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Chapter V
DO NOT GRIEVE the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD
Christians are responsible for their own behavior regarding the sensual sins of immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire; and the emotional sins of anger, wrath, and malice; and the sins of the tongue, slander, abusive speech from the mouth and lying. And we have learned that the New Testament states, very clearly, that each Christian will be held personally responsible for the emotional sin of being angry, the action of anger, and that each one is to get rid of all anger.
We can correct the resident anger triggers embedded in our own subconscious minds and thus prevent future angry reactions. Angry people reflect their inner thoughts. And, simply put, "Cognitive Restructuring" is repentance. It means: changing the way we think, and it involves "verbalization" and "internalization."
Ephesians 4:29 (NASB) says: "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear."
And that brings us to Ephesians 4:30 (NASB) that says: "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
"Be patient," said he, "and of good understanding, and you will rule over every wicked work, and you will work all righteousness. For if you be patient, the Holy Spirit that dwells in you will be pure. He will not be darkened by any evil spirit, but, dwelling in a broad region, he will rejoice and be glad; and with the vessel in which he dwells he will serve God in gladness, having great peace within himself."
"But if any outburst of anger take place, forthwith the Holy Spirit, who is tender, is straitened, not having a pure place, and He seeks to depart. For he is choked by the vile spirit, and cannot attend on the Lord as he wishes, for anger pollutes him. For the Lord dwells in long-suffering, but the devil in anger."
"The two spirits, then, when dwelling in the same habitation, are at discord with each other, and are troublesome to that man in whom they dwell. The Holy Spirit, not having a pure place to dwell, seeks to depart. . . . Then, when he withdraws from the man in whom he dwelt, the man is emptied of the righteous Spirit; and being henceforward filled with evil spirits, he is in a state of anarchy in every action, being dragged hither and thither by the evil spirits, and there is complete darkness in his mind as to everything good. This, then, is what happens to all the Angry." (See footnote). 1
In John 8:31-32 (NASB) Jesus said: "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." If we obey the command: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God;" we will experience the freedom that exists only when the Holy Spirit of God dwells in us, rejoicing and serving God in gladness and in great peace.
Proverbs 27:3-4 (NASB) says: "A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, but the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them. Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood."
We are focusing on "The Action of Anger." Each one of us should make a list of offenders that have provoked us to anger (cf. Matthew 5:22-24). We need to think through how we can contact the person or persons that have offended us or the person or persons that we have offended. When we determine, ahead of time, what we are going to say, let us be sure that we have understood what it really was that provoked or triggered our anger reaction, and that we verbalize (express in words i.e. confess) the provocation that "set-us-off" and resulted in the sin.
1 John 1:9 (NASB) says: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Christians are responsible for their own behavior. And, "Christians would do well to take heed to what the Bible designates as sins." 2
In putting off the old person and putting on the new, Christians are not being advised to harbor and control anger, bitterness, wrath, clamor, and evil speaking; Christians are being commanded to "get rid" of them and replace them. And, it is very important that Christians do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
Ephesians 4:27 (KJV) says: "neither give [supply or provide] place to the devil [a command]." Christians are not to allow the devil to enter their lives, and there dwell as a result of the referenced action of anger. The word "place" refers to a jurisdictional area of control: the devil's dwelling place.
The series of commands of Ephesians 4:28-32 (NASB) follows: "Let him who steals steal no longer. . . . Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth. . . . And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. . . . Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
Acts 24:16 (NASB) says: "In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men." And, James 1:22 (NASB) says: "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." Let's do it.
DO NOT GRIEVE the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD
Chapter V
Questions for Discussion
1. Do you believe that there has been a common failure of Christian leaders to teach the importance of obeying the commandment: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God"? Do you believe that Christians are commanded to do that which they can not do? How does one grieve the Holy Spirit of God?
2. How would you describe the main ideas presented by Hermas, the Shepherd or Pastor, concerning: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God?" The Introductory Note of the "The Pastor of Hermas" in The Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. II says: "The Pastor of Hermas was one of the most popular books, if not the most popular book, in the Christian Church during the second, third and fourth centuries. The early writers are of opinion that it was really inspired. Irenaeus quotes it as scripture and Clemens Alexandrinus [Clement of Alexandria] speaks of it as making its statements 'divinely.' In ancient times it was widely held that it was the production of Hermas mentioned in the Epistle to the Romans. Origen states this opinion distinctly, and it is repeated by Eusebius and Jerome." 3
3. Hermas said: "But if any outburst of anger take place, forthwith the Holy Spirit, who is tender, is straitened, not having a pure place, and He seeks to depart. For he is choked by the vile spirit, and cannot attend on the Lord as he wishes, for anger pollutes him. For the Lord dwells in long-suffering, but the devil in anger." Do you agree or disagree? Can you quote the scripture that confirms the fact that the devil dwells in anger?
4. And, "The two spirits, then, when dwelling in the same habitation, are at discord with each other, and are troublesome to that man in whom they dwell. The Holy Spirit, not having a pure place to dwell, seeks to Depart. . . Then, when he withdraws from the man in whom he dwelt, the man is emptied of the righteous Spirit; and being henceforward filled with evil spirits, he is in a state of anarchy in every action, being dragged hither and thither by the evil spirits, and there is complete darkness in his mind as to everything good. This, then, is what happens to all the Angry." Agree? Disagree?
5. Discuss James 3:11 (NASB) that asks: "Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?" Do you agree that angry people reflect their inner thoughts? If not why not?
6. We can correct that which causes or provokes anger in us, by defusing the resident anger triggers embedded in our own subconscious minds, and thus prevent future anger reactions. Agree? Disagree?
7. Matthew 12:43-45 says: "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will be with this evil generation." Agree? Disagree?
8. What does James 1:22 say? Does it apply to the command: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God"?
DO NOT GRIEVE the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD
CHAPTER V FOOTNOTES:
1 Vol. II, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, page 23. "The Pastor of Hermas" Commandment V. CHAP. I and CHAP. II (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprinted, 1975). Note: In the early church, it was widely held that Hermas, mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:14, was the author.
2. Commentary On Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians and Romans by J. W. McGarvey, LL.D., and Philip Y. Pendleton, A. M. (Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company, Public Domain), page 283.
3 The Ante-Nicene Fathers VOL II (Grand Rapids, MI: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprinted, 1975), p. 6.
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