What Does it Mean to 'Grieve' The Holy Spirit?

What Does it Mean to ‘Grieve’ the Holy Spirit? Ephesians 4:27, 29-32 August 1, 2021 Review o “The Holy Spirit” – is the 3rd person of our Triune God. We have one God who is three persons. [Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2] o “Spirit” – in Hebrew word is “ruach”, which means “wind” or “breath” and often points to the divine energy and power that can only be of and from God. In Greek the word is “pneuma”, which also means “wind, breath, or air”; the invisible force of the Lord’s power at work. The Big Idea: Paul calls Christians to not “give the devil a foothold” and to not “grieve” the Holy Spirit. The symptoms of each of these things are centered in our relationships with one another and the solution is to love one another the way Christ loves us! Ephesians 4:29–32 (ESV) 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to 29 those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice . 32 Be kind to one another , tenderhearted , forgiving one another , as God in Christ forgave you. What does the fact that the Holy Spirit Can Grieve Mean? ü The root idea of the word “grieve” is “to cause pain,” and the fact that the Holy Spirit can experience pain and sorrow and personal distress is proof of his personal nature. ü We experience grief in relationships where we love the person. If we don’t love them, we merely get angry. The Spirit loves those He indwells. ü This also aides in our own commitment to living holy lives. How many of us pulled back from certain behaviors once we gave thought to how it would wound our parents? Even more so, with our consideration of grieving the Spirit of God, we refuse to commit sins of the tongue because they deeply wound the Spirit of God in us. ü Paul assures us that, while grieving the Holy Spirit is a serious matter, the Spirit does not leave the Christian because of it. [This is the Spirit “by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” v. 30] How We Can Grow In, Rather Than Grieve the Holy Spirit 1. Do a deep dive on the nature and habits of our speech. Ask the Lord to help you stop “rotten” talk. 2. T.H.I.N.K. before we speak: T – Is it Truthful? H – Is it Helpful? I – Is it Inspiring? N – Is it Necessary? K – Is it Kind? James 4:1-12 3. Ask Jesus to heal the wounds of our own souls, where other’s words left gaping wounds. Remember that hurt people hurt people. 4. Allow yourself time and energy this morning to remember the kindness of God toward you. Remember that forgiven people are forgiving people. 5. Be a Job 4:4 kind of person with your words.