Wednesday: Quenching the Holy Spirit
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21. How can the Holy Spirit be quenched?
The word “quenching” suggests the idea of a fire. The same Greek root word is used in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 and in Ephesians 6:16.
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This suggests that something about the Holy Spirit is like a fire that we can extinguish. We should remember that the Holy Spirit does two significant things for us: He gives us knowledge of sin, and He gives us power to overcome sin. Both are related to sanctification.
Through the Word of God, the Spirit tells us what we need to know in order to live a holy life, and through His indwelling power He enables us to change our lives according to this knowledge. One way we can avoid quenching the Spirit is to “not despise prophetic utterances” (1 Thess. 5:20, NASB). Paul instructs the Thessalonian believers not to despise prophetic utterances, and yet he called for their discernment (1 Thess. 5:21). While we are to be open to the Spirit in our congregational life and should not quench the work of the Holy Spirit, we also need discernment because false teachings and false prophets will continue to plague the church.
Not all spirits are benign. The Spirit-inspired Word of God, however, is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps. 119:105). By it we have a standard to measure even new prophetic utterances. In biblical times such a lamp involved a burning wick that shed light before the feet of those who walked in the night. The Bible tells us how to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). We do that by surrendering ourselves to the teachings of the Word of God and by obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit as He points us in the way that we should live.
Many who profess to believe that the Bible is the Word of God interpret it in ways that all but denude the Scriptures of any real authority, robbing them of any real power in their lives. Also, when we despise the Word of God and treat it with disrespect, or neglect to apply it to ourselves, we are snuffing out this lamp that is given to lead us on our way and to stir our consciences toward good works.
| Read 1 Thess 4:7,8. What does it mean to be called “in holiness” (NKJV)? What areas of your life might you need to ask yourself if, indeed, you are acting “in holiness”? |
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Is there any link between tithe, offerings and quenching the Holy Spirit or grieving the Holy Spirit? Most of the time, in local church (SDA) they have quarterly target of tithe and when the target is not achieved then they say that there is no Holy Spirit in the church. Your ideas are welcome.
When we surrender our lives to God, returning to Him a portion of what he has generously given us is a small token of our love for Him. That said, there are churches that emphasize money-collecting above worship. In my church, money is collected 4 separate times each Sabbath 🙁
An SDA church I attend when camping has a basket near the entrance where all tithes and offerings may be placed. There is no money-collecting per se. I like this method.
It is so easy nowadays to start a fire than to extinguish it, meaning God's Spirit is so accessible, his love is reachable, but the effort we put in resisting his prompting is so much. Sinning for believers is a burden, acting against your conscience and living with the guilt is not an easy matter, but turning but to God is just rekindling those flames and surely he will always be there for us. The good thing is we can ''quench the fiery darts of the wicked one'' by keeping the flames burning.
In 1Thess 5:19 we read:"Quench not the Spirit." To quench is to put out fire or take away the heat. The Holy Spirit is fire dwelling in each child of God. We feel something burning in us to go and tell others about Jesus Christ, the good news. That is why the Holy Spirit wants to express Himself in our actions and attitudes. We acknowledge that the Holy Spirit has been sent by Jesus to teach and guide us and, He brings to our remembrance the words of Christ. Further, God dwells with us through the Holy Spirit as we learn in 1 Cor. 6:19. Romans 8:14 says:"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons (children) of God. So it is through the Spirit that we become God's children. The Spirit also gives us life as John 6:63 tells us:"It is the Spirit who gives life...." Earth without breath is dead. People without the Spirit are spiritually dead.
We quench the Holy Spirit by living according to the flesh. It is important to note that Gal. 5:16-21 exhorts us to: "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit,you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
In Rom 8:5 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."
When believers do not allow the Spirit to be seen in our actions, when we do what we know is wrong, we suppress or quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). We do not allow the Spirit to reveal Himself the way that He wants to. We quench the Spirit by counting that which is holy as common.
Heb 10:29 rhetorically asks: "Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?"
It is simply out of step for the child of God to quench the Spirit and must surely have detrimental consequences to those who do.
"He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit!"
To walk in the Spirit, which means we have accepted the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives to change our character and our behaviour.
Always remembering we are "saved" not by what we do but by what the Holy Spirit does in our hearts.
Titus 3:3 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Quenching The Spirit is not allowing someone who has received a spiritual gift to use it. Like when a woman is gifted to lead in God's work is not allowed to do it.
Gamaliel in Acts 5:39 ''But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” You cannot fight against God and win, you cannot suppress the working of the holy Spirit in another save yourself, God cannot be limited by human en devours no matter how well orchestrated. Unless if you mean Gods work is limited to the Pulpit, women have always been involved in Gods works and will always be, no one led by any Spirit will ever supress the good work they do. Only unless if the world standard is used as a standard of measurement will they feel as if their work is limited.
The printed ss lesson has 1 Thessalonians 4:7,8 instead of Galatians 5:25, as the last verse of Scripture in the lesson....may be a publishing error on ssnet.org.
Thanks. That was our mistake, and I don't know how it happened. Just goes to show we are not perfect. 😉 I have corrected the error.
There is one thing that I desperately desire in my life in order to be more in tune with the Holy Spirit it would have to be faith, more more more faith.
I want faith that believes when I can't see or even imagine what God is doing in a situation. I want just trust Him, no matter what Is heard or what is happening or just happened. Trust when I don't know what to do, when I have no human support, knowing God is truly able.
So often my faith wavers and I have to say like the father of the demon possessed boy, 'Lord I believe, help Thou my unbelief!"
Along with our prayers we can find more faith from the Word of God as our constant supply of "heavenly manna"(Rom 10:17) and less of the world's fare. This along with the exercise of faith is how we can help our prayers be answered. Yes we have a part to do once we pray.
Yes, more faith. This is what Jesus will be looking for when He returns(Luke 18:8). God also increases our faith by trials(James 1:2-4), in answer to our prayers.
Nanci, faith is involved in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. As we receive and allow the Holy Spirit to motivate us in thoughts and feelings we receive faith. We don't have to make it ourselves. In fact, we cannot make it ourselves. It is involved in the process of the work of the Holy Spirit in every issue. Our work is to give our hearts to be the workplace of the Holy Spirit.
Quenching that is mentioned in 1 Thess 5:19 is a Greek word, Sbenumi. pronounced Sben'-noo-mee.It means to extinguish, or go out. Much as we would say in English. How it applies is much more important. Apostle Paul has listed a number of Exhortations in preparation for the Day of the Lord, beginning in 1 Thess 5:1, and continuing through 1 Thess 5:22. Is the Illustration of quenching under discussion is permanent or temporary, Ephesians 6:16 uses the same word when discussing the Whole Armor of God.
Mark 9:43-48 and Hebrews 11:44, do not specifically address quenching the Holy Spirit. The emphasizes may be more important elsewhere.
A question that some find most important. Are there degrees of sin? Are some more serious than others,and if so, what is the source of the answer? We might read Matt 18:3-9, Matt 12:31,32, and Mark 3:20-30.
Matt. 12:31 says: Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. This sin is as a result of a person's stubbornness and hard-hardheartedness against the pleading of the Holy Spirit. This is beyond the possibility of God's forgiveness because the person constantly refuses to respond to the Spirit's invitation to repent.