I would ask you to, again this afternoon, open your Bibles to Romans, chapter 8. Romans, chapter 8. Earlier we looked at that witness of the Holy Spirit in Romans 8, 16. And, of course, we looked at assurance of salvation more generally. noting from this and other texts that God is clearly willing to give assurance of salvation to his people even that we are the children of God. Notice again those words in Romans 8 16, the spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and we also noted that this is actually very important, assurance is, to the Christian life, that we should have biblical assurance of salvation. And I underscore, of course, the word biblical. Not that assurance of those, that text we read in Matthew 7, Lord, Lord, we've done this, that, and the other thing. Well, that assurance was not grounded on truth, They were practicing lawlessness. They certainly, even if they were religious, had no attachment to Christ. I never knew you. Not that assurance that allows one to play fast and loose and quite sloppy in the pursuit of holiness, if not neglecting it altogether. An assurance that's detached from the Holy Spirit leading us and enabling us to put sin to death. And certainly it's not by way of some kind of audible voice or anything of that nature, nor is it an assurance that insists on a sinless life. You can't have assurance unless you're sinless. Well, nobody's going to have assurance. And it's not merely an inferential assurance. You know what I mean? Syllogisms, you familiar with that language? It's not uncommon to find it. Somebody's made a profession of faith, so okay, now, you believe God so loved the world, gave his only begotten son, whoever believes in him, not Paris, have everlasting life. Yes, I believe that. And you believed on him. Oh yes, I believe that. they've just walked an aisle, et cetera, but you, oh yeah, okay, you're saved, don't you ever doubt it. Well, that's kind of syllogism. And there's room for syllogism, okay? Believing the truth and saying this is true, oh yeah. But that's not full-blown assurance. That's not all that the Bible would mean. In fact, such can be quite mistaken because it's just kind of an easy believism or whatever. The point is, It's important that we should have a biblical assurance, that which is articulated in chapter 18 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them That's what I mean by biblical assurance, well-grounded assurance. That which God gives by His Holy Spirit, and we've noted that He gives it in a number of ways. The Holy Spirit as God's seal given to us, and as such the guarantee of future blessedness. Sorry, Romans 15 verse 13 speaks of our abounding in hope and confident expectation of eternal glory by the power of the Holy Spirit because of our belief in the truth. And then, of course, you have the truth. All those promises and affirmations in that Spirit-inspired, infallible Word God declaring salvation it says these things are believed that there's joy and peace in Believing and then in addition to all of that all the other ways that God gives assurance in addition to all of that Then there is this witness of the Holy Spirit that we're looking at especially Romans 8 and 9 In the previous hour, we noted four facts about this. First, this is a blessing that is common to the Lord's people. I don't use the word common, meaning it's not so special. It is very special, but it's not unusual, and therefore, as you can see, Paul wrote in verse 16, the spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And he's not just writing to a select few, but rather all of those who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, all of those who loved God and called according to his purpose. And I also pointed out it's present tense. It's not like something in the past you had that one time event, but no, this is the normal and ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and further we noted it's the spirit himself who bears witness and he does so as the spirit of adoption. It's not just some experience that he gives but rather it's he himself who testifies in a way to give full and experiential persuasion that we indeed are God's much-loved children, and even making that father-child relationship very real and precious. Behold what manner of love that we should be called the children of God. But Paul wrote that it's not alone the Spirit's witness, it's a joint witness, the Spirit bears witness with our Spirit it's not something simply that the spirit does to our spirit It's with our spirit along with the witness of our salvation that our own spirits bear as we see those evidences of God's Work in us by his spirit as we see the truth of God's Word that we've thoroughly believed and as we then have reason Warranted to say the Lord saved me then the spirit gives his amen His confirming witness and this witness bearing of the Holy Spirit is not detached from his other operations in us like the spirit of adoption, or like regeneration, or like we see here in Romans 8, 13, and 14, leading us on in holiness, enabling us to put to death the deeds of the body. Galatians chapter 5, leading us on, you know, the flesh, the flesh, the left stick is the spirit, the spirit is, well, our Remaining corruption may incline us one way, but the Holy Spirit, He's inclining us