The Holy Spirit is the third person in our triune God – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is our comforter and our counselor (advisor). Jesus told that it is good that He is going, so that Holy Spirit will be sent to be with us and for us. The person of the Holy Spirit has such a very unique and special place of honor. We should therefore neither be quenching the Holy Spirit, nor should we be grieving the Holy Spirit. But unless we understand what these mean, we may not know if we slip into this wrong doing.
At first let us review a few verses from the Bible relating to the Holy Spirit. Thereafter we will also examine the differences between quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit with us
Any one who has accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of their life has been given Holy Spirit. Throughout the Bible we read about Holy Spirit – in the New Testament and the Old Testament.
Many Christians live a life without being aware of Holy Spirit with and within them. I have been guilty of this. I have been occasionally living life, forgetting the presence of Holy Spirit within me. If I had been aware of Holy Spirit within me, I would have behaved better. The reason I am studying this and writing this is so that I study better and I may perhaps help you also in improving your awareness of this wonderful, gracious and powerful person of the triune God with us given as a gift by Father God as we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Jesus speaks about Holy Spirit as the Promise of the Father in Luke 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
Here are verses about Holy Spirit of God is with us and in us.
In John 14:17 (NKJV version), the Spirit of Truth (another name for Holy Spirit) dwelling with us and in us is mentioned. The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it (i.e. the world) neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
Paul asks Timothy (as well as us) to learn faith and love through Holy Spirit. We can read this in 2 Timothy 1:13,14 (NLT version) conveys this. Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.
Awesome Privilege with Holy spirit
The Holy Spirit of God is not only with us.
The Holy Spirit of God not only abides in us.
We have been given the great privilege – something beyond imagination.
We are the great privilege of being the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is true. Yes, because we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, as our righteousness, redeemer and salvation, our Heavenly Father God send the Holy Spirit to us. So that we should know we are never alone. The all powerful Spirit of God’s temple is our body! Think and meditate in this truth.
If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. ( 1 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV)
Holy Spirit our helper
Jesus clearly conveys that the Holy Sprit will be send to us from the Father God.
That the Holy Spirit God is our Helper.
That the Holy Sprit God will always abide with us.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:15-18 NKJV)
Jesus says that the Holy Sprit, also known as the Helper will teach us all things. Specifically, the Holy Spirit will remind us all things that Jesus has told us. Jesus also says that the Father God send us the Holy Sprit because of our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:10-30 NKJV)
All these point to a need for :
Nurturing a growing and active relationship with the Holy Spirit.
A life style of daily conversing with the Holy Spirit.
A daily review of pleasing the Holy Spirit.
A daily seeking His guidance to have an abundantly fruitful life.
When do we grieve the Holy Spirit of God?
Having gone through how very precious Holy Spirit is to us, we now know what displeases Holy Spirit?
While the helper, comforter, counselor reminds us every thing that keeps us in the path of righteousness in Christ.
In spite of the timely reminders of:
the verses, laws, commandments,
the Godly thoughts the Holy Spirit seeds in us,
the nudges the Holy Spirit makes,
if we choose to ignore these,
and go ahead without changing our words and actions,
we displease the Holy Spirit of God, we grieve Him.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30 NKJV)
Instead if we desire to delight the Holy Spirit,
rather than grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
we are to know more about Him,
desire to live a life bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit as given in Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Then we can be on the pathway of delighting the Holy Spirit.
Just the thought that our body is the temple of Holy Spirit is awe inspiring.
Being aware that the all powerful Spirit of God is with us,
positions our life from a place of victory.
We are to avoid fear, rather trust in God and be full of hope.
Being certain that His wisdom is far superior than the wisdom of the world.
What the worlds best experts could not do, Joseph and Daniel did.
When Joseph revealed the meaning of Pharaoh’s dream,when Daniel did the same.
Don’t we choose to remember these and expect the very Spirt of God who was with Joseph, Daniel to be with us and to speak to us and show us what is to come.
We are to always remember that there there is always a solution,
we are to remember that He is all sufficient,
we are to remember that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
We are to avoid filth, bad conversations and actions,
Remembering that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,
We maintain our body in Holiness and purity through righteousness in Christ.
