The Witness of the Spirit!
The Spirit's witness is a crucial aspect of the Christian life, guiding believers to discern truth and false, and correcting sin, righteousness, and judgment.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the crucial role of the Holy Spirit as our inner witness, guiding believers in discerning truth from falsehood. He laments the lack of preaching on the Spirit's witness in contemporary churches, highlighting the need for this guidance as deception increases in the last days. The Spirit operates on the principle of peace, alerting us to sin and leading us to repentance when our peace is disturbed. Wilkerson warns that unrepented sin can cloud our judgment, making us susceptible to false teachings. He calls for believers to seek the Spirit's counsel and maintain a pure heart to receive divine direction.
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"And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth" (1John 5:6).
There are times when the Holy Ghost's inner witness will not allow me to keep quiet. The Spirit rises within me and I have to speak up.
The Holy Spirit abides in us to reveal what is true and what is false. He speaks with a still, small voice, deep within the heart. Many of our holy forefathers believed in this operation of the Spirit in believers. They preached much about "having the witness." But I don't hear this truth being preached anymore. In fact, the witness of the Spirit is virtually unheard of in most churches today!
Believers need the Spirit's witness as never before. And we're going to need it more and more as the day of the Lord draws near! Satan has come brazenly as an angel of light to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect of God. His evil seductions are going to flourish: false doctrines, false teachers, false gospels.
The Spirit's inner witness operates on the "principle of peace." The peace of God is the greatest thing you can have. And when your peace is disturbed, you can be sure the Holy Ghost is speaking to you! When there is a troubling in your spirit--a shaking and a turmoil deep inside--God is telling you that something is false. You will feel his embarrassment--his grief and anger!
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts" (Colossians 3:15). Any hidden, unrepented sin will rob a believer of his precious peace! His heart will be torn by guilt, condemnation and fear--and the Spirit will only speak two words to him. "Repent! Flee!"
Yes, the Spirit will speak to you to correct you; he will deal with you about sin, righteousness and judgment. But when it comes to giving you direction--that is, the still, small voice which tells you what to do and where to go--he will not operate in an unclean vessel!
If you persist in sin--if you do not confess it or deal with it--your heart will feed you a steady stream of lies. You'll hear teachings that make you at ease in your sin. You'll think, "My problem couldn't be that bad. I don't feel convicted." But you will be totally led astray!
Isaiah speaks of a people who went out claiming to desire the true counsel of God. They said: "Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!" (Isaiah 5:19).
But these people had deceit in their hearts--and they ended up perverted in all their counsel! Sin had perverted their judgment! As a result, they weren't able to discern evil. And the things that were holy and pure they called unrighteous. Isaiah said of them, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20).
Sermon Outline
- I. The Witness of the Spirit
- A. The Spirit speaks truth and bears witness
- B. The Spirit's inner witness is a still, small voice
- II. The Importance of the Spirit's Witness
- A. Believers need the Spirit's witness to discern truth and false
- B. The Spirit's witness is crucial in these last days
- III. The Principle of Peace
- A. The peace of God is the greatest thing you can have
- B. Disturbance in peace indicates the Spirit is speaking
- IV. The Spirit's Role in Correction and Direction
- A. The Spirit speaks to correct sin, righteousness, and judgment
- B. The Spirit will not operate in an unclean vessel
Key Quotes
“The Spirit rises within me and I have to speak up.” — David Wilkerson
“The peace of God is the greatest thing you can have.” — David Wilkerson
“Repent! Flee!” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must listen to the Spirit's witness and allow it to guide us in our lives.
- When we feel disturbance in our peace, we must examine our hearts and repent of any sin.
- We must not persist in sin, but instead, confess and deal with it, so that we can hear the Spirit's voice clearly.