Over the years, I have heard of ingenious and clever ways to achieve assurance to salvation, like the one that Johnny Bain told me about last week that he heard on numerous occasions in past years. Doubters were told to end their doubts by making a decision for assurance and then going out into their yards and driving down a stake that would be tangible proof that they had settled their salvation. Anytime they doubted, all they had to do is walk out into the yard and take a look at the stake. Sounds easy! But what if someone decided to clean up the yard and removed the assurance stake?
Others have instructed doubters to pray a prayer for assurance and then to write down their name and the date in their Bibles. All they have to do when doubts arise is to look at that special date in their Bibles. Again, sounds easy! But what if they lose their Bible?
Though easy to do, the only problem is that neither of these provides true, ongoing assurance of salvation. The emphasis in them is on the individual doing something instead of seeing what God in Christ has already done and continues doing in the individual.
Assurance is not something that you do. It is not ten steps that you follow that result in warm feelings. It has nothing to do with driving down a stake in the yard as a reference point to end doubts. Instead, assurance is relational. It brings into focus the realities of what God in Christ has done in the believer. You receive assurance as a gospel gift.
The Holy Spirit carries on a ministry of assurance for the Christian. How does He do this? We have already considered three ways that the Spirit brings assurance. First, he works a new sense of obligation or ought-ness in the Christian (8:12). Rather than being obligated to live according to the flesh, the true believer has a conscious obligation to live according to the Spirit. Second, the Spirit presses and enables the believer to put to death the deeds of the body (8:13). The indwelling Spirit is never satisfied with the Christian tolerating sin in his life. So the Spirit grieves at persistent sin and will convict, urge, and press the believer to apply the killing power of the cross to areas of sin. Third, true believers are “led by the Spirit of God,” thus affirming that they are “sons of God” (8:14). He always leads in concert with divine revelation in Holy Scripture. He always leads the believer in conformity to Christ. He always leads the believer to live for the glory of Christ and not for self.
Our consideration in this study shows us two more ways that the Holy Spirit carries on his ministry of assurance in the Christian. First is what I’m calling a consciousness of belonging to the Father—the Spirit of adoption. Second is perhaps the most mysterious and yet the most defining mark of assurance, the witness of the Spirit. Does the Holy Spirit bear clear evidence in your life that you belong to Jesus Christ?
I still remember it though it was over four decades ago. In the small town where I grew up, a kid could walk into the little downtown area, in and out of stores, without fear of kidnapping or trouble. The reason is that most everyone knew everyone else. I could walk into Felton’s Hardware or James Department Store, and I would overhear, “Oh, that’s Joe Newton’s boy.” It gave me instant confidence that I was welcome in the store even if all I wanted to do was look at the knives and camping equipment without buying. I belonged to my dad. But it wasn’t because Mr. Felton or Mr. James said I was Joe Newton’s boy that boosted my confidence. It was because I knew that I belonged to my dad. That consciousness encouraged me.
Paul tells us of something far bigger. He does it by adopting language that the Romans would easily grasp: the language of adoption.
As he does so often, in order to teach something positive Paul begins with the negative. “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again.” I don’t know this but I have a hint that Paul smiled as he dictated those words. He should have since he had already built a clear argument to prove that those in Christ need fear no longer the law of sin and death.
Since whether a word was upper or lower case was not noted in the original or later manuscripts, some commentators suggest that Paul intended an upper case “S” to refer to the Holy Spirit. In other words, when you received the Holy Spirit you did not receive Him as a Spirit of slavery. While that is certainly true, it does not necessarily fit the context. Others would suggest that Paul intended the lower case, since it was obvious that the Holy Spirit did not enslave but liberated.
The context points to the lower case as found in our translation. A “spirit of slavery” indicates the contrast between the law as the means to righteousness and the righteousness in Christ applied by the Holy Spirit. As 7:6 explains, “But now, we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” You noticed the language of servitude and bondage. Similarly, in 8:2 the Spirit is shown to be a liberator. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” As long as one remains under the iron hand of the law as the means to righteousness, he remains a slave to it ending in death. But that is not what you received when you received the Holy Spirit.
