“The
Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit. . .” Romans 8:16 (R.V.)
We are in
danger of getting the barter spirit when we come to God, we want the witness
before we have done what God tells us to do. “Why does not God reveal Himself
to me?” He cannot, it is not that He will not, but He cannot, because you are
in the road as long as you won't abandon absolutely to Him. Immediately you do,
God witnesses to Himself, He cannot witness to you, but He witnesses instantly
to His own nature in you. If you had the witness before the reality, it would
end in sentimental emotion. Immediately you transact on the Redemption, and
stop the impertinence of debate, God gives on the witness. As soon as you
abandon reasoning and argument, God witnesses to what He has done, and we are
amazed at our impertinence in having kept Him waiting. If you are in debate as
to whether God can deliver from sin, either let Him do it, or tell Him He
cannot. Do not quote this and that person, try Matthew 11:28 – “Come unto Me.”
Come, if you are weary and heavy laden; ask, if you know you are evil (Luke
11:13).
The Spirit
of God witnesses to the Redemption of Our Lord, He does not witness to anything
else; He cannot witness to our reason. The simplicity that comes from our
natural common-sense decisions is apt to be mistaken for the witness of the
Spirit, but the Spirit witnesses only to His own nature, and to the work of
Redemption, never to our reason. If we try to make Him witness to our reason,
it is no wonder we are in darkness and perplexity. Fling it all overboard,
trust in Him, and He will give the witness.