And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6)

Paul could have said, “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who says, ‘Abba, Father.’ ” But he purposely says “calls out,” to indicate the Christian who is still weak and needs to grow in the faith.

In Romans 8:26, he describe this calling out as groans that cannot be expressed in words. But in the middle of trials and conflicts, it’s difficult to call out to God, and it takes a lot of effort to cling to God’s Word.

We do not see him. Our hearts don’t feel his presence and his help during the attack. Christ appears to be angry with us and to have left us. Then during the attack, we feel the power of sin, the weakness of our bodies, and our doubt.

We experience the flaming arrows of the devil (Ephesians 6:16) and the terrors of death. We feel the wrath and judgments of God. All this raises very powerful and horrible shouts against us so that there does not appear to be anything left but despair and eternal death.

However, in the middle of these terrors of the law, the thundering of sin, the shaking of death, and the roar of the devil, the Holy Spirit in our hearts begins to call out, “”Abba! Father!”

And his cry is much stronger and drowns out out the powerful and horrible shouts of the devil. It penetrates through the clouds and heaven and reaches up to the ears of God. ((Martin Luther, Faith Alone [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005], January 10.))

Further reading

• THE EMERGING CHURCH STRUGGLES TO BE RELEVANT AGAIN WITH CHRISTIANITY 21 CONFERENCE
• LOUIS GIGLIO STANDS WITH PHIL PRINGLE, BRIAN HOUSTON, AND KONG HEE AT C3 CHURCH
• EVANGELICAL ECUMENICAL MAGISTERIUM MEMBER STEVEN FURTICK WITH AN ODE TO SELF