Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 1:13 NASB95

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in 1Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

This establishes the reality that I think Chapter 4 is drawing on for us.

Message of Truth

The Gospel of Your Salvation

We’ve mentioned truth so much in Chapter 4

We are functionally different people

Truth in Love v. Lusts of Deceit (4:15 V. 4:22)

And We have believed!

The Truth is the Truth whether you believe it or not,

But there is a CHASM of difference between someone who believes the Truth and Someone who doesn’t.

Hearing the Truth - Believing the Truth Heard - and Sealed in the Spirit.

Like people on a life raft

or train cars connects to the same locomotive

We are brought together in the Holy Spirit. Sealed. Branded. And Kept.

Heard the Truth, Believed the Truth, and Sealed in that Truth by the Spirit.

How ought people for whom those three things are true function?

Paul gives us specifics in ch.4:25-32.

Ephesians 4:25–32 NASB95

25Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

25

26-27

28

29

30-32

All must be kept in the context of the unity in the Body.

All must be kept in the motivation of God’s People, The Spirit’s Seal, the Christ’s Work.

“Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit”

Nobody here wants to grieve the Holy Spirit.

If you don’t - here is what you need to know.

The Will of God.

We see 5 Branches off of that tree. . .

Do Not Speak Falsehood

Do Not be Angry

Do Not Steal

Don’t Let Rotten Talk Proceed

Be Kind

WHY.

Matthew 15:8–9 NASB95

‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ ”

Doing Right things without Right reasons is vanity.

Don’t Speak Falsehood (v. 25)

Ephesians 4:25 NASB95

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

This goes along with his encouragement to “Speak the Truth in Love”

There is no place for falsehood in the body.

Speak Truth!

Doctrinally we should speak truth

About ourselves - Truth

About Each other - Truth

WHY?

Because we are Members of the same!

All of the motivations for WHY we don’t do these things stem from this.

We are of the same body, same spirit, living in the same truth.

Do Not Be Angry (vv26-27)

Ephesians 4:26–27 NASB95

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

I was interested to see this is not about going to bed angry…

This is about the BODY

This is about more than Going to bed angry.

That appears to be a turn of phrase based on Psalm 4.

Psalm 4:3–4 NASB95

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; The Lord hears when I call to Him. Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Set Apart

Trembling in anger or fear

Meditate on your bed

The Focus in this text is A person Set apart by God, and RESTING in God.

Going to bed with Him, not their sin - so to speak.

So , while “Don’t Go to Bed Angry.” is great advice, This is more than that.

“Don’t let anger reside at all.”

Don’t let it persist!

He isn’t saying “ITs okay to get angry as long as you deal with it…”

v.31???

Matt 5:22 - Jesus said whoever is angry is liable to the courts.

James 1:20 “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

So, though I’ve heard people talk about a ‘righteous anger’ you can have without sin… I don’t see that here

Anger, when it arises, flings the door open for sin and disunity. and it Must be dealt with.

Urgently.

Look at Why:

“Do not give the Devil Opportunity”

What does that mean?

Based on the context here:Devil = Disunity.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

That is the opportunity Satan is looking for.

And our anger with one another opens that door.

Like a herd.

Anger arises - I think unavoidably - but it cannot persist.

For the sake of the BODY.

Do Not Steal (v.28)

Ephesians 4:28 NASB95

He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

Charlatans and Thieves become members of the Body as well.

But thievery is not of this body.

What is?

Labor.

Earning.

Working with hands that which is GOOD. - Excludes any shameful gain…

And WHY?

For the sake of the Body.

What is your motivation?

When you think “I need to get out there to earn…”

How high on the list is “Support of the one who has need.”

This is outward facing, other people minded activity.

Earn.

Increase.

Labor.

So you can support those who have need.

Widows or Shut-ins

Orphans

Disabled

Hard times

On the Flip side of this command - if you are LAZY. IF you don’t want to earn, don’t want to labor - you’re failing the Body and Grieving the Spirit.

Do Not Let Rotten Talk Proceed (v29)

Ephesians 4:29 NASB95

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

That word Unwholesome is literally Rotten - stinking, bad for you.

Don’t let it go out.

Use your words the same way you use your labor - for the good of others.

Encouraging

Full of grace

Couple of warnings here:

Inane Babble - Claptrap - can fall under the umbrella of rotten talk.

2 Timothy 2:16 “But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,”

How’s work, how’s your mom and them, how’d the cowboys do last night - nothing wrong with that kind of talk.

But staying there is like being a parrot of the world.

Empty

* * Good Test: Does it encourage and give grace to those hearing ?

Other warning - Avoid lip service.

Flattery is not encouragement.

Do not Grieve the Spirit.

Be Kind (vv31-32)

Ephesians 4:31–32 NASB95

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

This summation of the work of the Body.

Putting away

Bitterness

Wrath

Anger

Clamor ( krow—gay , , , angry Shouting)

Slander

Malice

Bring in

Kindness

Tender-heartedness

Forgiveness

These 3 things - Kindness , Tenderheartedness, Forgiveness , Honor the Sprit.

Can you stay angry with someone if you have these three churning in you?

Can you lie to someone?

Can you buy a nicer car or a Bigger TV while others suffer in squaller if these 3 are going?

Care for the Body requires diligence (4:2) and maturity (4:15) in pursuing these things.

Kindness

Tenderheartedness

Forgiveness

And if you find it difficult to get there, remember this: You’re breathing today because Christ exercised these toward you.

GOSPEL*

It grieves the Holy Spirit when we act in a way that is out of sync with the Truth of Jesus in the Gospel.

Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.