Then we love, and we know it
Then, and not until then, when the Spirit of God bears that witness to our spirit, God has loved you, and given his own Son to be the propitiation for your sins. The Son of God has loved you, and has washed you from your sins in his blood. We love God because he first loved us, and for his sake we love our brother also.
And of this we cannot but be conscious to ourselves. We know the things that are freely given to us of God. We know that we love God and keep his commandments. And hereby also we know that we are of God. This is that testimony of our own spirit which, so long as we continue to love God and keep his commandments, continues joined with the testimony of God's Spirit, that we are the children of God.
1771 text
9. Then, and not till then, when the Spirit of God beareth that witness to our spirit, “God hath loved thee, and given his own Son to be the propitiation for thy sins; the Son of God hath loved thee, and hath washed thee from thy sins in his blood:” We love God, because he first loved us, and for his sake we love our brother also. And of this we cannot but be conscious to ourselves: we know the things that are freely given to us of God. We know that we love God and keep his commandments. And hereby also we know that we are of God. This is that testimony of our own spirit; which, so long as we continue to love God and keep his commandments, continues joined with the testimony of God’s Spirit, that we are the children of God.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 10 in the 1771 Works. Romans 8:16. The first discourse on the witness of the Spirit.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.