September 18

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.—Romans 8:16.

"THE Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit," and not merely to our spirit,—which it must do,—but along with our spirit; that seems to be the proper interpretation of these words. Thus have we two witnesses, the Holy Spirit of God, and our own spirit. It is important for us to mark the distinction, and to perceive clearly what is the proper object of each.

Let us notice, then, in the first place, the subject of their testimony. It is "that we are the children of God." This testimony of the Spirit of God is not that we have been awakened to a sense of our fallen condition, that we have truly and heartily repented of our sins; that a very considerable number of moral changes have taken place in our desires and affections; that, in many respects, we love that which we once hated, and hate that which we once loved;—all these things do, in effect, more or less, take place, as preparatory to a man's justification before God;—but the office of the Spirit of adoption is not, let it be observed, to assure us of these various moral changes, and then to lead us to conclude that, because they have taken place, we are the children of God: the direct and simple object of this testimony of the Spirit is to assure us "that we are the children of God;" the Holy Spirit gives some witness to the great fact, that our sins are forgiven, and that we being reconciled to God, are now adopted into his family.

Let us observe, in the next place, that the Spirit is the only witness who can give direct evidence of this. He is not only a competent witness, but the only competent witness. To this fact of our reconciliation to God, considered as a fact, our own spirits neither do nor can bear testimony. So far as direct testimony is concerned, our own spirits have nothing to do with it. They are not competent to depose on it. He alone can do this to whom it is perfectly known, and that is the Spirit of God. For the illustration of this, remember that the act of pardon takes place upon our believing in Christ. Whenever we believe with the faith which God requires from us, then are we forgiven; we are justified, and restored to the favor of God. But this act of mercy is one which takes place in the mind of God. Who can be cognizant of that act? Till it pleases God himself to reveal it, it must remain unknown. If he sent a special messenger, human or angelic, to inform me of it, he himself must first have communicated the fact. "What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man." The spirit of one man knows not the spirit of another man. That which passes in our own minds is only known to ourselves. How, then, does man become acquainted with that act of Divine mind by which the true believer is truly justified for the sake of our Lord Jesus? The apostle tells us elsewhere: "The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God:" "for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." He, therefore, alone can be cognizant of the fact of forgiveness and adoption, to whom that fact is made known by the testimony of the Spirit. For the promises of God are all general; our names are not in the sacred pages. And whether or not I have so believed as to come up to the requisitions of the gospel in this respect, is not for me to know. God is the proper and only Judge. And as, when God accepts my faith, he forgives my sins, so he does this by an act of his own mind, of which he makes no general and open revelation. The method by which he has appointed to convey the knowledge of this fact to the heart of the individual, for his own personal comfort and benefit, is the testimony of the Holy Spirit; and when this act of pardoning mercy takes place, then, in pursuance of his own benevolent will, and the office which has been assigned him in the great economy of redemption, does he hasten to remove the burden of guilt from our conscience, and to become to us "the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

How this testimony is borne, or what is the particular manner in which it is communicated, may be difficult to describe; neither is it necessary that we should be able to describe it. There are various ways, no doubt, by which the knowledge of this fact is communicated to the soul. But however it be, whether it be called an impression, or any other name, it is that which amounts to a witness and a testimony; that by which the doubt is put away, and the fact ascertained. For why else is a witness called in, but to clear up some doubt? For what purpose do we bring forward witnesses, but to come to the knowledge of some truth? Now, whatever be the method by which the Holy Spirit communicates the fact to the mind, the fact is communicated, and known, because communicated. In different individuals, different ways may be employed, answering to the different modes of speech which we find in Scripture on the subject. There is the lifting up the light of the Divine countenance upon the soul, the shedding the love of God abroad in the heart; the crying "Abba, Father;" the giving testimony to our spirit that we are the children of God; but all come from the Spirit, and produce some persuasion and assurance that I am now a child of God, through his mercy in Christ; that Christ hath loved me, and given himself for me; that God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven all my sins.