How Can I Be Sure I Haven’t Rejected the Holy Spirit When I Feel Condemned?
Orientation
The feeling that you've lost the Holy Spirit's witness or are under condemnation is a spiritual attack, not a message from God.
- Accusation and fear are marks of a 'spirit of bondage,' not the Spirit of God.
- Your belief in the gospel is the objective reality, regardless of fluctuating feelings.
- Satan's primary tactic is to undermine the assurance that belongs to every believer in Christ.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)
— Romans 8:15
Clarification
The Spirit's witness is not a feeling you must achieve, but a joint testimony confirmed by your belief in the gospel.
- You cannot 'lose' the Spirit's witness; it is the continuous reality of your sonship.
- The fear of having blasphemed the Holy Spirit is itself a sign you have not committed that sin, which is a willful, persistent rejection of Christ.
- The natural man cannot believe the gospel; your belief is itself evidence of the Spirit's work in you.
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. (1 John 5:10)
— 1 John 5:10
Structure
Paul reveals two competing spiritual atmospheres: the condemning voice of bondage and the affirming witness of sonship.
- The 'spirit of bondage' (from law) produces fear and accusation.
- The 'Spirit of adoption' produces confidence and the cry of 'Abba, Father.'
- Your position 'in Christ' is the unassailable fortress against all accusation.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. (Romans 8:16)
— Romans 8:16
Weight-Bearing Prose
The core theological assertion is that assurance rests on the objective fact of Christ’s finished work and the Spirit’s permanent indwelling, not subjective experience. Paul’s revelation in Romans 8 establishes the Spirit of adoption as the definitive mark of every believer, contrasting absolutely with the spirit of bondage. Your belief in the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4) is the supernatural evidence of the Spirit’s witness, as the natural man cannot receive these things (1 Cor. 2:14). Any voice of condemnation is external, satanic accusation, not the Spirit’s ministry. The believer cannot commit the unpardonable sin (blasphemy against the Holy Spirit), as all sin—past, present, and future—was judged at the cross for those in Christ. Union with Christ (Rom. 6) means no charge can stand against God’s elect (Rom. 8:33-34). The conflict you feel is the normal warfare between flesh and Spirit, not evidence of a lost standing.
Integration
Rest here. The Spirit Himself is bearing witness with your spirit right now that you are a child of God. That testimony is as permanent as your position in Christ. When accusations come, recognize them as external attacks and simply affirm the truth: you have received the Spirit of adoption. Your faith is the proof. There is no need to search for a feeling or achieve a certain state. Christ is your peace. Return to the simple, objective reality: you believe God’s record concerning His Son. On that basis alone, you are safe, sealed, and forever a son. Let your mind be restored to the peace of this sonship. The Spirit is not accusing you; He is confirming you. Abba, Father.