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I. THE TESTIMONY. There must be a fact before there can be evidence. To be a child of God is a privilege marked —

1. By its greatness. It is a great privilege that commences in adoption, that is effectuated by regeneration, sustained by Divine nourishment, confirmed by Divine instruction, manifested by Divine resemblance, and witnessed by the Divine Spirit. Now, God has said, "If any man provide not for those of his own household, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel." We conclude that God, in proclaiming His own Fatherhood, will not be wanting towards the members of His own family.

(1) He has a home for them (John 14:2). Wherefore He is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath provided for them a city.

(2) He will provide for their pilgrimage and journey home.

(3) He will afford them the special tokens of His love. "I will not leave you orphans."

2. By its distinguishing privilege. To be the children of God by adoption and grace is not a common privilege.

3. By its operative power. "He that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." The child of God longs to be like God.

4. By its evangelical influence. "Ye have received not the spirit of bondage."

II. THE WITNESSES. "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word he established" (John 8:18).

1. Our own spirit. Not that it has always done so, nor that our actual safety is always in proportion to the assurance of safety. We may be safer than our fears will permit us to think. But there are times when our own spirit delivers no faint or hesitating testimony. "Should I thus love God if He were not more to me than He is to others? Should I thus run to Him in my sorrows, feel this delight in prayer, love His house, His day, His Word, His ministers — choose His people?"

2. But our hearts are deceitful. We need a second witness to confirm the testimony of our own. The Spirit is a fellow-witness. How does the Spirit bear witness?

(1) By direct communication. But lest this should be thought to encourage a dreamy fanaticism —

(2) By the doctrines and promises of the written Word. The voice of the Spirit within agrees with the voice without — to the law and the testimony.

(3) By His effectual work as the Comforter and Sanctifier of the people of God, tempers, fruit.

III. TO WHOM DO THESE WITNESSES TESTIFY?

1. To ourselves for comfort. We are hard to satisfy. He thoroughly pleads our cause and argues it to us.

2. To the Church for communion.

3. To the world for usefulness.

(P. Strutt.)

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KJV: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

WEB: The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;