Do not Grieve or Quench the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:29
Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567
When born-again believers continue to “conform to the ways of this world” (Romans 12:2) imagine how the Holy Spirit must feel! When we refuse to put off the former way of life but instead choose to embrace the old self that is being corrupted by its deceitful desires (Ephesians 4:22-24), would not the Spirit of truth (John 16:13) find our indulgences to be highly offensive? Would not being a first-hand witness to our unholiness grieve the Spirit who knows the dark mountains of chastisement and the lack of communion with God that we will suffer due to our refusal to put off the old self? Would not the complacency of those whom were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:20) grieve the Spirit who was present when the “perfector of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) was mocked (Matthew 27:27-31), beaten, spit on and crucified on a tree (Matthew 27:27-31; John 19:1)? And would the Spirit be grieved knowing our sin keeps us from obtaining the fullness of Christ (Colossians 2:6-15) and the miraculous things (John 14:12-14) that we as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and royal priests (1 Peter 2:9) are enabled to perform? This sermon is going start by looking at the roles of the Spirit and finish with the causes of grieving Him.
Grieving the Holy Spirit
There is a close connection between the believer and the Spirit of God. Before Jesus returned to heaven, He promised to send us an Advocate who would “guide us into the truth” (John 16:13) by “teaching us all things that Jesus said” while here on this earth (John 14:26). He is the Author of Scripture (1 Peter 1:21) and as such has a ministry of convicting humanity of sin, righteousness and judgement (John 16:8). The Spirit is the prominent agent in the outworking of our progressive sanctification (Romans 8:14; Romans 5:5) and is the one who assures the believer he/he is a child of God (Romans 8:16). The Spirit indwells and seals the believer as part of God’s family with a glorious inheritance both in the present and upon the Lord’s return. Believers can only know God through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11-16) whom “helps us in our weakness by interceding for us with wordless groans” (Romans 8:26). Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:18) whom is grieved by our shortcomings and sins.
Offenses Against the Holy Spirit
Once a person becomes born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, God expects them to put off the old self and become righteous (Ephesians 4:22-24). Before one was born again one’s thinking and understanding concerning God was futile due the darkness and hardening of one’s heart (Ephesians 4:18). Having perceived the cross as mere foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18) one gave oneself over to all forms of sensuality to indulge in every kind of impurity (Ephesians 4:19) so that one might gratify one’s sinful desires (Galatians 5:16; James 4:1-3). Once one accepts Jesus into his/her heart that person undergoes a radical transformation process in which he/she becomes born again not of flesh and blood but of the Spirit who enters that person and seals him/her as a child of God’s family (John 1:9-13). When this happens, God expects that person to put off this old self of sin and put on one of righteousness (Ephesians 4:24). While born-again believers cannot become sinless (1 John 1:8), what grieves the Holy Spirit the most is not just the sins one commits but the perception that confession is merely the means of obtaining absolution from punishment but not the catalyst to put on new garments of righteousness! The following section is going to discuss some of the sins that we covet and wear daily that grieve the Holy Spirit tremendously!
Unwholesome Talk and Slander. To the church of Ephesus Paul stated they we are to “not let any unwholesome talk come of their mouths but only what is helpful in building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those that listen” (1:29). Unwholesome speech are any words that “rotten” or corrupt our witness of a holy God. When a tongue of a Christian is one that lies, gossips, slanders and is abusive and vulgar it defiles their witness and grieves the Spirit of truth whom testifies with our spirit that such speech is a sin against the holiness of God! When one’s words are that of complaining, sneering, cynical and sarcastic they do not reflect our new self of righteousness but the old self that was discontent and frustrated that it could not obtain any lasting happiness from gratifying its own sinful pleasures! Apostle James warns us that the tongue can be a consuming fire, corrupting the whole person (James 3:6). Speech can also be a powerful tool in spreading the Gospel message. When we allow the Spirit to keep our minds focused on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable (Philippians 4:8) the Spirit will bless our human words of edification because they genuinely reflect our desire to imitate the very words of Christ! If we do not want to grieve the Spirit our words need to reflect the truth and love of the Holy Spirit!
Loving the Ways of This World. It grieves the Spirit of God greatly to find in believers a degree of love for this world. When a believer steps out into the word, that they profess to be “gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful” (Romans 1:28), and yet perch and indulge in the dust and vanity of their works they do not testify to the holiness of God but of the duplicity of their hearts! God’s demand for us, to have exclusive allegiance to Him (Exodus 34:14), will not be satisfied by merely avoiding the ways of this world that don’t interest us while at the same time gratifying the ways that satisfy the evil desires of our hearts (James 1:14)! Having one foot in Satan’s and one in God’s kingdom greatly grieves the Spirit because God is a jealous God whom demands full allegiance to mold and shape our hearts to His will (Isaiah 64:8)! As children of the Light (John 14:36-37) God has called us as His holy possession to be separate from the ways of this world (2 Corinthians 6:17). We are to be blameless (Colossians 1:21) witnesses whose light shines (Matthew 5:16) and testifies of His grace and mercy (Hebrews 4:16) that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9). If we do not want to grieve the Spirit of God, then we need to remove the duplicity of our hearts by getting both feet back into His kingdom!
