2.16 The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit

When we receive the Lord, our human spirit is born again. The Holy Spirit guides us from within. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit who lives in us bears witness with our spirit (Rom 8:14-16). We call it the inner witness. The inner witness is the primary way in which the Holy Spirit speaks to all God’s children.

(Rom 8:14-16)
For as many as are LED by the SPIRIT OF GOD, these are SONS OF GOD. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself BEARS WITNESS with our spirit that we are children of God…

The sensation is like an inner confirmation, inner prompting, inner check or an inner agreement between the Holy Spirit and our spirit-man. On other occasions, it feels like a sensation of peace and joy in our hearts (Is 55:12; Rom 14:17). We sometimes say, “Be led by the peace and joy of God.” When we follow the Spirit, we will experience His Life within us. Using the illustration of a traffic light, the inner witness feels like a “red light” or “green light” sensation.

For example, a pastor who was involved in three car accidents said that he felt a check in his spirit on all three occasions but he ignored it. If he had heeded the inner witness, he would have avoided the accidents. Another person was having dinner with his family when he felt troubled in his spirit. He sensed an urgency to stop his dinner and to go home. When he reached home, he discovered that his home had just caught fire. Another believer, a successful investor, always picked the right stocks because he followed the inner witness.