The Spirit Testifies

March 1

Trials come. Doubts creep in. Error overtakes the unwary so we must ever be on guard for any potential eventuality. We must keep our finger on the pulse of what’s going on in every area of interest. Whether it’s the vigilance of parents who monitor their children’s e-mail or the astute business executive who checks the market several times a day, we know we must stay abreast of matters that concern us.

Our uncertainty arises not from our fear of the deliberate acts of those who may wish to do us ill but from the sure knowledge that eventually, something will go awry in spite of our best effort to assure that it doesn’t. We know it will be the unforeseen things for which we did not plan that will thwart us, not the things we anticipated.

If we transfer our apprehension into the spiritual realm, how then can we rest on the promises of God for our eternal salvation, for our security in the hollow of His hand for not only time but for eternity? How can we know beyond the shadow of doubting when the crises in life arise that He is indeed upholding His end of the bargain—we lay our lives at His feet and He guards our lives?

Because He knows our frame, He has inspired Paul to write the answer to this dilemma in Romans 8:16. Here is made the beautiful assertion that, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” We need not rely upon the words of scripture alone, although they should be enough. We needn’t depend on the assurance of other men. His Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and confirms that we are children of God!