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Pastor Wade Burleson





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A Solemn Command
"Grieve not the Holy Spirit"

Ephesians 4:30-32 (English-KJV)
  1. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
  2. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
  3. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
We have been studying how a Christian is called to "put off" the activities of the old man, and to "put on" the lifestyle of the new man God has created us to be in Christ Jesus.
Last week we saw four specific behaviors we are to "put off" including lying, sinful anger, stealing, and corrupt communication. That behavior "died" with the old man, and the new man produces truthfulness, the right kind of anger, labor with generosity, and edifying conversation.
Following these instructions, Paul gives a remarkable command (literally it reads) "Grieve not the Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God.’
  1. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit?
    Grieve --- means to be sad or hurt; an emotional feeling of pain
    We must be careful here! God needs nothing. He is Self-sufficient and Self-sustaining.
    However, this verse tells us that it is possible for the Spirit of God to grieve emotionally.
    1. He grieves because He loves
      Grief is related to love. Only those in a love relationship with Christ can grieve Him.
      "If a man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Romans 8:9)
    2. He grieves FOR them whom He loves
      In other words, the grief of the Spirit is unselfish in nature. He hurts for you.
      Jesus wept because the sisters of Lazarus wept, not because Lazarus was dead.
    3. He grieves because of who He is
      He is all-knowing, all-wise, all-holy, and all-righteous; the Holy Spirit of God
      When your life as a "new man" is inconsistent with the image of God, He grieves.
  2. Why is it important that we NOT grieve the Holy Spirit?
    1. His home is your life
      "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit." I Corinthians 6:20
      How would you feel and what would you do if your home were defiled?
    2. His work is never left
      "ye are sealed (by the Holy Spirit) until the day of redemption." Ephesians 4:30
      Do you think the Holy Spirit will really fail in His job of changing you?
    3. His grief is your loss
      "His spirit bears witness with my spirit that I am a child of God." Romans 8:16
      When He is grieved He does not leave, but he will withdraw the manifestations of His presence which include peace, joy, assurance, love, direction, comfort, and hope.
  3. How do we grieve the Holy Spirit?
    Our text points out to us five ways that we grieve the Spirit of God:
    1. With bitterness in our hearts --- a state of heart that sees nothing good in others
    2. With wrath and anger in our lives --- the explosive rage of a bitter heart
    3. With clamor --- which means shouting, fighting, brawling, and hitting
    4. With evil speaking --- a calm, deliberate saying of things that are hurtful
    5. With all malice --- a wicked determination to bring harm to others
      We are called to "put off" these things and to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving.




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Pastor Wade

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