How do I know the Spirit's witness from my own feelings?
The Spirit's witness is a fact grounded in God's promise, not a mood to be chased. He testifies with our spirit that we are God's children; we hold that testimony by faith in what God has said, not by the shifting temperature of our feelings. Feelings are real, but the Word is the anchor.
This question arose from studying Can I lose my salvation? and Who is the Holy Spirit? and How do I receive the Holy Spirit?.
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Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
The witness is a fact, not a feeling
Paul does not tell the Romans to check their emotional weather: he tells them 'the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.' It is an ongoing testimony, anchored in God's own doing. God has sealed us and given us the Spirit as the down payment of our inheritance: a pledge, not a pulse.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
It is about who you belong to, not what you feel
The Spirit's presence is what marks you as Christ's: 'if any man doesn't have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.' And the Spirit you have received is not a spirit of slavery leading back into fear, but the Spirit of adoption, by whom you cry, 'Abba, Father!' The question is not how full of feeling you are right now, but whose child you are.
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Feelings are real, but they are not the test
John assumes believers sometimes feel condemned: 'if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things' and when our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness toward God. Your feelings about yourself are not the final word, because God's knowledge of you is truer than your feelings about you. Paul's test is objective: test whether Christ is in you, by the reality of faith and the Spirit, not by the strength of an emotion.
And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him, because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don’t you know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
We hold the witness by faith in the promise
John ties the testimony to belief: 'He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.' The way to hold the Spirit's witness when feelings dip is not to manufacture a feeling but to believe what God has promised. God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and we draw near to Him with a true heart in full assurance of faith.
He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water,Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Fear and assurance cannot live in the same house
John says perfect love casts out fear, and that God's love gives us boldness on the day of judgment; and he writes so that we may know we have eternal life, for he who has the Son has the life. Certainty, not guesswork: the Spirit's witness does not make you conceited; it makes you safe. When the heart grows loud, the Word is louder.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world.Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
As you read, you may wonder…
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We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
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Verses to meditate on
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
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