Why does Paul bring up the subject of fear when he is talking about salvation? It is because multitudes embrace religions in all shapes and sizes with hope of deliverance from their guilt but only find themselves trapped further in deeper bondage to fear. So Paul explains, this spirit that you did not receive was one that, had you received it, would be “leading to fear again.” In other words, had you only embraced another form of law for salvation, it would be a change in belief structure and liturgy but not a substantive change in one’s position. That happens with all that would by-pass dependence upon the crucified and risen Christ for their salvation. They might claim to be Christian but unless they turned from self-reliance and law-reliance for righteousness to trust in the Lord Jesus, then their Christianity is no different than their non-Christianity. They simply moved from one religion of fear that held them in bondage to self-performance of good deeds to yet another. But that is not what you received in Jesus Christ!
Do you see what Paul does in that negative assertion? He takes us back to the gospel. He reminds us of the rich truths of what Jesus Christ has accomplished on our behalf. Assurance is always rooted in the realities of the gospel.
We have another question of that word “spirit” in the phrase “spirit of adoption.” Does that mean spirit—lower case and so used as a feeling of adoption; or Spirit—upper case, referring to the Holy Spirit as the deliverer of adoption? The NASB uses the lower case but then refers to the upper case in the margin, covering both bases. In this case, I prefer the ESV rendering of “the Spirit of adoption,” since the context points to the Holy Spirit as the instrument of adoption. Otherwise, one might view this “spirit of adoption” as a legal transaction rather than a relational experience. “But you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”” (ESV)
“Adoption” was a common practice in both Greek and Roman worlds though not in Judaism. The Jewish structure of levirate marriages and the inter-connectedness of families virtually eliminated the need for adoption. However, that was not the case in the Roman world. The late F.F. Bruce explained it clearly:
The term ‘adoption’ may smack somewhat of artificiality in our ears; but in the first century AD an adopted son was a son deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was no whit inferior in status to a son born in the ordinary course of nature, and might well enjoy the father’s affection more fully and reproduce the father’s character more worthily [TDNT: Romans, 166].
So when Paul wrote to the Romans and Galatians (4:4-7) about the Holy Spirit’s role in adoption, it struck them with delight. What did this adopted son or daughter receive in the adoption?
First, out of all the orphaned children in the empire, the father intentionally chose him. Out of great love and affection, that one was singled out and brought into relationship with the father.
Second, the adopted son or daughter received a new identity. No longer would he be known by his previous parentage. He would now receive his father’s name and all of the rights and privileges belonging to him as a son of the father. His name change indicated that his status changed.
Third, he would now be part of the father’s inheritance. As an heir, he looked forward to the father’s ongoing care for him throughout his days. As others in the empire received and accepted his father, now they would receive him.
But one thing that the Roman fathers could not impart, in spite of their great generosity toward those they adopted, was their nature. Everything else, the adopted son or daughter received from the father.
Do you realize that what the Roman father could not do, God has done for those in Christ? Not only did the Father (1) choose us before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4-6), (2) identify us as His very own by the marks of a new obligation to live according to the Spirit, a new impetus to put to death the deeds of the body, and the leading of the Spirit, (3) give us His name (“sons of God,” 8:14), and (4) include us in His inheritance with all the saints (8:17), but He also gives us His nature. Peter tells us that we are “partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust” (2 Pet. 1:4). The writer of Hebrews tells us that we “share His holiness” (Heb. 12:10) so that He treats us as His children. So real is this change of nature that when we see Jesus Christ “we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2).
How does this “Spirit of adoption” take place? It follows on the heels of redemption. Galatians 4:4-5 explains, “But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that he might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” The Holy Spirit does not by-pass the cross of Christ to make us sons of God! It is only when the enmity between God and us has been removed through the suffering of death by the Son of God that the Spirit gives us the new identity, name, inheritance, and nature in adoption.
Well, we could sit back and say how wonderful it is to know that God has adopted us in His family through the redemptive work of His Son and by the instrumentality of the Spirit. And that would be special knowledge to savor. Yet Paul has something more in store for us in this verse. Remember that He is dealing with the believer’s assurance of salvation. Assurance leads to certainty and confidence. How does the Christian know that he truly belongs to Christ? He knows by the “Spirit of adoption.” The Apostle is not speaking of some kind of distant relationship but one of intimacy, enjoyment, and security pictured by the Roman understanding of adoption. He tells us that we have “received the Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”” The reality of this adoption leads to increased intimacy and consciousness of relationship.
