Handsprings

Handsprings

Several years ago I was preaching for a few days in Portland, Oregon. At the close of one of the evening meetings a young minister invited me to drive with him the next day, to view the noble grandeur of the Columbia River Valley. I never like to go to the Northwest without seeing this, for I believe it to be the most beautiful river valley in the world. The next morning he and his wife picked me up at my hotel. The wife remarked on the blessing of the service the evening before when I had preached on the joys of being joined to the Lord Jesus Christ. Her exact words were, "Oh! Doctor! That message last night was such a blessing to me. All the way home my heart was just turning handsprings at the thought of all that we have in Christ." I replied, speaking rather slowly, "Turning handsprings? Cartwheels? Somersaults? Well, that is a very interesting way of describing it; but the Bible gives it in different terms. There we read, The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.'

1. If it is the Holy Spirit who bears witness to our Spirit, can we ever loose the salvation the Spirit is bearing witness to?
2. The woman in this story had a lot of joy because of what the word of  God tells us, what happens when we do not have this joy? Is the spirit still bearing witness to us?