The indwelling Spirit should not be grieved by the believers. In Ephesians 4:30 Paul says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption.” To grieve the Holy Spirit is to displease Him. The Holy Spirit abides in us forever (John 14:16-17); He will never leave us. But He is grieved when we do not walk according to Him (Rom. 8:4). If, according to Ephesians 4, we have a life according to the principle of truth with grace for the details of our daily walk, we shall not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. However, if we do not live this way, the Spirit within us will be grieved.
For the Holy Spirit to be grieved means that He is not happy with us. Often when we feel unhappy, that feeling of unhappiness is actually the feeling of the Holy Spirit. However, when He feels happy within us, we are happy also. A proper life according to truth and in grace will always make the Holy Spirit happy and give us the joy of the Spirit.
The Spirit who should not be grieved by us is the Spirit in whom we were sealed unto the day of redemption. Once the Spirit comes into us, He will always be with us. Even if we offend Him, He remains within us. We cannot be divorced from the Spirit, but we can surely grieve Him. We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, and this sealing will continue to take place unto the day of redemption. This sealing brings the divine element into us. Day by day the divine element is being added into us, and the divine mark within us is being made more evident. Furthermore, God’s ownership of us is strengthened more and more. Eventually, this sealing will bring us into the redemption of our body, which will be the transfiguration of our body. We should not be those who grieve this sealing Spirit.
The Spirit should not be quenched by the believers. First Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not quench the Spirit.” The Spirit makes our spirit burning (Rom. 12:11) and our gifts flaming (2 Tim. 1:6). So we should not quench Him.
The Christian life is a life inspired and stirred up by the Spirit. Throughout the day we should have the Spirit inspiring us, stirring us, and moving and acting within us. Thus, instead of quenching the Spirit, we need to fan the flame that is within us. The word “quench” in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 implies fire. The Spirit is burning within us. We should not quench this fire, but instead we should fan it into flame.
How do we know that we are quenching the Spirit? We know that the Spirit is quenched when we ourselves feel quenched. If we are quenched, the Spirit also is quenched. But if we are released, the Spirit too is released. Our being released is an indication that the Holy Spirit within us is free and not quenched.
Finally, in the inner-life-stage the Spirit should not be insulted by the believers. Hebrews 10:29 warns us not to insult the Spirit of grace. Ephesians 4:30 tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, which means to make Him unhappy by disobeying Him. However, to insult, despise, put aside, ignore, or neglect the Spirit is more serious. None of us should do this.
If we feel shameful, this is an indication that the Holy Spirit within us has been insulted. If we are unhappy, the Spirit has been grieved. If we are quenched, the Spirit has been quenched. If we feel ashamed, the Spirit has been insulted. Instead of grieving, quenching, or insulting the Spirit, we should experience the Spirit as the totality of the Triune God for our enjoyment. Then, through the work of the indwelling Spirit, we shall feel happy, released, and glorious.
Home | First | Prev | Next