That curious title “Abba” comes from the Aramaic and is a term of intimacy used by children when speaking to their fathers. It is akin to our “daddy” or the Italian, “papa.” There’s no formality with it but familiarity, warmth, affection, tenderness, and the certainty of belonging to the one whom you call “Abba.”
Do you remember how Jesus addressed the Father? He always called Him “Father” or “Abba” with the exception of that one cry of dereliction on the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46) It was scandalous to the Jews! They did not understand how He could call God His Father. Though we occasionally see God referred to as Father in the Old Testament, it was not done so on a personal, intimate basis. Yet we find Christ doing so regularly, so much so that the Jews sought to kill Him for doing this, considering it blasphemy (John 5:17-18, etc.). He instructs us to do the same.
When Jesus used that title for the Father, it conveyed warmth, tenderness, and confidence. For instance, as He neared the cross, He prayed, “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, “Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. ‘Father, glorify Your name’.” (John 12:27-28) Was there silence from heaven? Oh no, a voice came from heaven, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again” (12:28). Here’s the reality. Jesus knew that He belonged to the Father so He freely prayed and trusted the Father to respond. Because of the certainty of sonship He could confidently face even the horrors of the cross.
Paul tells us, “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons.” It is yours as those in Christ. The Holy Spirit makes this known to you so that, even as Christ did, you can keep crying, “Abba! Father!” Two questions are important for us to consider. First, how do we know that we have received this Spirit of adoption? I respond in two ways. (1) Objectively, the Father’s DNA is evident in your life. He has given you His nature and marked you by His character (2 Pet. 1:3-4; Gal. 5:22-23). (2) Subjectively, the Holy Spirit works in you a consciousness that you belong to the Father. Here is the experience of the Spirit at work in the believer. Sometime it is in reading the Word, other time in the midst of worship or singing a hymn, yet other times while thinking on the work of Christ. The intense, conscious reality that “you are not your own” overwhelms you. That stirs you to worship and prayer.
Second, what is the fruit of this “Spirit of adoption”? Let me answer by asking you another question. What does it do for you when you know that your earthly father loves you, cares for you, and gives himself for your very best interests? Do you face life differently? Do you handle trials better? Certainly, you do because you derive a deep sense of comfort, security, and love from experiencing that sense of belonging. The same is true for us spiritually.
I believe that we enter into the most hallowed ground of assurance by the witness of the Spirit. Again, just as he did with the Spirit of adoption, Paul refers to something that is tangibly experiential. Does that mean that it is easily explainable? It is similar to explaining the experience of love or joy. You can describe how it affects you but you come up short in defining it with clarity. Mystery surrounds those experiences, as does the witness of the Spirit. Yet Paul helps us to grasp it by four truths related to it.
The present tense alerts us to the ongoing nature of the witness of the Spirit. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” Does this mean that whatever the witness of the Spirit is, it is as a steady stream or a rushing river that never stops? That does not appear to be the intent. The present tense implies that it is ongoing even though at times it can be intermittent. From one period to another, it continues. From one need to yet another, the witness continues.
Do you always need the witness of the Spirit? Not necessarily since you have the consciousness of the new obligation to live according to the Spirit, the Spirit’s aid in mortifying the deeds of the body, the leadership of the Spirit, and the Spirit of adoption. However, there are times when you need something more. It may be a time of great trial or testing or suffering. It may be in a time of opposition. It may during loss that has wrenched your emotions to the depths. It may be after great failure in the faith. It may be on the heels of Satanic oppression and attack. Or it may be in the normal strain of seeking to live faithfully as a Christian. You need something overwhelming because you have been overwhelmed by the circumstances of life. And so the Holy Spirit Himself breathes into your spirit His testimony that you are a child of God.
Such a witness can come in various ways. Perhaps while you are worshiping the Spirit meets you with His strong witness that you are Christ’s. You contemplate Christ and the gospel as you are singing, praying, and listening to the proclamation of God’s Word. Right in the midst, generally unexpected, there is the deep consciousness that what you are singing is true of you; what you hear expounded in the Word is true of you; the One to whom you pray affirms you as His own.
At other times the witness of the Spirit comes as you meditate upon the Scripture or as you study the Word or even as you are talking of the gospel to others. I have had those precious times in the midst of sermons, both listening to sermons and preaching, that the Spirit has come in that distinct way to bear witness to my spirit that I am Christ’s. I cannot explain it any further than I can explain the experience of love yet I can attest to you that it is intensely real and experiential.