Ingratitude and Pride. Spurgeon states “if we add pride to ingratitude then we sorely grieve the blessed Spirit.” When we choose our own footsteps in life, are we not insulting the wisdom of the Spirit of God to choose the best path for us? Whom but the Spirit knows out of the infinite choices in front of us the few that not only aligns with God’s purpose (1 Corinthians 2:10-16) but also will result is us attaining the full measure of Christ? When we make decisions without seeking the voice of God, are we the dogs (Matthew 15:26) not pridefully making a false statement that we the servant have become greater than our Master (John 13:16)? Surely, He who has purchased (1 Corinthians 6:20) and “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3) deserves more than platitudes of worship that expire the moment we leave the church? The lofty unconcern of those with “haughty eyes and proud heart” (Proverbs 21:4) greatly grieves the Spirit who was present when author and perfector of their salvation was (Hebrews 12:2) mocked (Matthew 27:27-31), beaten, spit on and crucified on a tree (Matthew 27:27-31; John 19:1)! If we do not want to grieve the Spirit of God, then we need to totally surrender and allow Him to guide every step so that no sin might rule in us (Psalms 119:113)!
Prayerless. It grieves the Spirit that we spend so little time talking to God! Prayer is the central avenue in which God chooses to transform us and yet we refuse to take the time to talk to Him whom is indivisibly present! How can we read the stories of Moses interceding for Israel (Exodus 32), the church praying for Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12) and Jesus’ request to forgive those whom had Him crucified; and yet not fall on our hands and knees to intercede for those of our families, friends and colleagues whom are unsaved and destined to spend an eternity in hell (2 Thessalonians 1:9)? How can we read about Hezekiah’s answered prayer for deliverance from the Assyrians (2 Kings 19), Hannah’s answered prayer for a son (1 Samuel), Elijah’s answered prayer for fire from heaven (2 Kings 1:12) and the apostles answered prayer for boldness (Acts 4:29); and yet not believe that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16)? When we refuse to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:16) are we not grieving the Spirit who sees us leaning upon our own understanding rather than submitting to the will of God who will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6)? If we do not want to grieve the Spirit then we need to pray, trust and obey the perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Unbelief. What would grieve the Spirit more than to have the Father’s own child question His truthfulness? If we truly believed God’s promises then those scary and frightening tribulations that we inevitably go through in life would not be sources of worry and pain but sources of unspeakable joy (James 1:2) and faith (1 Timothy 1:7) that He who has taken our right hand (Isaiah 41:13) has not left (Joshua 1:9) but strengthens us (Isiah 41:10) so that we might overcome even the darkness of valleys (Psalms 23:4). If we truly believed in the promises of God, we would not become overwhelmed from our heavy burdens (Matthew 11:28) but would place our hope in the Lord so that we might soar on the wings of eagles (Isaiah 40:31). If we truly believed in the promises of God, we would not fear the evil of this world but would put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), resist the Devil and praise God as he flees from us (James 1:7)! And if we truly believed in God’s promises we would not only meditate on His word day and night (Psalms 119:148) but would also refuse to see them as a burden (1 John 5:3) by “tearing out” what is most offensive to us (2 Timothy 3:16)! “God forgive our unbelief, and may we ever grieve His Spirit more.”
Conclusion
When we born-again believers refuse to put off the old self of deceitful desires and put on the new self of righteousness and holiness, it grieves the Spirit of God living inside of us! When a tongue of a Christian is one that lies, gossips, slanders and is abusive and vulgar it defiles their witness and grieves the Spirit of truth whom testifies with our spirit that such speech is a sin against the holiness of God! When a believer steps out into the world that they profess to be “gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful” (Romans 1:28) and yet perch and indulge in the dust and vanity of their works they do not testify to the holiness of God but of the duplicity of their hearts! The lofty unconcern of those with “haughty eyes and proud hearts” (Proverbs 21:4) greatly grieves the Spirit who was present when author and perfector of their salvation was (Hebrews 12:2) was mocked (Matthew 27:27-31), beaten, spit on and crucified on a tree (Matthew 27:27-31; John 19:1)! When we refuse to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:16) are we not grieving the Spirit who sees us leaning upon our own understanding rather than submitting to the will of God who will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6)? And does not our unbelief grieve the Spirit more than anything else? To avoid grieving the Spirit we need to put on the new clothes by praying without ceasing, speaking the truth without falsehoods, having both feet secured in His kingdom and by asking Him to help us with our unbelief!
Sources Cited
C. H. Spurgeon, “Grieve Not the Holy Spirit,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 13 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1867).
James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988).
Peter Thomas O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999).
Arthur G. Patzia, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011).
R. Alan Cole, Exodus: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 2, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973).
Derek Kidner, Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1964).
Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. (New York, NY: HarperSanFranscisco, 1998).
