Romans 8:14-16 (NIV) - “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
Pillar 3: The Great Convincer
“Third, assurance comes through the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. A divinely produced gift, assurance is bestowed by God’s Spirit to all true believers. It is the Holy Spirit’s ministry to convince our hearts of our salvation. In actuality, no preacher, evangelist, parent or friend can give us assurance. Neither can we work it up within ourselves. Only the Holy Spirit Himself can give us the absolute certainty of our eternal salvation.
“The Bible says, ‘We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us.’ ‘By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.’ ‘The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.’ This means, the Holy Spirit who convicted, called and converted us also convinces us that we belong to Christ. It is the Spirit’s inward witness that persuades us of the genuineness of our salvation” (”How to Be Sure of Your Salvation.” Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, billygraham.org/story/how-to-be-sure-of-your-salvation).
It’s not by our choosing we became sons and daughters of God. God chose us to adopt us into His family.
His Spirit affirms and testifies to this reality that we are God’s children! We no longer have to live in fear. We have the Spirit of God in us assuring us of our status before Him. He is our Abba Father! Don’t hesitate to call upon. Call upon Him often, crying Abba Father, especially in moments of insecurity, fear, distress, and worry. Today, draw near to God and call upon Him. Be filled once again with the assurance that our Abba Father gives to His children through His Spirit.
-DP