The Holy Spirit is the One who dwells within the children of God. It is a joy and a blessing to be a member of God’s family. By the grace and favor of the Lord through His blood we have been redeemed and added to His church in baptism for the remission of our sins, and we received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38,47). In baptism we were buried into the death of Christ and as He was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we rise up from the watery grave to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). Through Christ we are children of the resurrection (Luke 20:36).
Throughout the centuries, the function of the Holy Spirit as a witness has been the subject of confusion and misinformation among many who call upon the name of Jesus. The Word of God declares, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16). Who can deny this passage of scripture as truth? No one can for it would be unwise to deny. The fact remains that the Holy Spirit bears witness, but the question is how? There are many within the “Christian world” who believe that the witnessing of the Holy Spirit is an inner and subjective experience. It’s always best to confirm one’s beliefs with the Word of God instead of following one’s feelings and subjective impressions.
Here is an example of how the Holy Spirit witnesses to us. In Hebrews 10:15-17, the Word of God says: 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.” It is important to note that the Holy Spirit did not witness “in” the writer of Hebrews, but rather the Holy Spirit witnessed “to” the writer of Hebrews. This witnessing had nothing to do with the inward feelings or personal thoughts of the Hebrew writer. The focus of this witnessing was solely based upon what the Holy Spirit said. The Lord spoke the same words to prophet Jeremiah centuries before this (Jeremiah 31:33). The witness of the Holy Spirit does not depend on our inner emotions, but rather based upon the written Word of God that we acknowledge as truth.
The apostle Paul experienced the witness of the Holy Spirit as stated in Acts 20:23, “Except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that chains and afflictions await me.” In this passage of scripture, the witness of the Holy Spirit consisted of a spoken message and not the feelings or subjective impressions of any human being. The witness of the Holy Spirit is available to all people who hear or read the Word of God. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit and helps us to remain children of God. We are indeed led by the Spirit of God when we obey His Word. Our personal feelings and subjective impressions have no place when it comes to the witness of the Holy Spirit.
Silbano Garcia II
Evangelist