Grieving the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:30
The Holy Spirit is often the most overlooked person of the triune Godhead. The Holy Spirit is not a force or power,: He is a person. He is God – God, the Holy Ghost. His mission is to bring glory to God the Father by declaring the work of God, the Son. The Holy Spirit dwells within every believer seeking to bring them into full spiritual maturity, and empowering them for service. When we fail to follow His leading we resist Him. When we refuse to listen to His voice we quench Him. Our lives can also grieve the Holy Spirit. The word “grieve” means to feel deep emotional or physical pain, distress, or to afflict one with sorrow. Paul in Ephesians 4:30 literally is saying to us “Cease grieving” or “do not have the habit of grieving” the Holy Spirit.
I. The Holy Spirit is grieved when we willfully disobey.
A. When we sin, the Holy Spirit experiences grief in a manner appropriate to His deity. He cannot stand the presence of sin and hates it when we, His dwelling place, entertain transgression.
B. Habakkuk. 1:13 “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devours the man that is more righteous than he?”
C. There is an illustration of the Holy Spirit being grieved in the case of Israel's sin and rebellion against God recorded in Isaiah 63:10.
D. Isaiah 63:10 “But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them.” The sin of a believer grieves the Holy Spirit.
E. We grieve the Holy Spirit when our lives do not match up with our profession of faith.
F. The Bible declares that the Holy Spirit’s work is to lead us, to guide us in living the Christian life.
G. John 16:13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
H. When we choose to sin we bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit; Who is dwelling within us 24/7; Who seeks to have unfettered control of our lives; Whose desire is that we make Christ Lord of all. .
I. Luke 6:46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’, and do not do the things which I say?”
J.
K. Christians are warned against fulfilling the desires of the sinful nature in Galatians 5:19-21. When you and I do so we grieve the Holy Spirit.
L. John Calvin comments, “No language can adequately express this solemn truth, that the Holy Spirit rejoices and is glad on our account, when we are obedient to him in all things, and neither think nor speak anything, but what is pure and holy; and, on the other hand, is grieved when we admit anything into our minds that is unworthy of our calling.”
M. “If we commit sin if we openly bring disgrace upon our religion, if we tempt others to go into iniquity by our evil example, it is not long before the Holy Spirit will begin to grieve.” – Spurgeon
N. Scriptures warn that if a Christian continues in sin and continues to grieve the Holy Spirit he can experience God’s chastening judgment.
O. Hebrews 12:5-6 “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
II. The Holy Spirit is grieved when we disbelieve and doubt God
A. We are commanded in Ephesians 5:18 “...be filled with the Spirit.” – to be yielded to the Holy Spirit through absolute surrender and absolute faith in Him and His word.
B. The great object of the Holy Spirit, as revealed in the Bible, is to sanctify the souls of men. Men are to be saved by "the sanctification of the Spirit through the belief of the truth." – Finney
C. When we fail to believe God and take Him at His word or fail to trust His love we grieve His Spirit.
D. Psalm 78:22 tells us that the Israelites grieved God “Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation.”
E. Ten times God is described in Psalm 78 as being angry, grieved, or vexed. Disturbed by their lack of faith, God cried, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?
F. Numbers 14:11”Then the LORD said to Moses: "How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?”
G. Again, the Holy Spirit is exceedingly grieved by our unbelief. When we distrust the promise he bath given and applied, when we doubt the power or the affection of our blessed Lord; then the Spirit saith within himself—"They doubt my fidelity, they distrust my power, they say Jesus is not able to save unto the uttermost, thus again is the Spirit grieved. – Spurgeon
H. A man fell over a cliff and, as he tumbled down the sheer drop, managed to grab on to a scrubby bush growing from the side of the rock. Terrified, he hung in space, his life flashing before him. In desperation, he shouted toward heaven, 'Is there anyone up there?' To his astonished delight, a voice floated down: 'I am the Lord God, and I am here.' 'What should I do?' called the man. The voice replied, 'Let go of the branch and, with my protection, you will float harmlessly down to the beach below.' The man glanced under his feet to the jagged rocks at the foot of the cliff, hundreds of meters below. He gulped, and looked back toward heaven. 'Well... is there anyone else up there?' - Ready Salted, Peter Graystone, p35
I. The reason that the Holy Spirit is grieved by our unbelief is that it says to God,” I don’t trust You”. It builds a virtually impenetrable wall between us and God. It begins with the attitude of unbelief toward God’s word, leads to a hardening of one’s heart filling the soul with bitterness, and ends with a grieved God withdrawing His power and blessing.
J. When as a child of God, you do anything to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, your communion with the Father and the Son is for the time practically suspended; and it is only when you judge yourself and confess your sins, that the joy of communion is restored. – George Cutting (1834-1934),
III. The Holy Spirit is grieved by indifference and disregard to the things of God
A. Ephesians 5:18-19 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”
B. A result of being filled by the Spirit is to have a love for the things of God. To love His Word, His church, to care about spiritual matters.
C. Romans 5:5 “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
D. Napoleon's soldiers often used to sleep on the march. They were moving onward, yet asleep and indifferent to all around them. Unfortunately, thousands of professed Christians are like them in spiritual matters. They are moving onward in the journey of life, yet spiritually asleep and indifferent to the claims of God upon their lives.
E. This spiritual slumber and indifference grieves his loving heart.
F. 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”
G. Is there anything worse than failing to realize His presence within us? our failure to honor Him as we ought, our failure to realize that He is always with us? Is there anything more insulting than that? Can a person insult us more or hurt us more grievously than by just going on as if you were not there? - copied
H. Again, if we neglect prayer, if our closet door is cob-webbed, if we forget to read the Scriptures, if the leaves of our Bible are almost stuck together by neglect, if we never seek to do any good in the world, if we live merely for ourselves and not to Christ, then the Holy Spirit will be grieved, for thus he saith, "They have forsaken me, they have left the fountain of waters, they have hewn unto themselves broken cisterns." – Spurgeon
IV. Results of Grieving the Spirit
A. When were redeemed by God we were sealed by God’s Holy Spirit.
B. Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
C. By grieving Him we do not lose the seal nor drive the Holy Spirit out of our hearts, which of course is impossible. When we grieve the Spirit we lose the joy, power, and assurance of the saved state.” - Herbert Lockyer, All About the Holy Spirit, pg. 212.
D. Psalms 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”
E. In addition to the loss of joy, power, and assurance if we continue to grieve the Holy Spirit through continued willful sin, unbelief, or a lack of spiritual desire, our service will be impacted or shelved. Realize that all service for God is dependent upon the power of God.
F. Grieving the spirit may result in chastening by God.
G. Hebrews 12:5-6 “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives
H. It is possible for Christians to suffer physical illness and even death as a result of failure to walk in fellowship with God and to avail themselves of the open door of restoration. – John Walvoord, The Spirit at Work in the Life of Holiness.
I. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