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ( Ephesians 5:3-5 NKJV)
We are to be in peace, in rest, never anxious as Christ in us is the Hope of Glory.
We are to be gentle, patient, peaceful, always showing love instead of hatred.
We are to be kind, even in difficult circumstances.
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32 NKJV)
The Holy Spirit thus reminds us how we are to bring down the Kingdom of Heaven on earth to our surroundings, to our neighborhood.
And when we align to these, we can delight the Holy Spirit, rather than grieving Him. How we steward our choices is the key.
Knowing the Word of God, having a regular reading habit,
Delighting in meditating in the word of God,
Living a life aligned to it,
Being renewed every day,
Praying in tongues regularly,
Having times of worship, prayer and fellowship with fellow believers,
Attending in person church service, all these keep our spirit sharp in discerning and living a life pleasing to the Holy Spirit of God.
When do we quench the Holy Spirit of God?
When we do not allow our words, actions to express the fire and the abundant life of the Spirit of God, we quench the Holy Spirit.
Quenching is like putting out the fire or extinguishing the fire of the Holy Spirit.
In Hebrews 12:29 (NKJV version) we read that our God is a consuming fire.
For our God is a consuming fire.
We have a very visible demonstration of the power and fire of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:3-4 NKJV we read thus. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Let us therefore not quench the Holy Spirit of God.
Do not quench the Spirit.(1 Thessalonians 5:19 NKJV)
Going beyond grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit of God?
The internal process of being changed into the likeness of Christ occurs as we live a life wherein the Spirit is not grieved. Sin and sinfulness grieves the Spirit of God.
Our life will manifest to people around us as living like Christ as the Spirit is not quenched. This can include life of signs, wonders and miracles. When the Spirit has quickened to give a bible verse to encourage a person and we restrain ourselves and do not do so, we quench the Spirit.
Should we live life only desiring to reach the minimum KPI’s? No. We are meant to go beyond these. We are meant to have an abundant life. Having one of the three most powerful person – the Holy Spirit of God abiding in us, we have no excuse to have a limited life where we sometime slip to grieving or in other occasions even quenching the Holy Spirit. No let us go beyond these minimum expectations.
Let us earnestly desire to be the river of life flowing through us. In doing so we should be able to see every other Christians around us bearing abundant fruit giving glory and honor to God.
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.(John 7:37-39 NKJV)
Yes, an abundant life, above and beyond what we ask or think. That is our standard. The power that works in us is upto us. How much do we obey the reminders and nudges of the Holy Spirit. Without any shadow of doubt, as we live a life consistently pleasing the Holy Spirit, He will use our lives to bring glory to God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV)
We are called to live a life manifesting the power of the Holy Spirit in our day to day life. This can be by loving our enemies. Blessing them who curse us. When the Holy Spirit quickens us, living a life even demonstrating the power of Holy Spirit in signs wonders and miracles – healing the sick, bringing the dead back to life, giving freedom to the oppressed and so on.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NKJV)
When you have a great relationship with your parents, daily speaking to them, meeting them often, spending time with them, thoughts to displease them, do anything against their will just fade away. These matters even if they come to you, they get blown away and totally ignored. Only because of a daily and ongoing love relationship with your parents. You don’t have to focus on displeasing your parents, as all this is default nature because of your love. Same case if you love your spouse, you would never consider an adulterous relationship or anything that leads to that path.
So daily converse with the Holy Spirit of God.
Intentionally stay in His presence.
Through the day ask Him and seek His guidance.
Celebrate His goodness towards you.
Celebrate the testimonies of the goodness of the Holy Spirit in your family, in the Church and the Scriptures. Know more about Him – who was sent specifically for you as your helper, advisor for you to live a powerful life.
Living a life with the Holy Spirit is one great adventure and ongoing great joy. In the notes above only certain facets of the Holy Spirit are mentioned so that your thirst and hunger for a richer relationship with the Holy Spirit is birthed. There is no other option but to regularly read the Living Word of God – the Holy Bible with greater hunger and thirst.
