| Christian Life and Doctrine | August 1964 |
The Witness of the Spirit
MANY children of God have had doubts of their sonship. If these doubts are not dispelled or, worse yet, if allowed to grow, they can cause laxness in our consecration, and eventual withering of the new creature. But if these onslaughts of Satan are met with the assurances found in the Word of God, then needed strength of faith can be found, and a deepening of conviction will result. Romans 8:16 opens the door for profitable study along the lines of assurance of sonship—“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” However, to understand all that is implied herein requires a recognition of God’s will for the church and an appreciation of his plan of the ages. Without such knowledge much confusion can result.
For instance, many believe that a mark of God’s sonship is material prosperity. During a nationwide drive for church membership, billboards were observed having the following statement, “Church builds character, character builds success, join a church.” However, when one understands the plan of God and knows the purpose he is accomplishing in the true church during the Gospel Age, then it is at once clear that material prosperity and health are not marks of sonship.
If prosperity were a true mark, how discouraging it would have been for the Apostle Paul! Hear his testimony regarding his lot in material things while a servant of God, “Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place.” (I Cor. 4:11) In all his privation and sorrow Paul could say with assurance, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”—Rom. 8:28
How understandable is the matter when we see the purpose of God. Our Lord’s and the church’s frustrations, sorrows, sufferings and trials are necessary for development and crystallization in righteousness. Of Jesus we read, “For it became him … to make the captain of their salvation perfect [complete] through sufferings.” (Heb. 2:10) And again we read, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” (Heb. 5:8) The church which is being developed through such stringent testing is to share divine life, high honor, and glorious privileges with our Lord, hence the need to have characters eternally “set” in righteousness.
Our Father knew that the necessary trials of development might at times discourage, so he has given us ample assurances of his faithfulness. Among these assurances are the witnesses of the Spirit, which say soothingly, “You are indeed my very own.”
The word “Spirit” found in our text must be understood correctly if we are to receive comfort from it. It means the power or influence of God in whatever manner it operates. By use of our concordances we have learned that the basic Hebrew and Greek words for spirit, ruach and pneuma, simply mean “wind.” These have been translated into various English words such as “mind,” “sneeze,” “power,” among many others.
We can understand what might have influenced the ancients first to use such a simple word to describe God’s power or influence. As their language grew, known words would often be used to describe something entirely new, and in time the original meaning would be lost and the new become accepted.
This is true in all living languages. In English, for instance, “rostrum” means the platform where one stands when giving a more or less formal speech. Originally this Latin word meant “beak,” such as the beak of a hawk or sparrow, and often used at a ship’s prow. This original meaning does not enter one’s mind when he now hears the word rostrum.
When Rome was a world power, it was the practice to construct their naval vessels with a long sharp prow for ramming the enemy ship. Because of its long, sharp, graduated, and sometimes curved appearance, it began to be called the “rostrum,” which meant beak. When a naval battle ensued, this portion of the defeated vessel was considered a trophy of war.
It was the further practice to take the rostrum to the Coliseum at the time the victorious commander was to receive the acclaim of the populace. When he acknowledged this honor it was the custom for him to stand on the rostrum to give his words or speech of thanks. Such evidence of change in word meaning can be found in a goodly percentage of all words currently used in every “living” language.
When the ancients first coined the word ruach in Hebrew, or pneuma in Greek, it simply meant what we now understand as “wind,” or “air.” Wind, of course, is quite indescribable—there is power and movement that can be felt but not seen. When those of long ago sought a way to describe the unseen power of God, or thought of many other things which could not be seen, but concerning which evidence was at hand to show their presence, it was almost inevitable that “wind” would first be used.
In our lesson text we believe the word “mind” would best be substituted for Spirit. Our text would then read, “God’s mind itself beareth witness with our mind that we are the children of God.” Some might ask, in what way do we say it is God’s mind? The mind of any being represents his thoughts and, so far as we are concerned, the only place we can at this time know the thoughts of God is in his Word, the Bible. The Bible came to us through the power or influence of God’s having directed the writers.
