Testimony of the Spirit

Where can I go from Your 

Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your

presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You

are there;

If I take the wings of the morning,

and dwell in the uttermost 

parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall 

lead me,

and Your right hand shall

hold me.

Psalm 139: 7-10

     Giving full credence to the testimony of the Spirit and admitting that the Spirit is the ground of saving faith; it is imperative that we examine this subject.  What is meant by the testimony of the Spirit?  It is also to be admitted by true Christians that God, or the Spirit of God (the third person of the Godhead) testifies to the truth of Scripture and of the doctrines that is contained in Scripture.  That last statement is huge demanding that we come to understand how it is that God, or the Spirit of God testifies the truth to His children.  Paul writes: "But the natural man does not receive the things of he Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to  him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14) The Greek is very potent in this Scripture and must be fully understood as one of many Scriptures that say the same thing and has tremendous application: (καὶ οὐ δύναται γνῶναι); this means (καὶ) and (οὐ) not, (δύναται; third person plural, present Indicative)  they know, or to be able, (γνῶναι) they know; this statement of fact is that they do not know, they cannot know, now or ever in the present.  So then, the question as to how a person comes to know that they have or are receiving the testimony of the Spirit, especially in regard to their faith and answer is needed if we are to have saving faith.  This testimony of truth, as has been seen, is partly external: i.e., prophecies and miracles, and partly due to the nature of truths themselves as they are related to the intellectual and moral elements of the soul, or by the special and supernatural.  I am not here speaking of the gifts of the Spirit or some supernatural religion as found in some churches; I will examine the supernatural in later blogs.  Rather it is a fact that people that are unrenewed at times feel the power of the first two types of testimony, they even believe with a faith that is merely intellectual or speculative (we covered speculative faith) or from it ground, a moral faith (philanthropists fall into this category), which is only temporary.  For the regenerated they conform to the spiritual from of testimony.  This form of faith is unfathomable, and unable to be analyzed.  Why?  Because the Holy Spirit in its operation does not reveal themselves to the consciousness by any other means than their effects.  Read carefully; men are known that they are born of the Spirit and that the Spirit dwells in them; How?  by their thoughts, feelings, and actions.  A true faith is demonstrated by action for faith comes to a person, then followed by action; not the other way around such seems to be the case for churches that highlight the supernatural and spiritual.  The true regenerated person is continually influenced by the Holy Spirit.  How do we know this is true?  The Bible!  The Bible's teaching!  Interesting, not that we are conscious of His operations: "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).


     This is hard for some people to grasp for they in the natural want to have all the answers and for many it is the Bible that affirms their faith.  This is not the case as the Spirit is not an affirmation that the Bible is the Word of God.  This witness of the Spirit is not some blind production that is blind and unintelligent testimony a conviction of fact.  As with man, the case being such that as with human testimony, the mind is addressed from external elements, rather it is within the mind itself.  The Spirit of truth is the witness designed to influence to produce faith.  Allow me to go slow: faith is produced by the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God.  Faith is a gift given to men as they are influenced by the Holy Spirit.  Well! you might ask, then why do some people go to hell?  Is not the Holy Spirit attempting at least in some manner to influence all men?  No!  Isaiah records: "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel (purpose) shall stand.  And I will do all  pleasure" (Isaiah 46:10).  God's purpose is always done, it shall stand and be accomplished; therefore when Paul writes: "(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, ot of w ords but of Him who calls" (Romans 9:11).  It is by God, the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, that by the means of Jesus the Savior that He elects some to be influenced and not others, otherwise the whole world would be saved making Jesus' death upon the cross void as a propitiation for sins.  Men, and women or influenced according to the purpose of God, this being done before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:28:29; Ephesians 1:4; to name a couple verses).  This witness or testimony is called such in Scripture because it has the essential nature of testimony for those given to Jesus (John 17:9) are influenced by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth.  This witness is a pledge of the authority of God in support of the truth.

     I will take this slow and deliberate and add more proofs in the next blog and then follow that with proofs from Scripture.  This is systematic, and important to digest and assimilate the truth of God's word adding to the foundation of your faith.  Your conviction will stand solidly upon this knowledge of the operations of God towards His people.  It is exciting to know that God, Himself, has chosen His people and our faith, saving faith is demonstrated in our lives. 

"Let us hear the conclusion of
      whole matter:
Fear God and keep His
     commandments,
  For this is man's all,
For God will bring every work
     into judgment,
including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil."
                         Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Let everything that has breath
     praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD!

Richard L. Crumb