another way, even to bear the fruits of the Spirit. Or 2 Corinthians 3, in the scriptures of Himself, we see Christ and we're transformed into that same image from glory to glory. There's that progress and likeness to Christ, and that's evidence of the Holy Spirit's work. And when we see this, again, our spirit bears witness to our salvation. That's not me. That's Him. In light of His work in us, and then we rightly conclude, we are the children of God. and the Spirit then gives that inner persuasion, his witness, much like what we saw in 1 John 5, 10, to have the witness in ourselves. He gives that firm persuasion of our sonship in Christ. Well, that by way of probably a more lengthy review than what I intended, but I want to consider with you three more observations about the Spirit's witness and especially from Romans 8, 16 and its context. You remember our approach as I said before. Our concern is to see what is the very least is meant by these words in Romans 8 and the context. We're talking about our infinite and sovereign God who's able to give assurance and do as he will, how he wills, and therefore who can say how far the Holy Spirit may go in bearing witness and giving experience. Dr. Lloyd-Jones, of course, made reference to various Puritans and the like, experiences that they had had. we're not going to sort that out. Rather, the safer approach is to stick closely to Romans 8. And what was the very least that we can see? Whatever the witness of spirit is, well, at least means this much. Well, all of that by way of review. Now then, fresh stuff, OK? Fresh material. I guess this would be the fifth observation. The context shows us that the enjoyment of this blessing, the spirit's witness, is not dependent on our circumstances. Notice what follows immediately from verse 16, the spirit bearing witness are our spirits, children, then heirs, heirs of God, joined heirs of Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may be glorified together. I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. He goes on to speak of suffering, especially for Christ. Right on the heels of having said the spirit bears witness to our spirit. Well, it means at the same time. At the same time that the Spirit's bearing witness with our spirit, well, there's sufferings going along here. Or later, he follows, you remember Romans 8, 28, and we know all things work together for good, those who love God, those called to God. Well, we normally put under that all things, things that are less than pleasant. Painful, difficult circumstances. Even as Paul goes on to write, notice verses 35 and 36 of this eighth chapter. Sorry, yes, 35 and 36 of Romans 8, who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, as is written, for your sake we are killed all day long, we are counted as sheep to the slaughter. He's not saying that these things could never happen, He's saying that they can happen and they do happen, have happened to the Lord's people. Even these and countless lesser problems. The point is the context assumes the kind of outward circumstances that we would perhaps dread and would really seek to avoid. And so the lesson is that suffering and troubles are not inconsistent with that witness of the Spirit, nor do suffering and troubles need to rob us of that blessed assurance. Now sadly, true believers can fall into painful struggles and feel that God's against them. Look, all these things that have come my way, you know, you had Jacob back in Genesis, all these things are against me. Well, no, they weren't actually. It was for you. But the point is, that's how he really felt. And we can fall into that. David felt it. You see that in the Psalms. He's hitting his face. He's cast me off. He's what's possible with Asaph. Here's Asaph in Psalm 73, a godly man, and yet he has to admit his foot almost slipped. He was ready to go into apostasy. He was having such problems, such struggles, and here are the ungodly and things are going well for them. Look at me. Why is this happening to me? If I belong to God, why is this happening to me? Well, That can be the case with the Lord's people. Do you ever fall into anything like this? If I'm so loved of God, why this thing? Why this diagnosis? Why this problem? Why my children? Why, et cetera, on down the list. Difficulties that we encounter. Well, I thought God loved me. Or maybe you fall into the thing, I must not be his, I must not be a Christian, because look, all these struggles and all these hard times that have come. You ever think that way? I've got two words of counsel for you. If you're ever thinking that way, I've got two words, Christian, two words of counsel for you. Stop it. That's it, okay? Don't think that. Painful circumstances prove absolutely nothing. Remember Job, okay? Think of Job. Well, what a carnal guy he was to get have so many problems. Well, that's what his friends were saying, kind of, sort of. But no, it's actually because he was such a godly man that he had to. Circumstances difficult in and of themselves, they prove nothing. Suffering, heartache, it's not inconsistent with our salvation. In fact, we could even say we're to expect such. When Paul and Barnabas were talking to Babes in Christ in Acts 14, as through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom. Or the writer of Hebrews