The Twofold Witness
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"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit—that we are the children of God" Romans 8:16
When we hear of witnesses—we naturally think that some point is disputed, or that it is considered necessary to settle some matter of importance in an unquestionable manner. Now, to the Christian, no matter can be so important as that of son ship—as all his future happiness depends on this. The apostle therefore seems to linger over this point, and having spoken of it as proved by the leadings of the Spirit, and by the indwelling of the Spirit as the Spirit of adoption—he now proceeds to speak of a twofold witness to the fact, as if it were fiercely contested: "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit—that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16).
The Matter Contested. Our son ship—and, consequently, our heir ship and our inheritance.
No sooner do we put in a claim to be considered the sons of God, and begin to rejoice in our high privilege—than Satan comes in to dispute our title, and throw doubts upon our claim. He hates to see us happy. Nor will he allow us, if he can help it, to live up to our privileges. Various are the means he tries—to fill us with doubt and gloom. Sometimes he points us to some very amiable, consistent, and active professor of religion, and says, "There, that is a child of God." Then pointing to our inconsistencies in temper and conduct, or to the deep and terrible corruptions of our hearts, upon which he works, he asks, "Can one with such a temper, guilty of such inconsistencies, and with such a heart as yours—be a child of God?"
At other times he will quote certain portions of God's word, and, drawing false inferences from them, will ask, "Are you like this?" And because the fearful soul cannot at once reply in the affirmative, he throws in the suggestion, "Then you are not a child of God;" and we are but too ready to believe his lie. But it is almost impossible to set forth all the means he will employ, and the various ways in which he will try to generate doubts, and fill the sincere soul with fears. The conflict is often terrible, and in some cases it is of long continuance.
For lack of clearer light, or stronger faith, or more courage—some of the Lord's people can but seldom rejoice in their adoption. At times, when fresh guilt has been contracted, some temptation yielded to, or some sin committed—our own hearts condemn us; and then Satan finds it easy to persuade us that we have deceived ourselves, that our experience is delusion, and that for us to consider ourselves the sons of God would be presumption.
Nor is this any wonder, when we consider the greatness of the privilege. David considered it a great thing to be son-in-law to king Saul, and would risk his life for it—but what is it to be a son of God! No creatures in all God's universe stand in so near and dear a relationship to him—as his children! The honour is great beyond comparison, that creatures so insignificant, so vile, so degraded—should be more nearly related to God than the highest specimens of his creative power. Sons of God, and, consequently, heirs of God—what an honour is this!
How must Satan envy us! and filled with rage against our gracious God, and against ourselves, can we wonder if he contests the point with us? There is nothing like it in this world; nor have we any idea that there is anything like it, much less anything to surpass it, in the world to come. Well may John exclaim, "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us—that we should be called the sons of God!"
The Twofold Witness To The Fact. "In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." Here we have the testimony of our own spirit, and the testimony of the Spirit of God.
1. By "our spirit," we may understand our conscience, sometimes called our heart. "Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." Here, by the "heart," we understand the conscience.
The word of God furnishes us with evidences or proofs, from which we may draw the conclusion that we are the sons of God. We read the word—we compare what we read—with what we have experienced, and the conscience testifies that we have the privileged character. Take a few instances.
John says, "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man—but of God." Reading this portion, I look back and remember when I first felt my need of Christ; how I was led to the cross of Christ; when I renounced self and all dependence on anything and everything of my own, and received the Lord Jesus Christ to be my complete Saviour. My whole dependence was placed on Christ then, and has been ever since. Receiving Christ proves that I am born of God, and entitles me to the privilege of son ship; my spirit therefore comes to the conclusion, "I am a son of God!"
Again I read, "Unto you, therefore, who believe—he is precious." If I know anything, I know that Christ is precious to my soul; but he is only precious to those who believe: therefore it is clear that I believe. But I read again, "You are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus;" and, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God." As I believe, it is clear that I am born of God, that I am one of his children; and my spirit bears testimony to this.
Again, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." Now, I feel an inward consciousness that if I love any people—I love the people of God, and I love them just in proportion as they love Christ and resemble him; loving the children of God proves that I have passed from death unto life; and if so, I am a child of God, the privilege of adoption is mine.
Once more, "Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." Now, though my obedience is very imperfect—yet I have the testimony of my conscience that it is the habitual desire of my heart, and the aim of my life—to keep God's commands. This proves that I know him and love him; but to know him is life eternal, to love him proves that he first loved me: if God love me, and has given me eternal life, I am his child, the adoption is mine.
In this way, and in other similar ways, our own spirit bears witness that we are the children of God.
