(Rev. It is always a direction of life where we say, âThis, this, and this were contrary to my selfish spirit, and God worked that in me. See Heb 10:15. My conscience divinely cleansed in the blood, bears me witness, Father! Weâre on a mission to change that. But it is our spirit that the Holy Spirit bears witness with to guide us into the truth. 10. The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Rom. The confidence we carry that we belong to God, not because of our goodness or effort but because of His love for us, comes directly from God's Spirit with us. That means that God's directions come from inside, not outside, of you. . God's Spirit bears witness in words. Romans 8:16-18 It is impossible to perceive all that became ours when we were born again. God the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we belong to Him as His children (v. 16). . The Spirit Bears Witness With Our Spirit, Publication download options 8. | His Spirit "bears witness," keeps communicating to us over and over that we belong in God's family now that we are in Christ. His work provides evidences, and that is what witnesses do; they give evidences of reality. The Spirit tells us that we become children of God by faith. The witness of the Holy Spirit that you are a child of God is not a word whispered in your ear, “You are my child.” Furthermore, not all anointed Christians receive their anointing at their baptism. 8 The vast majority of Godâs servants today may find this anointing process difficult to comprehend, and rightly so. 46 The Holy Spirit Bears Witness With Our Spirit “walk in the light” the blood of Christ will continue to cleanse them. Two Ways the Holy Spirit Witnesses So here is the first thing I would say. According to the Westminster Confession of Faith, there are three pillars of assurance of salvation: the promises of God’s Word, the works which the Holy Spirit produces, and the inner witness of the Spirit to the believer. Acts 2:38 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. (1) Witness is usually borne in words, but not always. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary . 1:13, 14) This special operation of holy spirit becomes like a down payment, a guarantee (or, a pledge) of what is to come. 12:17) This means that the majority of the 144,000 chosen ones have already died faithfully. The Bible instructs believers to examine themselves, but does it tell us to what extent or how often we should question our salvation? It is not something that they experience. He bears witness with our spirit within us. Should you be concerned with any increase in the number of those who claim to have the heavenly calling? This is such an important concept. 1:7; 8:15, 16) So by means of his holy spirit, God makes it clear to anointed ones that they have this heavenly calling. And so, I really would like to help here if I can. Here is one last counsel. The Bible says in Romans 8:16 (KJV) that “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” If the H… You look to them, because that is whom the Holy Spirit glorifies. Jehovahâs spirit works with equal force in those who have the hope of living forever on earth. 11:10, 11) David was likewise moved by holy spirit. 11 When the holy spirit imparts this conviction, the Christian who is anointed undergoes tremendous changes. It is through the word of God! The Spirit bears witness that we have become God's children by informing us what is involved in becoming such. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. So the witness of the Spirit is the work of the Spirit giving evidences in our lives that we are the sons of God. 16 Throughout the Scriptures, we see many examples of men of faith who were deeply moved by holy spirit; yet they did not have the hope of living in heaven. A group of about 120 Christians were gathered together, âpersisting in prayer.â (Acts 1:13-15) What was about to happen to them was closely related to the actions of the high priest every Pentecost, and it also fulfilled a prophecy uttered by the prophet Joel about 800 years prior to that day. Yet, no matter what they are doing, they cannot help but remember the glorious hope that they have for the future.ââ1 Cor. Let me explain. 19:1) If that is the case, then just as Moses was used to bring Israel into the Law covenant on that day, so Jesus Christ now brought a new nation, spiritual Israel, into the new covenant on the same day. 20:6. —1 Thess. It is reserved in the heavens for you.â (1 Pet. Our spirit is a corroborative witness. So let me read the verses, because the verses themselves provide the clue to what Paul means here: All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Godâs holy spirit was poured out on that group of Christians who were gathered in the upper room. Even now the Spirit dwells within us as a witness that we shall see God, as a pledge that we shall share the life of heaven, where the risen Christ has already gone ahead to prepare a place for us too. Be Determined to âLet Your Brotherly Love Continueâ! See Heb 10:15. ^ [2] (paragraph 11) For further explanation of what it means to be born again, see The Watchtower, April 1, 2009, pp. 3-11. “The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children.”— Rom 8:16 With this article and the next, the Governing Body is attempting to reaffirm the interpretation that Judge Rutherford made in the August 1 and 15 Watchtower to the … 8. That is the evidence of God in your life. ( Collected Works of Watchman Nee, The (Set 1) Vol. It is then that the Holy Spirit bears witness through His written testimony with our spirits that we are children of God. That means that God's directions come from inside, not outside, of you. (a) Why should we be interested in what happened at Pentecost? We are told this entails being baptized to put on Christ (Galatians 3:26,27). We will be able to sense a different spirit in someone. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." (Acts 2:38) There was no tongue as if of fire above their heads. There would be no question in your mind that you were anointed by holy spirit, especially if you also received the miraculous gift of speaking in a foreign language. To a multitude that soon gathered, the apostle Peter explained the significance of what had happened. This person is thinking about Romans 8:14â16. 3. An anointed Christian gains an inner conviction because of this token that he or she has received.ââRead 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22; 5:5. Title: How the Spirit Bears Witness with Our Spirit . Jesus referred to this inner process as being âborn again,â or being âborn from above.â [2] (John 3:3, 5; ftn.) He confirms to us what is true on some deep and unspoken level. Having the sense of -The Spirit bears witness to our spirit. In fact, in this way you will be richly granted entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.â (2 Pet. 18 So, then, how should those with an earthly hope view anyone who claims to have the heavenly hope? This is enormously important, because what I have found over the years is that right up there with fear and lust and anger, Christians everywhere at some time deal with the problem of the assurance of salvation: âAm I really a Christian?