says, consider him and what he endured. And he says that as part of our, now you run with patience the race that is set before you, looking unto Jesus. Look what he endured. You keep running. and know that sufferings and trials, not only are they not inconsistent with salvation, they are not inconsistent with assurance. of salvation. And we see this after those words that I read there about tribulation and distress and persecution and like sheep for the slaughter. Notice what Paul says next in 8.37, yet in all these things we're more than conquerors through him who loved us. We've still got these things going on, but wait a minute, we're more than conquerors. Not just conquerors, more than. And then he says how that is so. For I'm persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He's utterly persuaded. Come what may. Doesn't separate me from God's love. In fact, these things come even as expression of it. Okay, well, how was it that Paul had that kind of persuasion? How was it that, well, he believed God's word. He trusted in Christ. He's begun the work. He's going to complete it. But it begs the question, what place does that of which he's written earlier in his chapter have here? That witness of the Holy Spirit, that real persuasion in the inner man by the spirits working. His own spirit testifying, I'm the Lord's, and then the spirit saying his amen, and therefore persuaded in the depths of his being. I am his child, and nothing, absolutely nothing can separate me from that. And you notice that Paul's not writing in the first person here when he says that we are more than conquerors through him who loved us, or when he says in verse nine, nothing can separate us from the love of God. In other words, this is, well, this is me, sorry about you guys, you know, you can't have, no. The same people who talked about the spirit bearing witness to our spirits, he's saying us too, all of us, so persuaded, nothing can separate us from the love of God. So the point is that sufferings and the like, they're not inconsistent with that spirit bearing witness. They do not negate it. We might also say from that, that experience of the Holy Spirit's witness will not always mean a happy countenance, right? Oh, look, he's got the witnesses here because he's smiling all the time. Well, no. We mustn't mistake worldly happiness and happy providences for the Spirit's witness, or to put it another way, brethren, don't rest your assurance on your earthly circumstances, whether they're good or bad. That hymn that we just sang, I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. But then in the next line, I think it is, when darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace. So good or bad, either way, we're looking to Christ and his work and Christ alone. And God assures the spirit bears witness independently of our earthly lot, our earthly circumstances. But now I come to yet another observation because this underscores that the Spirit's witness is not something superficial. You know, kind of like happy because of circumstances, things are going well. The very wording in Romans 8, 16, it speaks of this witness as rather deep and inward. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit. That speaks to the whole inner man. Not just with our minds, like that syllogism, you know, that inferential, well, I must be saved, the Bible says, and I believe, therefore. And still less does it only involve our emotions. Well, I'm feeling pretty good right now. Or how excited we are, how happy we are. You know, the context in which Wanda and I were converted, you'd find people that were shouting glory and jumping up and down on Sunday. They'd be some of the most depressed people you've met in your life on Monday. You know, it's kind of like a sugar high with children. There's no substitute. Well, no, that's not it. It involves our spirit. That, in this context, is set in marked contrast to the flesh, the body, outward things. That immaterial part of us, the inner man and the very seat of our spiritual life and our innermost being. That's what he's talking about. Now, it will include or at least impact our mind, our emotions. all that's involved in our dealings with God. And the point is, this witness of the Spirit is not some surface notion. It's not some casual experience or merely an emotional high. It speaks of a deep, inward, and spiritual persuasion of our state of grace in the core of our being. You know, John writes in that kind of language when he wrote in 1 John 2, 3 about we know, or repeatedly in 1 John, we know that we are in it. We know we pass from death. It's a strong word for know. It's to know by experience. It's to know with a deep and thorough kind of knowledge. Or how about this, Romans 5, 5, the love of God been shed abroad, poured out or shed abroad in our hearts, in the very core of our being, or the Holy Spirit is given as the pledge, God's guarantee, in our hearts. And doesn't this point to a depth in the Christian life? An engagement of the mind, the heart, our whole being, beyond the reach of passing circumstances. You know, Paul, all the suffering, he says, you know what, that's not worth being compared to the glory. It's beyond the reach of that. Or when he says, we're not looking at things that are not, that are seen, we're looking at