The Nature of the Christian Life # 3

A Talk to Young Christians About the Nature of the Christian Life


The Witness of the Spirit


We must not stop with every part of this life in the Spirit, but the next that this chapter tells us is this: "The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God". The first thing is: "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" - the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus - that is the union: union with Christ. Now, the Spirit in us bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. How does He do that?  Well, the Holy Spirit does not constantly speak in our ear, and say: You know, you are a child of God; you are a child of God. He says what He does on the basis of our being children of God - that we know it. We know how others can do certain things that we cannot; we know that we cannot take even our cue from others; there is something that we have in our own heart which makes us aware that this is, or this is not, according to the Father's mind. Putting it into language, giving it terms, that is how it works out; it is like that. The simple truth is this - we know: "the Spirit beareth witness"; we know.


I have many times in my life fallen back on that quite deliberately. Coming to very real testings and trials, and going through dark times, and many adverse circumstances and conditions; being tempted to wonder, to wonder if after all you are the Lord's - those questions that can come up because of many things, experiences, and so on: many times in my life I have just fallen back on this - Yes, but what about this and that from the beginning?" I can recall, again and again, occasions when the Lord Himself definitely held me, or spoke to me, and made me know that this was right, and this was wrong. It was something that I never received from outside; I never got advice, counsel, or anything; but I knew it in myself! I could tell you of instances like that, again and again, right back from the beginning of my Christian life, where I could not do something that I did before I was the Lord's. Something said: "You just can't - no, not now! You just cannot  do it." It was as real as, or more real than, any audible voice. And that has gone on through life, again and again, in different connections.


It sounds very simple, but I have had to say to myself: Yes, but what is that, coming right from the inside? That is the Holy Spirit bearing witness with my spirit that I am a child of God. A child of God does not behave like that; a child of God does behave like this; a  child of God does not do those things; a child of God does do these things. That is what it amounts to all the way along. The Spirit says: "Others can; you cannot; you are a child of God." Well, that is simple, but it is very real - the Spirit bears witness. That is to be the basic law of our Christian life. And every one of you I am quite sure you do, at least to some extent. If you have not gone very far with the Lord, or if you are not even the Lord's yet, let me say: This is what it means to be a Christian. It is something real on the inside.


~T. Austin-Sparks~


(continued with # 4 - "A Different Constitution)