The God I forgot…

“It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

~Jesus, John 16:7 NIV

“When the disciples heard that two-thousand years ago, I’m sure it was hard for them to grasp. How could it be better to trade a human Jesus–a man they could talk and eat and laugh with–for a Spirit they couldn’t physically see? Thousands of years later, I think most of us would also choose a physical Jesus over an invisible Spirit. But what do we do with the fact that Jesus says it is better for His followers to have the Holy Spirit? Do we believe Him? If so, do our lives reflect that belief?”

~excerpt taken from The Forgotten God, by Francis Chan, page 35

Jesus said that it is better for the Holy Spirit to live inside of us, than for His physical presence to be with us.

Do I believe Jesus?

I admit, I am a hugger. I am a people person. I am energized by spending time with people. I do wish that Jesus was here sitting beside me.

Yet, Jesus says it is better for me to have the Holy Spirit inside of me.

I often live like I have forgotten the Holy Spirit.

I used to be afraid of the “Ghost”

The Holy Spirit has always seemed “abstract.” When I was little, the church I attended would refer to Him as the “Holy Ghost.” This did not help matters, especially since the movie Ghostbusters was popular at the time. So I was a little freaked out by the whole idea of a “Holy Ghost” wanting to inhabit me. Was He going to drench me in His green slime too?

A One Degree moment

Thankfully, my perspective of the Holy Spirit has changed. I am becoming more intimate with Him. He is no longer forgotten. He is my Counselor, my Comforter, my God.

Who is the Holy Spirit to you? Does your life reflect your beliefs about Him?

If you struggle to trust what Jesus said in John 14:27, or are unsure about Who the Holy Spirit is, I hope that the following verses will help you grow in your understanding of and in your relationship with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit:

Please note that what follows is a summary of the third chapter of Forgotten God, pages 70-76. The various attributes of the Holy Spirit and the Scripture references mentioned by Francis Chan, are presented here in list form. I encourage you to read the book if you have not already! 

• is God, eternal, and holy. See Matthew 28:19, John 14:16, Acts 5:3-4
• prays to the Father for us. See Romans 8:27. There are many times I go to pray and struggle with what to say. If you can relate, be encouraged! The Holy Spirit is praying according to the Father’s will for us…whew!
• has emotions-we can grieve or offend Him. See Isaiah 63:10, Ephesians 4:30
• has His own desires and will. See 1 Corinthians 12:11. The Holy Spirit is in control of how we are gifted…we are not!
• is omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (present everywhere), and omniscient (all-knowing). See Zechariah 4:6, Psalm 139:7-8, Isaiah 40:13, 1 Corinthians 2:10b.
• teaches us, reminds us, and convicts us of sin. He is our counselor, comforter, our encourager, our strength. See Psalm 143:10, John 14-16, 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, 1 Thessalonians 1:5, and 1 John 5:6-8.

The Holy Spirit is the member of the God head (or Trinity) who changes us one degree at a time. Through Him we are able to find freedom, embrace change, and behold glory (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, ESV).

Praise Him!

Next week I will be giving away a copy of Francis Chan’s book The Forgotten God, on the One Degree Facebook page. If you haven’t joined our One Degree Facebook family yet, I would love to connect with you there as well! This is where I post fun give aways, show off cute pictures of my kids, take prayer requests, and provide further encouragement to you as you follow Jesus. Come join us!