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Grieving the Holy Spirit: Part 2

That the Holy Spirit can be grieved tells us that God is not indifferent to us and what we do. God is affected by what we decide and how we live.

Read Ephesians 4:25-5:2. What are we told to do here and how different would our lives be were we to follow these biblical commands?

In positive terms: we delight the Holy Spirit when we speak the truth in love; when we are angry about sin, but do not sin in our anger; when we work with our own hands and use the product of our labor to do good for the needy; when we speak in an edifying manner and impart grace to our hearers; and when we are kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving.

If we claim to be Christians, yet live as though Christ had never come and our lives are not affected by His leading and His love, then we grieve the Holy Spirit. When we confess that we believe in the Truth, but how we act and behave contradicts that confession, we grieve the Holy Spirit. Lack of moral integrity also grieves the Spirit. Our outreach efforts must not be divorced from our ethical behavior. If we live in such a way that others realize that we truly are His children and reflect Jesus, we bring joy to the heart of God.

Read Ephesians 4:3, 4, 15, 16, 32. What do these texts reveal about the communal aspects of living in the Spirit? How does a Spirit-filled life reveal itself in the community with other believers?

It is interesting that in Ephesians 4 there is also a distinct communal aspect. The idea of unity is mentioned several times. Paul is concerned that we maintain the unity of the Spirit because we live the life of God in the context of "one another" (Eph. 4:32). How we relate to one another in the church, "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3, NKJV) is a crucial part of not grieving the Spirit. How we treat one another in the church, which is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16, 17), really does matter to God. How we consider one another in the body of Christ is of prime importance to God's Spirit.

It's fine to know the truth, the three angels' messages (Rev. 14:6-12), but ask yourself this question: How do you treat others, especially those who are under you or those who can do nothing for you? That is, they have nothing to offer you in return.