Is this witness “with our spirit” as in partnership with our own understanding of the gospel applied? Yes, that may often be the case in a sense of cooperation between our spirit in meditating on Christ and the Holy Spirit. Is this witness “in our spirit” as the location of where the Holy Spirit breathes this witness? Yes, that too is the case when this inward testimony meets us. Is this witness “to our spirit” in the sense of the Holy Spirit serving as the instrument of testimony? Yes, the Spirit does this work even when we are weak and needy. In each point of the Spirit’s testimony, the believer realizes that his Christianity is not a paper transaction but an experience of the grace of God in Christ.
What does the Spirit testify? The clause makes it clear, “that we are children of God” or “that we are and continue to be children of God.” Sometime you look at your failures and disobedience and spiritual disappointments and you wonder, can I really be a child of God? Then the Spirit works in some setting: worship, meditation, service, witness, discussion, fellowship, Lord’s Supper, etc. He breathes into your spirit that certainty: “I am His and He is mine.” That’s all it takes and you are ready to attack the gates of hell!
The law cannot do this. It operates on the basis of performance: do this and live. The Spirit bases His testimony, not upon our performance but upon the certainty of the work of Christ. Jesus Christ has died for you, He has saved you through His bloody death—you belong to Him. You are a child of God! There is no greater security in the world than this consciousness that you are a child of God. Our brothers and sisters languishing in prisons where they have been locked up for their faith in Christ know the sweetness of this testimony of the Spirit. In the midst of earthly bondage they have the deep experience of heavenly security that keeps their joy flowing even though oppressed. It is also true for brothers and sisters who lay dying. The Spirit comes to their aid and breathes this security of belonging to Christ into their spirits. They can then face death without fear. They are family with Jesus Christ!
What does it mean to be “children of God”? “And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” If you are an “heir” then all of the privileges and resources that belong to the One of whom you are an heir are yours. Do you see what that does to the Christian facing a terminal illness or a trial of great magnitude or suffering for his faith in Christ? All of the suffering of the present is not longer “worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed” (8:18). The Spirit’s witness affirms this.
How good is this inheritance? Maybe you have received a portion of someone’s estate upon his death but your portion was down the ladder, just a small percentage of the vastness of the estate. The Christian’s inheritance stands in sharp contrast. You are not only an heir of God but also “fellow heirs with Christ.” You are not at the bottom rung of the ladder. What is Christ’s is also yours! What He receives you receive because you are in Him. What is the content of this inheritance? He does not tell us at this point but we must feel a hint that if it is from God the Father for God the Son, it is far beyond anything that we can comprehend. Perhaps John Murray’s comment sums it best. “Indeed, ‘it is difficult to suppress the richer and deeper thought that God himself is the inheritance of his children’” [quoted by J. Stott, Romans: God’s Good News for the World, 234 from John Murray, Romans, vol. I, 298].
Once again the theme of our union with Christ comes into focus as the Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God. Not only do you share in Christ’s inheritance but you also share in His suffering and His glory. “And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” What is this suffering with Him? It is any of the effects of the fallen world that test our love, loyalty, and faithfulness to Jesus Christ. It may be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. It may be through oppressive governments or critical co-workers. It may be due to disease or injury or aging. It may be caused by the way you are wired and how that affects you emotionally or the way others treat you that tests your faith. It may be due to persecution or due to the purifying effects of Fatherly discipline.
“The suffering is the necessary prelude to the glory” [Bruce, 167]. It is the outward man perishing while the inward man is renewed day-by-day (2 Cor. 4:16) until that day when this mortal shall put on immortality, and this perishable shall put on the imperishable (1 Cor. 15:54). Then death is swallowed up in the victory that is ours in union with Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:54-57). All the while, at points here and points there, the Holy Spirit encourages, assures, and comforts us with that inward testimony: “we are children of God.”
Don’t settle for the trite and inadequate methods for assurance when God has given you the indelible work of the Spirit in your hearts to assure you that you belong to Christ. Ask for the Spirit’s witness if you struggle with doubts. Ask for Him to come with that deep consciousness that you belong to the Father as one adopted through the redemptive work of Christ. Seek Him. Study the gospel. Believe His promises in Christ. Rely upon His sure witness to the reality that you are a child of God.
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