Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit

by Francis Chan

Christ’s compassion for and care of His disciples, are but one small example of the meaningful relationship and deep love that motivate God’s interaction with us. In Galatians 3, we read that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us … so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (vv. 13–14). Wow. I am sure I have read that often enough, but until I started paying attention to the Holy Spirit, I am not sure that it really struck me. Christ redeemed us from the curse we were under so that we could receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. The “promised Spirit” is not a small promise. Jesus suffered a grueling death so that I could have the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit. How dare I take this for granted? Because of Jesus, I have received the promise. And this Spirit is not a remote force. He takes up residence in our lives, in our very bodies, and by doing so brings with Him a deep level of security. Again and again in the Scriptures we read about being God’s children, being led by His Spirit, and how we have received the Spirit of adoption.