2. The Spirit of God lays down the evidences in the word of God; he then works the dispositions or the answerable evidences in our hearts, and enables us to draw the conclusion from our own filial feelings that we are the children of God. In this way he may be said to witness to our spirits.
But he also witnesses conjointly with our spirits—so that we have a twofold testimony. He personally witnesses, or gives evidence; sometimes by shining on the promises of the word, and showing us our interest in them, or by applying them to our hearts with a secret, soul-conquering, and assuring power.
When we see the promise in his light, or feel it brought home with his power—we have no doubt of our son ship.
Sometimes he sheds abroad God's paternal love in our hearts, which produces filial love to him in return, and filial confidence in him; and then the evidence of our adoption is so satisfactory that we cannot doubt.
Sometimes he fills us with holy joy, profound peace, and indescribable love; so that every view we take of God seems to deepen our joy, our peace flows like a river, and loving God, we seem to enjoy a present heaven; there can be no questioning our adoption then.
Sometimes he draws out the soul in prayer, gives us to feel such nearness to God, enables us to hold such familiar fellowship with God, and to feel so much at home with God, that we wonder at ourselves. The promises flow in so sweetly, the soul pours itself out with such fluency, and God appears to be so full of love, that to doubt at such a time would be impossible.
Sometimes he secretly and indescribably assures the soul or the conscience that all is right between God and us, that we can call God Father with strong confidence; and yet, apart from the power felt within, we know not how to account for it that we feel such certainty, nor could we describe it—if our life depended on our doing so!
But besides these things, by making us like Jesus, in spirit, temper, and disposition, and enabling us to exhibit something of his likeness to others; and especially by producing a deep, abiding, increasing love to, and desire for holiness—he bears witness that we are the children of God. For as we are predestined to be conformed to the image of God's Son, by his conforming us to Jesus he proves our predestination to adoption, and so our son ship.
In these, and other ways, "the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." And whenever his witness is borne, it always brings its own evidence with it; and at such times we believe and are sure that we are the sons of God, and can say with John, "We have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he who dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him."
The Holy Spirit must be a person, or he could not bear witness to our spirits, and with our spirits, that we are the children of God. He must also be a divine person, or he could not search out this secret, which lay hidden in the mind of God. "For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man—but the Spirit of God." Neither could the Spirit bear his witness to such a fact to such multitudes at the same time, scattered as they are over all countries, except he were a divine person.
The Holy Spirit is actually received by the believer; nor do we more really receive the Lord Jesus to be our Redeemer, than we receive the Holy Spirit to be our Sanctifier, Guide, and Witness. Having taken up his dwelling in the believer, he sets his whole person apart for God, claims him as the property of the Lord Jesus, and bears his witness with the heart to its son ship in union with Christ.
To the conscience first, and with the conscience after, he witnesses to our adoption. His witness is not in all alike—clear, distinct, and powerful; nor is it in any always in all alike—powerful, distinct, and satisfactory. Some of the Lord's people are long before they enjoy that satisfactory witness of the Spirit, which others enjoy immediately upon believing. Some have gone mourning all their days, and only when on the dying pillow have received that full and all-convincing evidence that they were God's children.
The reason for this we may not know—but unquestionably there is a cause. Some secret sin may be indulged, all confidence in the flesh may not be renounced, or some error may be fostered in the soul. In general, where the truth is received in simplicity, where Christ is embraced as a perfect Saviour, where the desire to be wholly, entirely, and altogether the Lord's is nourished—then the witness of the Spirit is enjoyed. It is the privilege of all the Lord's people alike, and was never intended to be confined to a favoured few. No Christian should be satisfied without it—but, by earnest, fervent, believing prayer, should seek it until it is obtained.
The Holy Spirit always leads to the written word and ordinances; and the clearer his witness, the more powerful his testimony, the more are they prized and improved. Some have slighted the Bible, under pretense that the indwelling of the Spirit rendered it unnecessary; but such were under a delusion. Some have neglected the ordinances, because they imagined the Spirit's witness rendered them unnecessary; but such were deceived. Depend upon it, the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scriptures, always leads to the Scriptures; and everything in religion is to be tried by them. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word—they have no light in them." Even the work of the Spirit within is to be tested and tried by the word of God. Just in proportion as we experience the presence, the power, and the work of the Holy Spirit, in our hearts—shall we cleave to the written word, and prize God's own instituted ordinances.
Holy Spirit, teach me to draw right conclusions from the experience of my soul and the testimony of the word, as to my state and standing before God; and let me daily experience your inward witness, bearing witness with my spirit that I am a child of God. O for certainty, habitual certainty, on scriptural premises, of my adoption, regeneration, and meekness for the inheritance of the saints in light!
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