things that are not seen, things that are seen, they're temporary. No, no, we're looking beyond that. There's a depth, there's something more going on here. Something far deeper than just feeling good or having earthly joys. deeper, and I dare say supernatural, and that is the norm from the Holy Spirit's work. And in light of that, how deep is your religion? Your dealings with God, how real? What substance? How serious? We're told in Psalm 51 that God desires truth in the inner man. Well, how about it in the inner man? How about you when you're alone with God? What's the reality, the depth of your religion then? I think it was J.C. Ryle that said, what a man is on his knees before God and that alone, that's what he is and nothing other. Is your spirit engaged, real active in your Christian life? Your spirit bearing witness? You can see, I am the Lord's. and therefore you know something of the Holy Spirit's presence and work, that inner persuasion that you are God's child, and knowing God is real, that your relationship with Him, that father-child, the filial relationship, there's a reality to it, even an intensity, that you know you're loved and you're loving Him. Do you really desire a deep work within? Can I call it a greater and deeper walk with God day by day? Do you really desire that? Some real depth to you. You know, a major source of problems, even among genuine Christians, can be superficiality. You know, we take our little tidbit of truth, or we say our little prayer that we just kind of go our merry way, or dealing with sin, or even our thoughts, just very superficial. You know, you ever seen a water strider? You know what a water strider is? I thought they were called water bugs, but that's not it. A water strider. This is, you ever been at like a lake or some body of water, and right on the surface, you got these wee bugs, right? And they got the legs spread out, Man, they can zip. Boy, they really zip fast. You've seen that? Kids, you've seen that, haven't you? Water striders are called, okay? Sometimes Christians can be that way. People generally can be that way. Sometimes Christians can be that way. Nothing below the surface. Just think, oh, they're zipping hither and yon. Maybe very good at skimming across the top of things. It's very superficial. No real depth, no real substance. Too often, our primary concern is how we feel. our earthly happiness, you know, things physical and very earthbound, comfort, you know, like superficial joy, surface emotions or thrills, even if they're in the name of spiritual experience. You know, so long as we can go to heaven comfortably, well, we're happy enough. No great desire, no great depth. Can I say this is not the nature and end of the spirit's witness. The spirit's witness is for our deep experiential, even spiritual delight in God, real substance, meaning. And if we want the spirit's witness and assurance, then this is what we want and this is why we should want it. Not just living on the surface, living for the moment, but depth and reality in our walk with God as the norm. Real substance, reality. Is that what you want? I hope that's what you want. That's God's assurance. That's the witness of the Spirit. But now a final observation. Though deep and perhaps even a bit mystifying, the Spirit's witness is nonetheless a subjective reality in our inner man. You know, the whole thought of bearing witness, it bespeaks a consciousness of it. A guy goes to court and he gives testimony. Well, yeah, okay, he's giving testimony, we understand that. So our spirits testify, that's subjective, based on God's promises, the evidence of his work, and then the Holy Spirit gives his testimony, confirming ours with that very warranted persuasion in the inner man. In other words, it's not some kind of secret or unknown testimony. You have the witness of it? Well, I don't know. There's a subjectivity to it. It's not objective, what can I call it, positional, unfelt blessing. You know, we have certain blessings in the Christian life, like justification. Okay? Justification is, as it were, in the record books of heaven that we are declared and forever treated as perfectly righteous in Christ's righteousness. It's ours by grace through faith, right? That makes no change in and of itself in us. It's not a felt thing in and of itself. That's in the record books of heaven. The witness of the spirit is not like that. It's subjective. By design, it's experiential. so that it influences the mind and affects the emotions with the consciousness of our salvation in Christ. Again, being persuaded subjectively of that which is true objectively by the Spirit's work that we are indeed so loved by God and therefore there's that felt persuasion in the inner man. Our Lord pointed out in John 3 that the Holy Spirit's like the wind and He's known by His works, right? I mentioned that, I think, last week about, you know, nobody's, you've never seen the wind, right? You've not seen the wind. You've seen the effects of the wind. So we go out on a windy day and the trees are whipping all over the place. Boy, look at the wind. No, you're looking at the effects of the wind. Well, in a very real sense, that's what our Lord was saying about the Holy Spirit. He's known by His effects. And perhaps the way of understanding more about the spirit's