The Witness of the Spirit (1) (John Wesley)

The Witness of the Spirit

Introduction

As part of my schooling this semester, I am taking a deeper dive in to John Wesley’s sermon. If you don’t know who John Wesley is, I encourage you to look him up. He as a wonderful story that changed the world for the better. For today’s purposes, you only need to know that he helped form the Methodist movement which in turn the United Methodist Church came from. He was a key influence that helped shape a lot of our theology and doctrine of the church.

Wesley wrote this sermon to address the topic of what this verse meant and combat the detrimental mistake some people make in thinking their own voice is the Holy Spirit’s. There are extremes on which Wesley wanted nothing to do with, meaning nobody hears from the Spirit or everything you hear must be the Spirit.

Listen to the passage which Wesley used to preach this sermon original found in Romans 8:16

Romans 8:16 NRSV

16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

This is the word of God for the people of God.

Trouble in the text (original sermon context)

There is trouble in Wesley’s day where people claim to understand hearing the Spirit witness to their own spirit that they are children of God, but they truly have not and are lost. The danger he saw was that people may easily be led astray by either the devil or their own sinful nature and are deceived. What he saw were two extremes that led people astray and left them in a state of error.

Different groups spoke to defining this as meaning, everything they heard was the Spirit (enthusiast) and the other extreme was that nobody really heard the Spirit speak to them and that type of experience was only had with the early church. Wesley asked the question, why do we need to either accept everything or reject everything? In other words, can we find a middle ground here where we can hear (and truly know) the Spirit has spoken to our spirit but not believe every thought we have as being from the Spirit.

For Wesley, this text begs us to ask two questions?

Sermons, on Several Occasions Sermon 10: The Witness of the Spirit: Discourse I

First. What is this witness or testimony of our spirit; what is the testimony of God’s Spirit; and, how does he “bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God?”

Secondly. How is this joint testimony of God’s Spirit and our own, clearly and solidly distinguished from the presumption of a natural mind, and from the delusion of the devil?

We presented something that I saw as core to the problem. He mentions that this person who is deceived does not really even understand repentance, that is the starting point of our journey with Christ. The deceived person merely sees it as a step to complete and do not truly rend their heart in recognizing the gravity of sin and the broken relationship which leave us under the wrath of God.

Trouble in our world

Today we have the same questions arising. We are easily lured into thinking that we know and understand that because we have complete certain rituals and believe the words of this verse, that we are children of God. When we ask such a person, how is it that you know, it is not explainable is it? It is easy to be deceived about what is really meant by this testimony that the Spirit is to witness to our own spirit. I wish it were not so but there are plenty of Christians who believe it is perfectly normal to not hear from God and treat this verse as a metaphor rather than literal event.

On the other hand, we have the other extreme (or as they were known in Wesley’s day as enthusiasts) where everything that comes in their mind must be from the Spirit and must be the Spirit speaking to them. Because I heard it in my head, it must be the Spirit. I see this in our current situation with people making claims that churches who don’t gather together must have a lack of faith in God. The thought crossed their minds so because it was a claim of “faith” involved, it must be from the Spirit. Folks, I am here to tell you that the Spirit has said no such thing to me. The evidence is quite the contrary as far as people who still gather in large crowds, claiming faith, still get sick and still pass the virus around.

Just as Wesley testified people in his own generation not even understanding repentance is not just a ritual or a prayer but a rending of your own heart, others in our own generation too lack this understanding of what repentance truly looks like. We have perhaps watered it down to a three-step program where we say the sinners pray as step one which checks off the first step of repentance.

So we too beg the same questions. What is this witness or testimony of the Holy Spirit to our own spirit and how do we distinguish the Holy Spirit’s testimony from our own?

Grace in the text (Original Sermon Context)

Wesley first points out that if you read the preceding verses there is an important point to understand. The Holy Spirit enables us to cry out Abba Father. This is our ability to testify (God as our Father) which comes from our own spirit. This is not possible first without the Holy Spirit saying so.

Secondly, we can know we have heard this message and become empowered to led by the Spirit when we exhibit what Wesley termed scriptural marks - this means our behaviors, words, and actions line up with scriptural teachings. In other words, if I believe I have heard the Spirit witness to my spirit, then I probably should see some signs in the sense that I am guided toward doing good and avoiding evil, right? This helps me to see I am being led by the Spirit. This goes beyond just not lying and not stealing and helping others as able. If we obey God commands, then we are being led by the Spirit into these behaviors.