A Guide Book
It was a practice in former years for many families to have what was called a “doctor’s book.” This was a compilation of the various symptoms present in a specific illness, such as measles or mumps, etc. It also suggested, in some instances, remedies which could be used. The one possessing such a book might observe his child becoming listless. Perhaps measles was suspected, so a quick check was made with the book concerning the symptoms and their order of appearance, and if the child’s symptoms matched those listed, such a diagnosis generally was made. In our Father’s Word, he has outlined for us the steps of the call and the general experiences that will come to a child of his. If we find ours matches those noted in the Word, then we have assurance that his Word or mind is bearing witness with ours that we are his children. Let us note the testimony of the Bible concerning some of the witnesses of the Spirit.
Drawn by God
In John 6:44 we read the words of Jesus, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” Here is explicit testimony that everyone who comes to Jesus would be drawn of God. Have we had such experience? What does it mean to “be drawn to Jesus”? We believe the Bible gives ample proof that being drawn to Jesus during this age implies an appreciation and comprehension of his life and work. When Jesus’ disciples, whom God had drawn, noted that they specially understood his parables, which others did not, they inquired concerning the matter. In Matthew 13:10 we read of this where they asked, “Why speakest thou unto them in parables?” His answer makes it clear that his disciples, who have been drawn of God, have a special appreciation and understanding. His words were, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”
How can we determine if we have been drawn to Christ? Did circumstances arise that drew our attention to the Bible? Did we begin to understand that Jesus became a man and died for all? Did we begin to appreciate his nobility of heart and character and hence found in ourselves a desire to serve him? Did we find ourselves loving him because he did so much for the world and for us? If our answer is yes to these questions, it would mean that we have been drawn to Jesus. By his own testimony we are informed that “no man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him.”
However, this appreciation and knowledge of our Lord, which would indicate we have been drawn to him, does not in itself mean we are the children of God. According to God’s Word this is but a first step. In Matthew 16:24,25 we read the words of Jesus concerning another step: “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his Iife for my sake shall find it.”
Consecration and the Cross
This statement of our Lord so clearly describes the step we call consecration. To deny oneself would mean to give up one’s will. To one becoming a disciple of Jesus this is a vital step, because we must be willing to have God’s will as our guide. This was true of Jesus also, and the fact is noted prophetically of him in Psalm 40:7,8, “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me. I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”
The next point in Jesus’ requirement was, “and take up his cross and follow me.” What a background of truth is contained in these few words! In our Lord’s day the phrase for one to “take up his cross” was a figure of speech to indicate that the one involved was walking unto death. How literally true this became to Jesus!
By his words, then, it is suggested that Jesus’ disciples will realize it was necessary for him to die and, in addition, they will perceive that the Messiah is composed of Jesus and his faithful disciples, and that all must die before the reign of the Messiah begins. Note the Apostle Paul’s words, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ [Messiah].”—I Cor. 12:12
Considering our Lord’s statement of discipleship as a witness of the Spirit, can we say this step has been taken? Can we look back to that point when we realized we had been drawn, and that we recognized the terms of discipleship? Did we see that our human will was to be surrendered, and henceforth we were to do the will of God as found in his Word? Did we realize that the will of God meant we were to sacrifice our lives as Jesus’ disciples, and that if faithful we would be with him in glory as a part of the Messiah? If so, we can say that God’s Word bears testimony with our mind that we are children of his, true disciples of Jesus.
Hear again the testimony of God’s Word concerning the experience of his children so that we may have further assurance. II Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” How have old things passed away, and how did all things become new? With most of us, prior to our consecration and our knowledge of the truth we had limited horizons.
At most we might have had some plans concerning the work or profession we desired to follow. Also we may have had some principles or qualities of character we admired and attempted to follow in a half-hearted way. But how was that changed at consecration? Our horizons lifted. We saw beyond a professional, monetary, or family goal—we saw beyond our lifetime on earth, into eternity. We had definite goals for which we were now to strive. We began to observe the character of our God and Lord and attempted to fashion our thoughts and lives accordingly. The truth and consecration gave “point and objective” to our lives. “Old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”
There are other witnesses of the Spirit which require continued faithfulness to be experienced. One which falls into this class is noted in John 15:2, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth [pruneth] it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” In this parable God is pictured as the husbandman, or caretaker of the vine. Jesus is the stalk, and we are the branches. That which the husbandman desires is fruit from the branches, and the necessary procedures are followed to produce it.