witness would be to say, what are its effects? Well, looking here at the context, bearing witness that we are the children of God, that we really are loved by God, well, that means then the effect will be a conscious enjoyment of our adoption, that we've truly Belong to God, even having something of a sense of our father's love, awareness of his fatherly tenderness in his dealings with us. Confidence to call him our father on biblical grounds. A sense of liberty and even aided to approach him with that kind of boldness. Affilial love, loving him who first loved us. How about precious dealings with God as our father and even that overwhelmed with that sense of behold what manner of love that he would call me his child. Some sense of marvel or wonder at that. And then present joy in our status as his children and the expectation of forever, God being our Father, we being His children, Christ the firstborn among many brethren, and therefore living for Christ and longing for Him in the meantime. Brethren, these and like graces would be the aim and the effects of the Holy Spirit's witness. Again, our spirit bearing witness, yes, we are God's children, And then the Holy Spirit giving his amen in our conscious, even experience, resulting then in very real joy in the Lord and longing for yet more. Peter talks about right now, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. That is a foretaste of that coming glory. Thomas Brooks, his work, good Puritan author, his work on assurance is called Heaven on Earth. And so it is, a foretaste of the glory that is to come. Only a foretaste. Known by degrees and measure, but nonetheless a foretaste. Do you know anything of this? We'll talk now about the witness of the spirit. Is that all just mumbo-jumbo? Granted, there are those writers, Hodge, Haldane, it can't be explained. And I also readily grant that the spirit's witness varies in degrees and intensity in us all. But do you know it of any degree? Do you have any sense, any sense, dear brother, dear sister, of your sonship, at least at times. I'm that loved? My. Well see that for what it is. That persuasion in the inner man. I'm truly God's child. See that for what it is. That's the effect of the spirit's witness. And therefore glory in that blessed assurance. Knowing his witness is true. He's a spirit of truth. He only testifies to what is true. And do you want more than that? Do you want more of that, I should say? More of the Spirit's witness? Do you? More of that inner persuasion, the Father's love and the like? Well, is God sovereign? Oh, well, definitely. Well then, ask our sovereign Father and do so in expectation. And he's able to exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think. You look at Paul's prayer there at the end of Ephesians, and knowing the love of Christ, the passage of knowledge. So, brethren, it's right to pray that. Lord, give us that. Look what he's already done, and what he's given us in Christ, such a full salvation from a Savior who would suffer and die in our place in order to secure that for us. Look how you're already loved. Behold what manner of love. Call his children and look at your future. When we see him, we shall be like him. and then giving us his Holy Spirit and all the ministries of the Holy Spirit in the meantime, especially to fully assure us that we indeed are God's beloved children. Well, brethren, let's keep priorities straight, not like the water strider, just jetting across it, but rather real depth and seek not just assurance, but seek God himself and live with him and take care to thank God for the assurance, the measure of assurance that you do have and for so great salvation. Oh my God, help us, brother, to know more and more of real depth, real reality in our life with Christ. It befits us. If you're unsaved, talked about knowing God, I've talked about knowing his love. We can include knowing his love forever. All the blessings that go with belonging to Christ. And you don't want that. You don't want any of that? You don't really want that? You prefer your sin? You prefer this world? You prefer thinking what's gonna make you happy doing your own thing? Well, if you get what you think makes you happy, by the way, it won't, but even if you did, Jesus said, what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? You're still a loser in this life and certainly forever. See what's held out to you in Christ, all your sins forgiven, a new heart, real life, a new life, knowing God here and forever. Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the hearts of men what God has prepared for those who love him. And that speaks not only of after we die, that's talking about our salvation now In the meantime, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved. He's rich to all who call upon him. Go to Christ, go to Christ. Let God grant mercy. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we do thank you for such a salvation and so great a savior. Grant that we would know yet more and more of that inward persuasion from the Spirit's witness, and that we would take care to walk so that our spirits and all good conscience can testify to our being your children. And grant, oh, then with that blessed assurance, we would love you yet more and more. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.