Sinning against the Spirit
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
--Ephesians 4:30
Sometimes we may think of the Holy Spirit as being more of an "it" than a Him. But Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit is God, and He can be specifically sinned against.
One way a believer can sin against the Holy Spirit is by grieving Him. Ephesians 4:30 says, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." The word "grieve" means "to make sad or sorrowful." And when we allow bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, or slander to be a part of our lives, then we are bringing sorrow to the Holy Spirit.
We can also sin against the Holy Spirit by quenching Him. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica, "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19). The word "quench" conveys the idea of extinguishing a fire. It is possible for us to seek to extinguish or quench the work the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives. And when God wants to work but finds unbelief, it hinders the work He wants to do, because God works through faith in our lives when we believe Him.
Are you harboring a grudge against someone right now? Have you been slandering someone or even passing on information that you have heard and yet don't even know if it is really true? Have you been flying into fits of rage? Have you been saying, "Well, God could never use a person like me," or "God would never answer my prayers"? According to Scripture, that is grieving the Holy Spirit. So if you are grieving the Holy Spirit today, it's time to stop. It's time to come clean.