Further, beyond just following the commandments, what else do I exhibit that affirms this testimony? Fruit? Galatians 5:22-23

The New Revised Standard Version The Fruit of the Spirit

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.

Do I show signs of fruit of the Spirit? I am led toward loving God and our neighbor as myself in holy love. Is this love of God drawing me towards doing things and saying things which bring glory to God? Do I have a love of my neighbor that is part of my character whereby I do acts and say things which show I love my neighbor (stranger, friend, and enemy) All these scriptural marks, life lining up with scripture, exhibiting fruits of the Spirit, loving God and loving neighbor, these together are our own spirit’s testimony. These can be found by examining our own conscience.

This leave the question of what is the Holy Spirit’s testimony and how does it differ from our own? Wesley answered the question like this.

Sermons, on Several Occasions Sermon 10: The Witness of the Spirit: Discourse I

The testimony of the Spirit is an inward impression on the soul, whereby the Spirit of God directly witnesses to my spirit, that I am a child of God; that Jesus Christ hath loved me, and given himself for me; and that all my sins are blotted out, and I, even I, am reconciled to God.

In returning back to our passage it is important to note that we do not have any testimony prior to this testimony of the Spirit. In other words, until the Spirit witnesses our own spirit, we cannot respond to this testimony and form our own testimony. That is to say that the Holy Spirit tells us we are a child of God, we are loved by Christ who has given himself (on the cross) for me, that all my sins are blotted out, and I am reconciled to God must come first in our souls before we can live the scriptural commands, exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, and love God and neighbor with holy love.

Wesley further pointed out that our testimony (which must be preceded by the Holy Spirit’s testimony) is highlighted and revealed in our conscience as part of the ongoing work of the Spirit in us. As we then start to see our testimony as lining up with these scriptural marks, fruits, and love, they also witness to ourselves and the world we are children of God. In other words, our testimony from our spirit (made possible by the Holy Spirit), then becomes our testimony to others. It assures us that we are children of God.

Grace in our world

However, when we lack these scriptural marks, yet we still believe we are children of God then we need to examine our conscience to see whether we are led by our own spirit, the devil, or both. We need to turn around and repent. We need to then understand grace that has been extended to us. We need to hear this testimony of the Spirit to our own spirit, that we are children of God, forgiven and redeemed by the love of God exhibited in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as God intends, loving God and neighbor, and bearing fruit of the Spirit.

We are not lost, and we simply need to be awakened. The Spirit can awaken us and testify to our own spirit who we can be and who we will become. The Spirit can empower us to live Christ-like in this world. We only need to examine ourselves to see where we are. We need to ask ourselves what repentance in our life looks like. Were we deceived or misunderstanding, and our hearts are not affected? If so, this is our starting point. Perhaps you know sin and recognize that grace is what has saved you. But you do not feel any different or when you look at your life, you see no testimony as we mentioned above.

Go to God and ask, what must I do? Tell God, you need to hear the Holy Spirit assure you that you are a child of God, forgiven and reconciled by the love of God exhibited in Christ. You need to give your life over to God and allow the Holy Spirit then to guide you into right living and bearing fruit in your life. No matter where you are in your life, the grace of God is not beyond reach. Start today and pray what you need to pray. God’s love is greater than any sin. God’s love is stronger than any grip the devil or your own sinful nature has on you. All we need to do is go to God in all things.

Let us pray

Heavenly Father,

We thank you today for the opportunity to hear this passage but also a deep dive into what testimony is and what we need to look for. We thank you Lord that no matter where we are at today, Your grace and love carry us further. We thank you Lord for your Holy Spirit that dwells within us, and speaks to us, assuring us of who we are, and empowering us to be more Christ-like each day.

God, for those that perhaps need to understand repentance, may you open their hearts and minds to understand sin and what repentance is. For those who know this but cannot see any true testimony from their own conscience and spirit, speak to them today what must they do to be assured by Your Holy Spirit that they are children of God, that they are truly forgiven and reconciled. God for those who have received Your testimony but see only a little fruit or only a little bit of testimony, may you strengthen them and show them how to press forward to be fully transformed in heart, mind, and soul.

All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.