Hearing God's HeartSample

The witness of the Spirit


The witness of the Spirit in our hearts is our most precious possession. It is the key to the treasure-house, for by that witness we know God and have assurance of eternal life.

The witness is not an audible voice, but it is a quiet certainty. It is so quiet that it can easily be ignored, but it is so clear and persistent that we can only ignore it by wilful neglect or rebellion. The witness of the Spirit is an inner quiet joy, but if we stray from the Father’s will, a cloud darkens our inner life and we feel a grief of heart that all is not well. This is the grief of the Spirit, and it is good that we feel it. Just as we feel pain if we get too close to the fire, and so are saved from harm, so too we feel inner grief if we stray from Father’s will.

The witness of the Spirit is the means by which we are alerted to the fact that there is danger. Guard the witness. If your heart says stop, then stop and wait on God. We cannot live by logic; we live by our relationship with God, and the foundation of that is the witness of the Holy Spirit. Commune with God and the witness is refreshed and renewed, and your joy of salvation rises like a fountain.