1215 – Our Inward Witness 我们内住的见证

I John 5:10a NKJV He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself…

The most important thing that we can know is that we are a child of God – that we have been born of God. We know this through the Holy Spirit bearing witness to our spirits. Aside from His Word, the inward witness is the main way in which God leads believers. He also communicates with our spirit through our inward witness concerning life decisions and direction.

The inward witness can be described as an inward knowing which comes directly from the Holy Spirit to our spirit. It is an inward conviction that lets you know what you should do in a situation or area in your life. This knowing can also be an urge, a prompt, an intuition, a perception or it can be an unsettling feeling, a discomfort. Sometimes we will sense or perceive peace or danger be-fore we step into a situation, whether it is a person we are about to meet, or perhaps a journey that we might make.

Acts 27:9-11 NKJV Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous be-cause the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.

The Holy Spirit was bearing witness with Paul’s spirit of the impending danger concerning the voyage and the losses that they would bear if they were to set sail. The helmsman and the owner of the ship were professional sailors, but they decided to set sail despite the difficulty posed by the weather thinking that they had a chance of arriving at their desired destination. Paul had an inward knowledge from his spirit being that was different from the human knowledge or wisdom that the others had.

Acts 16:6-10 NKJV Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and plead-ed with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. (emphasis added)

Paul understood what it meant to be led by the Holy Spirit and to have the inner witness of the Spirit. He had been to places where there were strong oppositions and persecutions before. He was definitely not afraid of persecution. The early church believers were taught to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Paul having this sensitivity, yielded to the inner witness of the Holy Spirit regarding where they should be or shouldn’t be going. There was no peace in his heart to make the journey to Bithynia, and subsequently, he was given a vision to help the church in Macedonia instead. His inward witness was given the prompting that God was calling them to preach the gospel there, at which he obeyed immediately.

Sermon Series: From the Closet to the Board Room (Part 3)

我们内住的见证

约翰一书5:10a 信神儿子的,就有这见证在他心里;

我们能知道的最重要的事情是我们是神的孩子-我们是从神而来的。 我们通过圣灵见证我们的灵魂而知道这一点。 除了祂的话语外,内住见证是神带领信徒的主要方式。祂还通过内住的见证就重大的生命抉择和方向与我们的灵交流。

内在的见证可以被描述为一种内住的觉知,它来自圣灵直抵我们的灵。 这是一种内向的信念,使您知道对生命中的情况或领域应该做什么。 这种了解也可能是一种冲动,提示,直觉,一种感知,或者可能是一种不安的感觉,一种不适。 有时,在进入某种情况之前,我们都会感觉到或感知到平安或危险,无论是要见的人,还是一趟可能的旅程。

使徒行传27:9-11 走的日子多了,已经过了禁食的节期,行船又危险,保罗就劝众人说:“众位,我看这次行船,不但货物和船要受伤损,大遭破坏,连我们的性命也难保。”但百夫长信从掌舵的和船主,不信从保罗所说的。

保罗的灵已经见证了圣灵关于航行的迫在眉睫的危险以及如果他们启航将蒙受的损失。 舵手和船长都是专业水手,尽管天色不对,但是他们认为或许还是能够到达目的地,于是还是决定启航。 保罗的灵里有一种内在的知识,与人类知识或其他人的智慧不同。

使徒行传16:6-10 圣灵既然禁止他们在亚细亚讲道,他们就经过弗吕家、加拉太一带地方。 7 到了每西亚的边界,他们想要往庇推尼去,耶稣的灵却不许。 8 他们就越过每西亚,下到特罗亚去。 9 在夜间有异象现于保罗:有一个马其顿人站着求他说:“请你过到马其顿来帮助我们!” 10 保罗既看见这异象,我们随即想要往马其顿去,以为神召我们传福音给那里的人听。

保罗明白由圣灵带领并拥有圣灵的内住见证意味着什么。 他曾去过遭到强烈反对和迫害的地方。 他绝对不害怕遭受迫害。 早期的教会信徒被教导要对圣灵敏锐。 保罗具有这种敏锐性,顺服圣灵的内住见证,晓得哪里该去,哪里不该去。 他内心没有平安,无法前往比锡尼亚,随后,他得了异象去帮助马其顿的教会。 他的内住见证领受了这提示,上帝正在呼召他们在那儿传福音,他立即遵从了。

讲章系列:从内室到会议室 (第三部分)