A REAL RELATIONSHIP
We're winding down my look at Francis Chan's book, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit. There will only be about three more of these, and I'll be moving on to my next book. Eventually, as I write about more books, I'll try to get some kind of linking arrangement set up that will make it easier on those who have missed particular posts for whatever reason. Be patient with me, I do this on my free time because I want to.
Serving God and living faithfully can become a constant guilt trip of "trying harder" and "doing better next time". - p. 104
The trap of legalism. At some point, I guess we all can fall prey to it. I did. Sometimes, this snake rears its ugly head in my life. A lot of the issue I have had and still do have in this area stems from my religious background. But, I have learned by listening to other believers, sermons from a wide variety of evangelical pastors, and reading books and articles that legalism is not limited to Independent Fundamental Baptists. It's a cancer that invades all forms and branches of true Christianity. We must be on guard against in our own lives, our families and our churches.
But, other times we have issues due to baggage we carry from childhood.
Perhaps you've subconsciously taken the failures from sinful human relationships and imposed those shortcomings onto a perfect God. Now uncertainty creeps into even your relationship with God. - p. 104
We all know (maybe it's yourself) people who have are difficult time in their relationship with their Heavenly Father because of the baggage they carry from their earthly father. Even those who had the best of parents will sometimes carry over the negativity they feel towards them to the Father. How do we resolve that? One way is to remember that God is not a man, and His ways and thinking is totally unlike anything we know. Another way is to remember that the Helper wants to keep us from that negativity.
It is the Holy Spirit who keeps us from this path and gives us confidence so we can enjoy intimacy with our Creator. ...It is then that we can serve God as a beloved child rather than a stressed-out, guilt-ridden slave. - p. 104
I've known some that think it is their personal calling to make everyone guilty about everything. God doesn't want that for us. He wants us free. Free to serve Him. Free to love Him. He forgave us so that we will not have to be bound by the chains of guilt and shame.
I like how Chan recalls how he has struggled with these same things, and what the Holy Spirit used to free him from the tyranny of the performance driven branch of American Dream Theology.
A study through Galatians helped me discover and destroy the strongholds of earning and insecurity. - p. 104
Galatians? Really? Yes, because God doesn't want us to be slaves bound by chains of shame, regret, guilt and the past. He wants free children who have a close relationship with their Father. The Holy Spirit is the One Who makes that relationship possible.
Chan admits that he doesn't have a four step plan to connect with the Holy Spirit. He does suggest that there are likely two obstacles that prevent all of us from a right relationship with the Spirit: comfort (our lives are too safe), and volume (our lives are too loud).
Comfort - why do we need to experience the Comforter if our lives are comfortable enough already. I do take some issue with this point of his. "Comforter" has been handed down to us from the Geneva and King James Versions of our English Bibles. "Comforter" in those days didn't mean the same thing it does now. It didn't mean to coddle and pamper as we think, or to be a shoulder to cry on. It means to "provide or cause to have courage". Which is a whole different thing entirely. But, still, I see his point and agree.
Volume - we are so connected to everything else - phones, tablets...hey, look here! We don't have enough gadgets to distract us, let's get Dick Tracy watches, too! (I know, another reference that zipped past you.) We refuse to unplug ourselves and shut things off, and wonder why our spiritual lives suck. I know, says the guy telling you this over electronic communications.
In the craziness of our world, it takes tremendous effort to find a quiet place. - p. 109
Even if you're an introvert like me who greatly values quiet and personal space, we often tend to stay plugged into our devices way too much.
I think that gives us a lot to mull over. I'll end with another quote.
Do you ever want to distance yourself from [God] because you feel so much shame over your sin?
....I wanted to prove that I was sorry for what I did by being faithful for a period of time. I wanted to develop a good track record before pursuing my relationship with Him again. I wanted God to see that I could be a good servant. THEN I felt good enough to talk with God again. But God didn't want a good slave who really tried hard. He wanted me to see that He was a good Father. He wants intimacy. - p. 113
Thanks for reading.
Darth Baptist
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