and therefore his testimony must needs be true. It is a surer testimony than if a man should hear a voice from heaven pronouncing him to be happy and blessed. You may safely and securely lay the weight of your souls upon this testimony; it never bath deceived, it never will deceive any that bath leaned upon it. This testimony will be a rock that will bear up a soul, when other false testimonies will be but “a reed of Egypt” that will deceive the soul, that will undo the soul; as I am afraid many in this age of delusion have found by sad experience.
6. It is always accompanied by the testimony of our own spirit.
Sixthly, the testimony of God’s Spirit is always accompanied with the testimony of our own spirit. These may be distinguished, but they can never be separated. When the Spirit of God bears his witness for a man, the man’s own spirit doth not witness against him. Look, as face answers to face, so doth the witness of a believer’s spirit answer to the witness of the Spirit of Christ. Rom. 8:16, “The Spirit witnesseth together with our spirits that we be the sons of God.” Now, if our own consciences do not testify first that we are sons and heirs, the Spirit doth not testify; for the Spirit bears witness together with our spirits. The Word is very express [clear] in 1 John 3:21, “But if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. But if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things.” 1 John 5:8-12.
7. It is always according to scripture.
Seventhly, the witness of the Spirit is ever according to the Word. There is a sweet harmony between the inward and the outward testimony, between the Spirit of God and the Word of God. The scriptures were all [inspired] by the Spirit (2 Pet. 1:20, 21) and therefore the Spirit cannot contradict himself, which he would do, if he should give any testimony contrary to the testimony of the Word. It is blasphemy to make the testimony of the Spirit to contradict the testimony of the Word. The Spirit hath revealed his whole mind in the Word, and he will not give a contrary testimony to what he hath given in the Word. The Word saith, They that are born again, that are new creatures, that believe and repent, shall be saved. But thou art born again, thou art a new creature, thou believest and repentest; therefore thou shalt be saved, saith the Spirit. The Spirit never looseth where the Word bindeth, the Spirit never justifies where the Word condemns, the Spirit never approves where the Word disapproves, the Spirit never blesses where the Word curses.
In the Old Testament all revelations were to be examined by the Word, Deut. 13:1-4. Isa. 8:20, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light (or no morning) in them.” So in that of John 16:13, “The Spirit shall lead you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but what he shall hear, that shall he speak.” Here the Holy Ghost is brought in as some messenger or ambassador who only relates things faithfully according to that he hath in charge. Such as look and lean upon the hissing of the old serpent may have a testimony that they are blessed, against the testimony of the Word: but wherever the Spirit of Christ gives his testimony, it is always according to the Word.
8. It is holy.
Eighthly, it is a holy witness, a holy testimony. Nothing makes the heart delight more in the love, study, practice, and growth of holiness, than the glorious testimony of the Holy Spirit; and the more clear and full the testimony is, the more holy and gracious it will make the soul. Nothing puts upon the soul such golden engagements to holiness, as the Spirit sealing a man up to the day of redemption, as the Spirit speaking and sealing peace, love, and pardon to the soul, Psalm 85:8; 1 Cor. 15:31; 2 Cor. 5:14. Nothing makes a man more careful to please Christ, more fearful to offend Christ, more studious to exalt Christ, and more circumspect to walk with Christ, than this testimony of the Spirit of Christ.
Verily, that is not the blessed whispering of Christ’s Spirit, but the hissing of the old serpent, that makes men bold with sin, that makes men daily with sin, that makes man a servant to sin, that breeds a contempt of ordinances, a neglect of holy duties, a carelessness in walking with God.
9. It is only bestowed on renewed hearts.
Ninthly and lastly, assurance is a jewel, a pearl of such price, that God only bestows it upon renewed hearts. The Spirit never sets his seal upon any, but upon those that Christ hath first printed his image upon. God gives the white stone, Rev. 2:17, but only to those from whom he hath taken the heart of stone (Ezek. 36:25-27 compared). Christ never tells a man that his name is written in the book of life, till he hath breathed into him spiritual life, Luke 10:20. Christ never says, “Son, be of good cheer, thy sin is pardoned,” till he hath first said, “Be thou healed, be thou cleansed,” Luke 5:18-20. Christ never gives a man a new name that is better than the names of sons and daughters, till he hath made him a new creature, Isa. 56:5; 2 Cor. 5:17. Of slaves Christ first makes us sons, before we cry Abba, Father, Rom. 8:15. Of enemies, he first makes us friends, before he will make us of his court and household, Eph. 2:13-20. Christ will never hang a pearl in a swine’s snout, nor put new wine into old bottles, nor his royal robes upon a leprous back, nor his golden chain about a dead man’s neck, nor his glistering crown upon a traitor’s head.
The Spirit never sets his seal upon any but those that Christ hath first set as a seal upon his heart, Eph. 1:13; Song of Solomon 8:6. The Spirit only bears witness to such as hate sin as Christ hates it, and that love righteousness as Christ loves it, that hate sin more than hell, and that love truth more than life, Psalm 45:7
Excerpted and edited from Heaven on Earth.
The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International
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