The Spiritual Life #38 - Relating to the Holy Spirit

Introduction

     The Christian life is a supernatural life, made possible only by the indwelling Holy Spirit who empowers us to live in a manner pleasing to God. From the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit permanently resides in every believer (1 Cor 6:19; Eph 1:13-14), not merely as a passive presence, but as an active agent for transformation, guidance, conviction, and comfort. Yet, while the Spirit’s presence is secure, His ministry can be either encouraged or hindered depending on our response to Him.

     Scripture presents two primary warnings regarding our relationship with the Spirit: do not quench the Spirit (1 Th 5:19) and do not grieve the Spirit (Eph 4:30). These are not suggestions—they are imperatives. To quench the Spirit is to suppress His work by resisting His leading, especially through disobedience or neglect of Scripture. To grieve the Spirit is to act in ways that are morally and spiritually offensive, especially by harboring sin and ignoring His convicting ministry. Though our eternal salvation is never at risk, the enjoyment of fellowship, effectiveness in service, and spiritual vitality certainly are.

     These issues are not theoretical. Every believer either walks by the Spirit or yields to the flesh (Gal 5:16-17). We are either Spirit-filled or self-directed. When sin interrupts our fellowship with God, restoration is always available through confession (1 John 1:9), and when we yield to the Spirit and allow the Word of Christ to dwell richly within us (Col 3:16), we experience spiritual fruitfulness, joy, gratitude, and power.

     This study will explore what it means to not quench or grieve the Holy Spirit, the process of restoring broken fellowship when we do, and how to consistently walk in the Spirit by faith, anchored in the unchanging truths of Scripture. Our goal is not perfection in the flesh, but spiritual growth through yieldedness to the Spirit and obedience to the Word.

Do not Quench the Spirit.

     Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica and said, “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Th 5:19). The word “quench” translates the Greek word sbennumi (σβέννυμι” which means to “stifle or suppress.”[1] The word carries the idea of dowsing water on a fire so as to extinguish it. To “quench the Spirit” is to resist His revealed will and not follow as He leads. The Holy Spirit wants to work in our lives, but we must let Him have His way, and this means yielding, or submitting to Him on a regular basis; however, the Spirit does not force us to be spiritual, therefore He can be resisted. John Walvoord states, “Quenching the Holy Spirit is to suppress, stifle, or otherwise obstruct the ministry of the Spirit to the individual. In a word it is saying ‘no’ and replacing the will of the Spirit with the will of the individual.”[2] Quenching the Spirit may occur through passive neglect—such as ignoring Scripture—or through active rebellion—such as willful sin. Either way, the result is spiritual dullness, loss of discernment, and reduced effectiveness in ministry. Just as fire brings warmth, light, and energy, so too the Spirit enlivens our Christian walk; but if quenched, we forfeit His empowering presence and the blessings that come with walking in step with Him.

Do not Grieve the Spirit.

     To the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). The Spirit is a Person, and He is grieved with us as Christians when we sin and act contrary to His holy character. Our sin hurts our relationship with Him and hinders His work in our lives. Grieving the Spirit is a willful act on our part when we think and behave sinfully. John Walvoord writes:

• "The Scriptures often testify to the fact that the Spirit of God is holy and that He is a person. The indwelling presence of this holy person constitutes the body of a believer a temple of God. In the nature of the case, the presence of sin in any form grieves the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, when the Christian is exhorted to “grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30), it is an appeal to allow nothing in his life contrary to the holiness of the Spirit. It is clear that the one cause of grieving the Holy Spirit is sin. Grieving the Holy Spirit involves several factors. It is a spiritual condition characterizing unyielded Christians. The first step may well be the quenching of the Spirit, i.e., refusing to follow His leading and resisting His will. It is not an issue of salvation, as this is settled once for all when regeneration took place. The persistent resistance of the leading of the Spirit results in further departure from the will of God."[3]

     When the Christian is walking as he should, according to Scripture, then the Holy Spirit can work through him to touch the lives of others. When the Christian commits sin, then the Spirit is grieved and His ministry to others is diminished, and the Spirit must then begin to work on the heart of the Christian to bring him back into fellowship. Lewis S. Chafer states, “Sin destroys spirituality. It is necessarily so; for where sin is tolerated in the believer’s daily life, the Spirit, who indwells him, must then turn from His blessed ministry through him, to a pleading ministry to him.”[4]

Dr. Steven R. Cook

 

[1] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 917.

[2] John F. Walvoord, The Holy Spirit at Work Today (Chicago, Ill. Moody Press, 1977), 28.

[3] John F. Walvoord, The Holy Spirit (Chicago, Ill. JFW Publishing Trust, 2008), 200.

[4] Lewis S. Chafer, He that is Spiritual, 70.