â Every Christian deals with this at some point, and some Christians, all the time. “Hearing” is not an audible voice; it is hearing the word of God’s grace. Even after we have become born again, not only our spirit but also our flesh speaks to us. Not only does the Holy Spirit bring about the work of conversion, but after it has taken place, after Christ has come into your heart, the Holy Spirit personally gives you the assurance that you are a believer. The inward witness may not come with a lot of shakings and spiritual razzmatazz. 8. The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." That means that God will embed light in your spirit man, leading and directing you on what to do. The Spirit himself bears witness [is witnessing in that cry, “Abba, Father”] with our spirit that we are the children of God. Romans 8:16 reads simplyaujtoV toV pneu'ma summarturei' tw'/ pneuvmati hJmw'n o{ti ejsmeVn tevkna qeou'. Peter explained it this way: âTherefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and choosing sure for yourselves, for if you keep on doing these things, you will by no means ever fail. The Bible is the Bible, and the Spirit is the Spirit, but they ALWAYS work together. If you look within and take your eyes off of Jesus, what is the Holy Spirit going to glorify? By means of his spirit, he gives that person a promise for the future, or “a token in advance.” These Christians can say that the holy spirit “bears witness,” or makes clear, … —1 Thess. How do we know that not all those who have received Godâs spirit have been invited to go to heaven? 5 If you were one of the disciples who had what appeared to be a tongue of fire rest on his head, you would never forget that day. 8:10-17 If the Spirit be in us, Christ is in us. They are too self-reliant. At times when you hear His guidance, you may even wonder, Was that me, Lord, or was that You? But it is our spirit that the Holy Spirit bears witness with to guide us into the truth. So it is with everyone who has been born from the spirit.â (John 3:7, 8) Clearly, it is impossible to explain fully this personal calling to those who have not experienced it. âThe spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are Godâs children.âââROM. And the reason I said it is also a heart cry to Jesus as Lord is because he says almost the same thing in 1 Corinthians 12:3: âTherefore I want you to understand no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says âJesus is accursed!â and no one can say âJesus is Lordâ except in the Holy Spirit.â. Just as the Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God (Rom. Ty asks, âWhat does it mean for the Spirit to bear witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16)?â. He cannot witness to our reason. The spirit of God bears witness to the truth and to another believer because we are of the same spirit. Now, of course, that comes from Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Let me tell you this, The witness is varied. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. That, too, is testimony given by the Holy Spirit. We need to have the confidence such assurance brings especially during difficult times. (Isa. In childlike simplicity you will seek to begin each day with the simple prayer: Father! How do each bear witness? with our spirit " in attendance". THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WITNESS IN THE BIBLE Romans 8:16 expressly affirms: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the child ren of God.” “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” I deal with doubters. That’s 8:16. Here is the second one: It means a heartfelt cry rises up in us to God as our Father and Christ as our Lord: âYou have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, âAbba, Father!â The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit.â, So, when there arises in the believerâs heart a humble, authentic, dependent, thankful, happy, âFather, Father,â that is the Holy Spirit, because a person who is without Christ cannot call out to God in a dependent, loving, thankful, humble way. If for any reason, you consider going in the opposite direction, you’ll find a dampening of your spirit, an inner discomfort. ..pmd Author: Dr. Donnie S. Barnes Created Date: 2/20/2008 5:54:01 AM Romans 10:17. And if you go to Galatians 5, being led by the Spirit â walking by the Spirit, living by the Spirit â is the same as bearing the fruit of the Spirit. TERMS OF USE -1 Thessalonians 2:12. Despite its importance, the internal testimony of the Spirit is subject to misunderstanding. so important to us? The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Rom. The regular morning sacrifices had no doubt already been offered at the temple. That is part of his assuring work. The answer is clearly seen in Paulâs words to the anointed brothers in Rome, who were âcalled to be holy ones.â He told them: âYou did not receive a spirit of slavery causing fear again, but you received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: âAbba, Father!â The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are Godâs children.â (Rom. One thing we need as disciples is the assurance that we are right with God. Then he told his audience: âRepent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit.â Altogether about 3,000 accepted the invitation that day, were baptized, and received the promised holy spirit.ââActs 2:37, 38, 41. In fact, if you are wondering whether you have received the heavenly calling, that would in itself indicate that you have not received it. We are also aware of his witness when we sin and come under his holy conviction. Do you feel that you have more than average zeal in the ministry? For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2:12. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 2:12. If someone in your congregation starts to partake of the emblems at the Lordâs Evening Meal, how should you react? (Ex. The source of assurance is not finally found by focusing on our hearts and ourselves. 4. The Bible is the Bible, and the Spirit is the Spirit, but they ALWAYS work together. The spirit of God bears witness to the truth and to another believer because we are of the same spirit. How does 1 John 2:20, 27 show that anointed Christians do not need confirmation from others about their anointing? Certainly not because of what happened at the temple in Jerusalem. Not only does the Holy Spirit bring about the work of conversion, but after it has taken place, after Christ has come into your heart, the Holy Spirit personally gives you the assurance that you are a believer. 14 Should we conclude, then, that these anointed ones want to die? And I donât doubt that the devil does whisper that in peopleâs ears, because it says at the end of days there are going to be people who think they have called Jesus, âLord,â and they really havenât. Their hearts are bursting with joy and appreciation. The Holy Spirit bears witness to Christians’ sonship, in part, through his general work of providing Christians with a foretaste of the goods things to come. 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