Grieving The Holy Ghost
The state of the church world is best defined as a sanitized club, where the Spirit of God has been effectively barred at the door. Holy Ghost activity would be disruptive in these churches to the organized schemes of religion and church life, where all human sins are treated instead of being cleansed and forgiven. Psychology has replaced the blood, and lecturing has replaced the anointed preacher. The Holy Ghost has been grieved; therefore, He has absented Himself and waits for an invitation to return in all His glory for Christ. Why has He been grieved so severely? Because He only acts sovereignly and cannot be programmed. He is a Divine member of the Godhead and only possesses the temple where Christ is the King.
The Son of God has no presence in this world or the church except in His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the omnipresence of the Father and the Son. The Father sits on His throne in Heavenly Jerusalem and the Son sits at the FatherÂ’s right hand. The Son of God taught us that if we blaspheme the Holy Ghost, there is no forgiveness because all spiritual activity flows by the Spirit. In Saint John chapter ten, the Spirit is seen as the porter at the door of eternal salvation, which is Christ. There is only one porter that opens the door into the treasure trove of eternal activity. Grieve Him away and you are eternally lost.
Four warnings are given in Holy Scripture concerning our relationship and submission to the Holy Ghost. We are warned not to “quench Him,” not to “grieve Him,” not to “do despite unto Him,” and not to “blaspheme Him.” It is easy to see the progression of this attitude towards His mastery in our midst. To quench Him is to pull back or stifle His divine leading or drawing of Christ in us. The Scripture says, “Quench not the Spirit.” (I Thessalonians 5:19) This is spoken in conjunction with a list of instructions about Godly attitudes. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts us of righteousness and Biblical obedience. Those promptings of the Spirit must be obeyed or we “quench the Spirit.” He will not or cannot develop the Godly life in you unless you learn to be sensitive and obey quickly. The Word of God is His tool to create you in Christ’s likeness.
To “grieve Him” is to cause Him pain in your resistance or attitudes. The Holy Book says, “…Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God…” (Ephesians 4:30) Again, this instruction is connected to the lifestyle of Biblical obedience. The next great warning tied to this warning is, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you…” (Ephesians 4:31)
To do “despite unto Him” is the result of the first two warnings. Christians or sinners that know the truth but refuse to walk in obedience will progress to this dire condition. Listen to this warning, “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:29) This warning is to people that know the truth and have either had or seen great grace manifested, but hate the restriction of God’s commandments and laws and proceed to disobey the truth. The Holy Ghost will not be a part of rebellion and stubbornness.
The bottom tier of this resistance to our one and only path to Christ and God is to “blaspheme Him.” Only God can determine this point of disobedience. Jesus said, “…But unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.” (Luke 12:10) Stepping over that line is the end of grace for the soul that so sins against God. A person may reach this point in a variety of actions or convictions. All of these attitudes of resistance to the SpiritÂ’s work will most likely play a part. The warning is clear that we must never cross the first line of “quenching” His holy work in our life. He seeks only to draw you to salvation and to form Christ in you. He is the best friend a soul ever had. Do not wound Him.