We realize that the fruit illustrates the character of love we are to attain, and this is not merely a passive conformity to Jesus’ disposition, but also a demonstration of love by our self-sacrificing devotion. Note how this is brought to the fore in verses 12 and 13 of the parable, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The particular point in the parable to note in relation to our study of the witness of the Spirit is, “Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” An unattended grapevine has a natural tendency to produce wood, and not fruit. So with us, no matter how high our resolves, our natural human frailties would assert themselves unless we received “prunings” by our Father.
The Lord’s Prunings
The “prunings” of the Lord would be those experiences brought upon us which, met correctly, would bring forth in abundance the fruitage of righteousness. The Lord may set us aside for awhile, or there may be experiences which humiliate us. If we bow down in these and say they are from the Lord, then such prunings will be beneficial.
We may be unduly concerned about the approval of others, so that if it is not forthcoming we are distressed. Such approbativeness could cause one to seek approval at the expense of principle and truth. With such tendency toward “wood making,” the Lord may permit experiences and misunderstandings which would cause us to receive special criticism and disapproval. If such experiences are accepted in the proper spirit, bringing an inner recognition of the need to have only God’s approval, then rich fruitage has been produced.
Can we look back in our experiences and see when God permitted circumstances which, for the moment, thwarted natural tendencies of attaining our will, be it in job, or family, class, or in other situations? If so, and we met these properly, bowing to the will of the Father, then we have the testimony in his Word that we are being led of him as children.
The World’s Enmity
Another “witness of the Spirit” is found in John 15:19, which reads, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own, but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” But one might ask, how does the world manifest its hate toward us? Actually, very few of us ever receive abuse from the world and, for that matter, neither did our Lord. His abuse and suffering carne mainly from the incitement of the people by the religious leaders of Israel.
The reason we do not often receive the world’s scorn is because we do not have much to do with the world. However, in those instances where there is a confrontation, and our principles run counter to the world, we see the face of hate. This often happens during the stress of war when our brethren withhold themselves from serving militarily. This can and does infuriate some of the world. Also we see the world’s frown when we refrain from engaging in politics. To many of our neighbors the time when all ills of government should be corrected is now. To such, our attitude is detestable because it appears we are unconcerned. Yes, we will see the world’s dark frown if we are faithful. This “witness of the Spirit” will come to us only if we are faithful in witnessing and letting our light shine.
A similar “witness of the Spirit” is found in Matthew 10:25, which reads, “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” This, of course, referred to the reaction and accusation of the religious leaders toward Jesus, which shall also be our lot if we are faithful.
Persecution
Those instances when we will be accused of preaching the doctrines of devils will vary with the brethren according to the scope of witnessing of each one. No doubt but what some of the Lord’s own disciples, such as sisters who were housewives, or brethren in limited activity because of their smaller sphere of life, did not often feel the wrath of the Pharisees. But when the Lord’s providences permitted a larger sphere of activity the testimony of his Word is that those faithful were subjected to abuse, and even violence, perpetrated by the religious element.
Today we do not experience physical violence from those who regard our message of truth as evil. But we are accused of being disciples of Beelzebub; that is, teaching doctrines of devils. If we are faithful in witnessing as the opportunities are presented, we shall surely meet such accusation. To those whose sphere is so constricted by the Lord’s providences that witnessing is only an occasional experience, then these can serve by becoming companions of those so used. This thought is brought to us in Hebrews 10:33; “Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.”
Love for the Brethren
Note that many of the assurances of sonship depend upon our faithfulness in witnessing to the truth. Another of the assurances depends on our continued love of the brethren. This is stated in I John 3:14; “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” The first requisite in loving the brethren is the recognition that we are a family of God.
This truth was dramatically presented to the church by Jesus. In the Gospel of Matthew we read of an instance where our Lord’s mother and his brethren sought to speak with him. At the time, he was inside a home tightly packed with listeners, and this crowding prevented free access for his mother and brethren who were without. An observant one saw the problem and interrupted Jesus’ speaking by an announcement: “Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.”—Matt. 12:47
We can imagine Jesus’ hearers waiting for the reply to this statement. Our Lord, always watching for the seasonable time to sow a seed of truth, observed the appropriateness of this occasion to speak a great truth. In preparing his hearers to receive the lesson, he asked what at first seemed a strange question, “Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?” Imagine the first reaction of the disciples on hearing this unusual query! They knew his mother and brethren, and wondered why he asked the question.
