June 29 | Never Grieve the Spirit
Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Some people in the church forget that the Holy Spirit is just as much of a person as the Father and the Son are. Unfortunately, Christians can sometimes treat the Holy Spirit like He is an “it” or just a “force” rather than a fully divine person. However, the Bible is very clear that the Holy Spirit is not just a “force” but He is a unique person that possesses a mind, will and emotions; and shares the attributes of God (all-knowing, all-powerful, etc.), equally with the Father and the Son.
The Bible teaches us that God is three separate persons, that share one divine being; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This doesn’t mean that the Father is 1/3 of God, the Son is 1/3 and the Holy Spirit is 1/3, like three pieces of a pie that together form one “whole God.” But rather the Scriptures teach that each person of the God nature is 100% divine and that together they are the one being in the Bible known as “Yahweh or Lord” (Isaiah 45:5).
The Holy Spirit is worthy of the same respect and honor that we give the Father and the Son. He is to be worshipped and adored because He is literally God in us. To love the Holy Spirit is to love the Father and the Son because He is their representative on earth and in the church.
In today’s passage, Paul warns us not to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God” because He is our seal until the Day of Redemption (the day when Jesus comes back and gives us our resurrected bodies). Grieve means to “cause sorrow.” We grieve the Holy Spirit when we don’t follow His guidance. Likewise, along with grieving the Holy Spirit, we’re told not to blaspheme Him because it is a sin that cannot be forgiven (Mark 3:29). It is an “eternal sin” because you cannot be saved while believing something false about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who is active in convicting you of sin, birthing a new spirit inside of you and guiding you in the ways of God (John 3:3-8). In other words, if you blaspheme the Holy Spirit by rejecting Him, you have no hope of being saved.
Lester Sumrall wrote, “You can stop God [in the sense of stopping His desire to do miracles] and grieve the Holy Spirit at any time. You are not under bondage to the Holy Spirit. You work with Him and flow with Him because you want to. You have to keep flowing in the Spirit if you expect the gifts to operate in and through you.” Mark reported once, “5 He [Jesus] could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mark 6:5-6). Therefore, it’s important to honor and love the Holy Spirit, just like you honor and love the Father and the Son. Avoid grieving the Holy Spirit, by asking Him to increase your faith and convict you of your sins.
When you keep in step with the Holy Spirit, you honor God the Father by living like Jesus. Especially when it comes to spiritual gifts, you shouldn’t deny the Holy Spirit His place to move nor try operating in His gifts out of selfish ambition. Be reminded of what Paul wrote in Romans 8:14, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit, but rather be led by the Holy Spirit!
Reflection
Action
- Repent if you have ever grieved the Holy Spirit.
- Develop a close relationship with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to lead you in life.
- Remind and teach other Christians that the Holy Spirit is a fully divine person.