The Spirit’s Witness

Dr. Robert Gorrell

May 2, 2025

Reading

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:16-17 (NIV)

Reflection

When I was in college, I was in a terrible car wreck that changed the course of my whole life. I spent two weeks in the hospital, struggling to recover.

I had rejected the faith of my parents and did not consider myself a Christian. Still, students from the Methodist Campus Ministry at OCU came to pray with me almost every day. I reluctantly accepted their prayers. After all, I had nothing to lose.

One day, as a student was praying, I experienced a powerful presence of warmth and love. When I told the student what happened, he casually replied, “Oh, that’s the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us know that we are God’s children and that we are loved.”

I didn’t know it at the time, but the student—who was on his way to seminary—was referencing John Wesley’s sermon, The Witness of the Holy Spirit:
“The sum of all this is: The testimony of the Spirit is an inward impression on the souls of believers, whereby the Spirit of God directly testifies to their spirit, that they are children of God.”

Wesley himself was reflecting on the words of Paul found in Romans 8. Pay careful attention to verse 16. There, Paul explains one of the most basic functions of the Holy Spirit: the Holy Spirit speaks to our soul that we are God’s children. In verse 15, Paul adds that the Spirit brings about our adoption as God’s children.

To be fair, Wesley also said that the Spirit convicts us when we live like “children of the devil.” But that only makes the Spirit’s work—to facilitate our adoption by God and reveal God’s love for us—all the more amazing.

In our current series, What’s Next? God’s Plan After Jesus, we are discovering the work of the Holy Spirit. If you’re wondering where to start, I suggest you begin with this: the Holy Spirit reveals to me that I am a beloved child of God.

Lying in a hospital bed so long ago, I experienced God’s powerful love. That was the work of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday, Pastor Mark recommended this prayer to us:
Resurrected Lord, you’re different now. You’re immortal but still fully human, full of resurrection life and still quick to respond to our needs. Like Mary, may we see you through our tears and hear you call our name. Come Holy Spirit, connect us again to Jesus. Amen.