Evidence of Liberty in the Spirit (4)

(4) The Spirit of liberty gives boldness with God himself, who otherwise is a 'consuming fire’ (Heb. 12:29). It is in the time of temptation, affliction, and opposition, that a man may best judge who he truly is. When a man is in temptation and can go boldly to God and pour out his soul to God freely as to a father, this comes from the Spirit of liberty. One without the Spirit of Christ can never do this. In extremity, he sinks. But a child of God in extremity goes to God, and cries, 'Abba, Father.’’
Judas, a man of great knowledge, could not go to God. His heart was wicked; he did not have the Spirit of Christ, but the spirit of the devil. If he had said as much to God as he did to the scribes and Pharisees, he might have had mercy in the force of the event. I am speaking not of the decree of God, but of the nature of the act itself: if he had said so much to Christ and to God, he might have found mercy.
So let a man be ever so great a sinner, if he can come in confession and petition and beg mercy of God in Christ to shine as a Father upon his soul, this going to God argues that the Spirit of Christ is there.
In Romans 8:26, which speaks of comfort in afflictions, one comfort among the rest is that the children of God have the Spirit of God, to stir up sighs and groans. God understands the meaning of his own Spirit. A man may know that he has the Spirit of liberty in him, if in affliction and trouble he can sigh and groan to God.
The strong, rebellious, sturdy-hearted persons, who think to work out of their misery by their strength of abilities and friends, die in despair. But when a broken soul goes to God in Christ with boldness, this opening of the soul to God is a sign of the liberty of sons.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Glorious Freedom, pp. 57-59 [63-65]
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