A review of chapter three from the book “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan.

Entitled “Theology of The Holy Spirit 101″

It is in this chapter that the author decides to lay down the basic groundwork for the theology of the Holy Spirit. The chapter starts out with the author remembering his seminary studies where he would read dissertations from both sides of a theological concept, saw valid points from both sides and did not really know which side of the issue he believed in. All of this lead to a memory of a professor who said a very shocking statement

If you’re fifty-one percent sure, preach it like you’re one hundred percent

Chan calls out the statement as deception and I wholeheartedly agree. In fact, when I read that statement, I was reminded of the old rule I was taught in school in reference to true / false tests

If any part of the statement is false, the entire statement is false

I wonder in the midst of the “education mindset” that seems to be taught today… I wonder in the midst and mindset of all of these charismatic “revivals” like Lakeland… if the true / false rule has been changed to

If any part of the statement is false, the entire statement is still true

Because it seems to day that in the realm of revisionist history education and also in the realm of the wacked out statements of men like Todd Bentley and Bob Jones that even though lies and deception are mixed in their words, the statements are held as not only truth, but ‘golden nuggets’ of “new revelation”.

However, in light of the popular verse Galatians 5:9

A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

A little falsification in a statement makes false the entire statement. I guess people like Bentley and Jones would have to rewrite the Scripture to say

A little leaven just adds volume to the whole lump.

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From here the author begins his foundation building by going to Acts 2 and he brings out the points of change, repentance, baptism, and infilling of the Holy Spirit. It seems that we easily see the baptism and the ‘infilling’ as described via the hyper-emotionalistic realm but it seems that we never see the change and the repentance take place. Just another round of the emotions and another new Charismatic dance step or Holy Ghost Hokey Pokey.

From this point until the end of the chapter, the firmness of the foundation is laid forth where Chan lays out the basics (with a brief explanation)

The Holy Spirit is a person.
The Holy Spirit is God (Trinity)
The Holy Spirit is eternal and holy
The Holy Spirit has His own mind and prays for us (Romans 8:27)
The Holy Spirit has emotions
The Holy Spirit has His own desires and will
The Holy Spirit is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient

Followed by things that should be a part of our life when baptized in the Holy Spirit (with a brief explanation)

Holy Spirit helps us speak in precarious situations
Holy Spirit is our comforter, adviser, and encourager
Holy Spirit gives us power to be God’s witnesses
Holy Spirit gives us power to put to death sins we can not conquer
Holy Spirit gives us spirit of adoption where we are God’s children
Holy Spirit convicts us of sin before conversion and during our walk
Holy Spirit gives us freedom and hope
Holy Spirit brings forth the Fruit of the Spirit

In summary, this is the foundational building blocks needed for life in the Holy Spirit along as being used by the author as the building blocks for the rest of the book.

After reading this chapter, I thought about something in reference to when Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan river to enter into the Promise Land. For many years, theologians have always symbolized this as going to heaven. However, I have always thought of this more in reference of entering into the Spirit-filled life.

There were blessings like the grapes, milk, and honey.

There were enemies that needed to be conquered and never intermarried and compromised to

The entire Old Testament after this point is the synopsis of that life where the blessings of grapes, milk, and honey were experienced and at the beginning, enemies were defeated. However, we eventually see how the compromise took place to where there was intermingling and intermarrying that eventually led to the eternal and lifelong struggles those people loved by God faced. All for the admonition and warnings for us to heed on how to live the Spirit-filled life and learn from the mistakes and not intermarry with the enemies of God.

I will leave you with something to think about. I find it funny that all of these charismatic revival obsessed people love to mention bridal paradigms and preparing to meet the ‘bride’ have gone off and intermarried with very nasty spirits in the form of kundalini, necromancy, and divination while at the same time, try to pass it off as being The Holy Spirit. Amazing!

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Related Posts

1. Review: Forgotten God – Chapter Six
2. Review: Forgotten God – Chapter Four
3. Review: Forgotten God – Chapter Seven
4. Review: Forgotten God – Chapter Five
5. Review: Forgotten God – Chapter One

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