11 Grieving and Resisting the Spirit – Discussion Starters
- Alluring sin. The lesson for this week opens with the comment that sin is appealing and alluring to us humans and the thought that we are “feeble sinners.” What is the cure for being attracted to sin? How can the Holy Spirit help to separate us from the lure of sin that the evil one presents to us constantly?
- Resisting the Holy Spirit. Does the “corporate dimension” of sins against the Holy Spirit excuse us in any way from this variety of sin? How can we resist the lure of sin if it spreads to our spiritual leaders? When you see overwhelming evidence of sin all around you, do you ever wish that God would just step in and take it all away? Why does He allow sin to continue?
- Grieving the Holy Spirit 1. Does the Holy Spirit have emotions that make it possible for us to cause Him spiritual pain? How can the choices you and I make every day, every hour, affect the Holy Spirit? How should our lives reflect God’s love in our relationships with other people? What does it take to resist the temptation to give in to negative feelings in what we choose to do or think? Can the Holy Spirit assist us in this endeavor?
- Grieving the Holy Spirit 2. How serious is it to offend the Holy Spirit? What would change if delighting the Holy Spirit were a top priority in our lives? Can we believe all the “right” things and still offend the Holy Spirit? What would happen to your church, your family, and you if your highest endeavor was to treat others with love and respect? Could you achieve such a goal without the Holy Spirit?
- Quenching the Holy Spirit. “Do not quench the Holy Spirit,” Paul warns us in his message to the Thessalonians. How is “quenching” different from “offending” the Holy Spirit? The Bible is a light to our lives, a lantern to illuminate our path. How is it possible for us to “quench” this light? How can the Holy Spirit help us spread the light rather than dim it in our daily lives?
- Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. If you sin against the Holy Spirit, is your destiny forever sealed? Your lesson guide states that the texts for Thursday’s study don’t state that sin against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven, but rather that it will not be forgiven. Explain the difference. Can you and I be sure that our lives are not set in “stubborn opposition” to the guiding of the Holy Spirit? How?
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There are several questions that I have wondered over this past week, one being, does the holy Spirit have emotions the same as we do? When talking about grieving the Holy Spirit, one of the definitions of this Greek word is to be- or make to be- sorry, sad, heaviness. Greek word is lupe` o. We understand the English definitions rather well.
Hi Paul. The answer is YES. See Lesson study #4 which went into detail about the Personality of the Holy Spirit.
https://ssnet.org/blog/sabbath-personality-holy-spirit/