Message 14 - 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5:19 – Do Not Quench The Holy Spirit; Do Not Grieve Him Series

MESSAGE 14 - 1 THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 5:19 – DO NOT QUENCH THE HOLY SPIRIT; DO NOT GRIEVE HIM

This message is an extension of the previous one. We are now going to consider the quenching of the Spirit in fuller detail.

{{1Thessalonians 5:19 “Do not quench the Spirit.”}} (NASB)

Here is a command among a list of commands that ends this first letter to the Thessalonians. I think one of the problems with a list of commands like this, is that one tends to read the commands as in a list, passing from one to the next without considering carefully what is being conveyed to us in each command.

PART 1. THE ACTUAL OFFENCE

Paul demands we do not quench the Spirit. The Holman version translates this as “Don’t stifle the Spirit,” with the NIV and ESV also using “quench”. The word means to put out, as you would with a fire by stopping the air from feeding it. The Greek means “extinguish, quench, suppress, thwart.” Clearly, we are capable of quenching the Holy Spirit, of extinguishing His work in, and among us.

PART 2. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BELIEVER’S LIFE

Before we go any further thinking about what it means to quench the Holy Spirit, we need to look at the Spirit’s work in a believer. That is essential. Even before that, we need to make it very clear that expressions like “it” or “influence,” are not to be used when describing the Holy Spirit, as they are blasphemous. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, God Himself. God, the Father, sent God, the Son, into the world to save us from sin, and God, the Son, sent God, the Holy Spirit, to the believers for various purposes. We will look at those purposes as we are taught by Scripture.

PURPOSE 1 – The Holy Spirit helps the Christians to worship the Father and Son in spirit and truth. {{John 4:23 “but an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers. John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”}} Our renewed spirits (through conversion) link with truth to worship truthfully.

PURPOSE 2 – The Holy Spirit is the One who regenerates and gives spiritual and eternal life. {{John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”}} When we give our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes in to dwell in us.

PURPOSE 3 – The Holy Spirit is the believer’s well causing him to outflow with living, spiritual water. {{John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water,’” John 7:39 but this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.”}} This is the water of life, freely flowing in, and from, the spiritual life of a believer.

PURPOSE 4 – God has sent to us the Comforter who will be with us forever. {{John 14:16 “and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever - John 14:17 that is, the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”}} This Comforter or Helper is “parákletos”, the Holy Spirit. The translated biblical words that can likewise be used are - Advocate, Intercessor, Consoler, Comforter, Helper, Paraclete. Technically, “parákletos” means "one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for the defence, legal assistant; an advocate". One called alongside to help.

PURPOSE 5 – The Holy Spirit will lead us into truth and will teach us all things. He will help our remembrance also of spiritual things. John 14:26 “but the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”}} It is imperative that we rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us the word of God. We must be open and honest before Him. I suppose a question can be asked of all church goers – “Do you really want to be taught by the Holy Spirit, or are you happy as a church passenger?”

PURPOSE 6 – The Holy Spirit bears witness to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is essential that we learn from the Holy Spirit all about our Saviour. {{John 15:26 “When the Helper comes whom I will send to you from the Father, that is, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me.”}} The Holy Spirit will bear truthful witness to the Lord. We can not progress in our spiritual life without the Spirit’s ministry in us.