For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God… The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
—Romans 8:14-16
Some people imagine you could be saved and not even know it. But think about what that would mean, if you could have salvation without knowing it, then you could lose it and never even miss it. That’s not the Christian life the Bible describes. Paul says the Spirit Himself “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” We know.
In the fifth chapter of Mark there’s a remarkable story about a madman, tormented and enslaved by evil, living among the tombs, whom Jesus set completely free. It’s a picture of what Christ does for us. Without Him, we’re slaves to sin, broken and self-destructive. But when Jesus comes in, He doesn’t merely clean us up. He sets us free and gives us a brand-new heart.
That’s the promise of Ezekiel 11:19, where God says, “I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.” Being a Christian isn’t about getting cleaned up and then hanging on for dear life by your own strength. It’s about a new heart and a new Spirit living within you.
And that indwelling Spirit does something wonderful, He assures you. “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” When the Spirit of God lives in you, He testifies deep in your innermost being that you are saved, that you are forgiven, that you belong to the Father. This isn’t arrogance or wishful thinking. It’s the inner witness of God Himself.
Notice the family language, “Sons of God.” The same Spirit who frees us also adopts us, drawing us into the family of God so that we cry out, “Abba! Father!” That’s the cry of a child who knows he belongs, who runs to his father without fear. The Spirit makes God real and present and near to us.
This is why the Christian life is so different from mere religion. Religion leaves you guessing, always wondering if you’ve done enough. But the Spirit gives the children of God an assurance deeper than feelings or performance. When you’ve experienced His presence and power, you know it down in your bones, you’re as assured of heaven as if you were already there.
Maybe today you’ve been doubting whether you really belong to God. Let me point you not to your feelings, which rise and fall, but to the witness of the Spirit and the new heart He’s given you. Has He set you free from the love of sin? Has He put a longing for God where there used to be a heart of stone? Do you find yourself crying “Father”?
That’s the Spirit bearing witness. You are not a slave anymore. You are a child of God, and He wants you to know it.
YOU ARE NOT A SLAVE BUT A CHILD OF GOD, AND THE SPIRIT HIMSELF BEARS WITNESS THAT YOU BELONG TO HIM.
