Walking in the Spirit
Ephesians 4:30
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin].
The book of Ephesians 4 gives a warning to the believer not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. To grieve means to cause sorrow, distress and emotional pain. It means to cause sadness and heaviness upon another. The Holy Spirit though he is God, he has feeling and emotions and we can see that displayed all over scripture.
What then are the things that can cause us to grieve the Holy Spirit?
When we look at the whole chapter of Ephesians 4, we see that it is addressing how we are to live as believers. It talks about our character and the Christian way of life.
This is the same chapter that talks about the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher given to equip the believer for the works of ministry, bringing unity and maturity in the body so that we may attain the fullness of Christ. It is about Christian growth and character, becoming more like Jesus.
We grieve the Holy Spirit when we refuse to grow. We grieve him when we render his work in us useless, when we choose to continue living like those in the world yet we have been sealed by him. We grieve him when we are comfortable remaining infants in the things of God yet we have been born again for many years.
Imagine the pain you would feel as a father who knows that his son is destined for great things because there is so much that is deposited in him and yet your son refuses to mature or take responsibility, he chooses the way that leads to destruction wasting his life. That is what grieves the heart of God, when we continue to walk in disobedience yet he paid the price for our redemption.
The next verse after our key verse says;
Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. 32 Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave [c]you.
May we not grieve the Holy Spirit by living like the pig that goes back into the mud pit or the dog that goes back to its vomit. May we mature into the fullness of Christ, fulfilling the purpose for which he created us.
Reflective Thoughts
Are you growing in your character and devotion to God, are you becoming more like Christ?
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Take a closer look at your lifestyle and thought patterns, are you bringing glory to God in the way you are living or are you bringing Him grief?
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Jesus said “If you love me, you will OBEY my commands!” It is in walking in obedience to His word that we grow and mature in Him…… Are you walking in obedience to His word, at least the part that you know?
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