After the pause which followed his question, the pause during which a variety of thoughts entered the minds of his listeners, came the wonderful statement of Jesus: “And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”—Matt. 12:48-50
Imagine the reaction of the disciples to this statement by Jesus! These simple folk who saw in Jesus such perfection and beauty of character realized that he tenderly considered them as his own family. They knew these words were not casually spoken for effect; no, they revealed the deep conviction of his heart. We can well imagine the special nearness and warmth they felt for him that day.
God’s Family
We disciples are the family of God, and the full meaning of this truth should be imbedded deeply in our hearts. The tie that binds our hearts transcends any earthly tie of family or affection. The realization of this truth should cause us to love the brethren. But love does not come merely because we are told such should be the case. Our love for one another comes from, and is strong in relation to, our love for the Father and our Lord Jesus.
As our appreciation and love of God grows, so does our concern and tenderness grow toward those whom he has named as our brethren. If he has drawn and begotten a member of the family, leads them daily, hears their prayers, should not we too view them in a special way? We can measure our love for God by our love for the brethren.
As we associate with the brethren, they and we must continually exercise patience. Our Father has called his children from varying backgrounds, greatly differing casts of mind. We all have dissimilar human frailties. The need of adjusting to each other will be ever present. It is as though our Father, as a part of our development, brought together those who are naturally diverse and then said, “Now, my children, live together in love, cherish and serve each other.” If we maintain a strong love for God and our Lord, keeping in focus his plan and our relationship thereto, then the knitting of love between us and our brethren will be sure and firm.
If we can say that we discern and appreciate the family relationship of the brethren, then this witness of the Spirit is real and vital in our lives. If we find in our hearts a desire to be with and serve the interests of the brethren, then we have “passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.” I John 3:14 then becomes a “witness of the Spirit” that we are children of God.
Discernment
Another strong evidence of our sonship is our knowledge of the “mysteries of God.” In the first chapter of Ephesians the Apostle Paul stresses the fact that the members of the church have been special recipients of knowledge. In verses 12 and 13 he states, “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation: … ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”
The phrase, “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,” refers to the possessing of special knowledge that identifies us as being sons of the King. It appears that Paul took his figure of speech from a practice used by rulers of that day to identify their representatives. It is said that when one representing a ruler went to a far place he had with him a letter of identification which was authoritative because stamped therein was the seal of the potentate. Our text indicates that that which identifies us is that we are “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” Note carefully the text does not read sealed by, but with the Holy Spirit of promise. Thus stated, it would mean the seal itself is the possession of the spirit of promise. Just what does this mean?
The matter is made clear by the same apostle in I Corinthians, chapter 2. In verse 7 we read, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.” Subsequently it is made clear that this wisdom is yet hidden from the world. Then the apostle makes the point that we know these hidden things only by the Spirit of God: “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches … the deep things of God.”—vs. 10
Paul then continues to show that one purpose in our receiving the Spirit of God is that we might know what has been freely given to us. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (vs. 12) This is the Spirit of promise, or the Spirit, or influence, of God revealing to our minds those deep truths of his plan which outline the inheritance of the new creation.
Being “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,” then, is the enlightenment which comes to us by the Spirit of God. Note how emphatically the apostle states that such knowledge cannot be had now by those not Spirit begotten, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: … neither can he know them.” (I Cor. 2:14) If we see the deep things of God which, simply stated, is his plan of the ages, and if this has prompted our consecration and walk of discipleship, then again his Spirit is bearing witness to ours that we are the children of God.
The child of God has many assurances in the Word to bolster his faith in his sonship. But, as we have noted, some are historical; that is, recognition of facts which occurred in previous years, such as the drawings of God, our consecration, God’s prunings. Other witnesses of the Spirit depend so much on our present faithfulness in witnessing, sacrificing, and serving the brethren. But in all these, past or present, we are specially aware of the warmth of God’s smile and his tender leadings.