• Watch
  • Listen
  • Study
  • Articles
  • Links
  • About
Sunny Slope Church of Christ
  • Watch
  • Listen
  • Study
  • Articles
  • Links
  • About

The Spirit Bears Witness With Our Spirit

5/3/2020

 
​By: Gary L. Hutchens
​   The apostle John wrote: “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…” (1 Jn. 5:13).  What a wonderful assurance!  A follow-up question would be, “but on what basis can I truly know that I am saved?”  The standard John gave was “you who believe in the name of the Son of God.”  But many people intellectually believe in Jesus while not living faithfully to Him.  Jesus stated, “If you love Me, keep My commandments,” the sense being, “if you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (Jn. 14:15).  Obviously, obedience plays a vital part in what John describes as believing in the name of the Son of God.
​   The apostle Paul gives further insight as to how we can be assured of our salvation.  He wrote, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16).  But how does the Holy “Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”?  Many people rely on some feeling they interpret as assurance that they are saved.  Is that what Paul was talking about?  A feeling?  How does the Spirit bear witness with our spirit?
   The Hebrews writer helps provide the answer to our question: “But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,’ then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’” (Heb. 10:15-17).  The writer identifies this passage as coming from the Holy Spirit.  Yet it was penned as scripture by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 31:33-34).  In quoting this passage the Hebrews writer states that “the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us.”  Obviously it is through scripture that the Holy Spirit “bears witness,” or “witnesses to us,”. 
   When we read passages from scripture that pertain to our salvation, and we know that we have obeyed the teachings conveyed in those scriptures, then we can “know” that we are saved.  “For the wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23).  When many of the Jews on Pentecost, in response to the gospel message that had just been proclaimed to them, asked what they needed to do, Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38).
   When we properly obey Peter’s instruction to “be baptized…for the remission of sins” we can be assured that God has forgiven our sins.  Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mk. 16:16).  When we are correctly baptized into Christ, we can “know” that we “have eternal life.”
   We can know these things, be assured of them, when we know that we have obeyed what the scriptures teach on these matters.  Since the Holy Spirit guides us through scripture (2 Pet. 1:20-21), then as we know that we have obeyed the teachings of God’s word, the Holy Spirit bears witness, through those very scriptures, with our spirit that we are children of God, that we are saved…

Comments are closed.

    Author

    Gary L. Hutchens

    Categories

    All
    Dennis Stackhouse
    Gary Hutchens

    Archive

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    March 2008
    February 2008
    January 2008
    January 2007

Member Login
SUBMIT PRAYER REQUEST
© 2019 Sunny Slope Church of Christ | All Rights Reserved
3606 N. 108th St., Omaha, NE 68164 | (402) 498-8397 | Contact Us
  • Watch
  • Listen
  • Study
  • Articles
  • Links
  • About